MANAGEMENT PLAN OF KEMERI NATIONAL PARK 2002-2010 This Management Plan begins with a long-term view of Kemeri National Park, looking beyond the eight year time horizon of this Plan. It offers a vision of the future that all can share and work together to strive towards. Vision of Kemeri National Park The territory of Kemeri National Park (NP) is characterised by a large diversity of ecosystems, species and habitats. The representative coastal landscape has old pine forests and non-built up dunes, inland there are shallow lagoon lakes with clean, clear water and large colonies of breeding birds that are able to feed and rest without the risk of being hunted. Varied broadleaf forests with the natural density of dead trees provide ideal conditions for rare lichens, fungi, plants, invertebrates and birds (including every woodpecker species recorded in Latvia). Raised bogs are an open landscape of pools and moss interrupted by islands of mineral soil. Natural meadows provide habitat for corncrakes, great snipes and other birds. The agricultural lands within the park territory are being managed using environmentally friendly methods. People visit the National Park both on foot and by bicycles, using the network of trails. There is also the possibility to watch birds and other wildlife, to go fishing, boating and to enjoy both present-day and ancient curative methods using the locally available sulphurous mineral water and medical mud and to get detailed information about the territory of the park and nature protection. Nature tourism is developed by encouraging locals, businessmen and municipalities to offer quality services and varied relaxation possibilities aiming to ensure the economical stability of the territory by giving extra income both to the budget of the National Park Administration and to local people. Timber is produced in the National Park in a way that imitates the natural processes and increases the biological diversity of the forest. 2 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................. 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................... 7 1 THE “LEGAL OBLIGATIONS” OF KEMERI NP .................................................................................... 12 1.1 INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS ............................................................................................................. 12 1.2 NORMATIVE ACTS OF LATVIA’S LEGISLATION ..................................................................................... 12 1.3 THE HISTORY OF THE PROTECTION OF THE TERRITORY ......................................................................... 18 2 COORDINATION OF NATURE PROTECTION INTERESTS OF KEMERI NP AND TERRITORY DEVELOPMENT PLANS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS .......................................................................... 20 2.1 PARTICIPATION OF PROTECTED TERRITORIES IN THE PROCESS OF SPATIAL PLANNING....................... 20 2.2 SPATIAL PLANS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS........................................................................................... 20 2.3 SPECIALLY SUPPORTABLE REGIONS...................................................................................................... 26 3 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TERRITORY.......................................................................................... 27 3.1 GENERAL INFORMATION........................................................................................................................ 27 3.2 PHYSICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TERRITORY........................................................ 32 3.3 BIOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION..................................................................................................................... 41 3.4 SOCIO-ECONOMICAL DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................................ 51 3.5 CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE TERRITORY ............................................................................................. 54 3.6 THE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES ........................................................................................................ 57 3.7 OBJECTIVES FOR PROTECTION OF KEMERI NP ...................................................................................... 60 4 NATURE VALUES OF KEMERI NATIONAL PARK, THE OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES FOR THEIR PRESERVATION .............................................................................................................................. 61 4.1 LAKES .................................................................................................................................................... 61 4.2 RIVERS ................................................................................................................................................... 81 4.3 SEASHORE .............................................................................................................................................. 85 4.4 SWAMPS ................................................................................................................................................. 89 4.5 FORESTS AND BUSHES.......................................................................................................................... 101 4.6 MEADOWS............................................................................................................................................ 110 4.7 SPECIES CONSERVATION ...................................................................................................................... 119 4.8 MAMMALS, REPTILES, AND AMPHIBIANS............................................................................................ 130 4.9 BIRD SPECIES THAT REQUIRE SPECIAL CONSERVATION MEASURES .................................................... 136 4.10 GEOLOGICAL NATURE VALUES .......................................................................................................... 140 5 LANDSCAPES OF KEMERI NP.............................................................................................................. 142 5.1 LANDSCAPE PROTECTION AND PLANING POLICY................................................................................. 142 5.2 DESCRIPTION OF LANDSCAPES OF KEMERI NP.................................................................................... 143 5.3 LANDSCAPE VALUES, OBJECTIVES AND PROTECTION ACTIVITIES IN KEMERI NP ............................... 144 6 FOREST MANAGEMENT ....................................................................................................................... 153 6.1 THE POLICY OF FOREST MANAGEMENT IN KEMERI NATIONAL PARK................................................ 153 6.2 THE AIMS OF FOREST MANAGEMENT IN KEMERI NP ......................................................................... 153 6.3 THE METHODS OF FOREST MANAGEMENT DEPENDING ON THE MANAGEMENT CATEGORY ................ 153 6.4 FOREST CUTTING ESTIMATE................................................................................................................. 157 6.5 ACTIVITIES........................................................................................................................................... 158 7 PUBLIC RELATIONS............................................................................................................................... 160 7.1 BASIC PRINCIPLES OF KNP PUBLIC RELATIONS ................................................................................. 160 7.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE SITUATION ......................................................................................................... 160 7.3 EVALUATION........................................................................................................................................ 161 7.4 INFLUENCING FACTORS........................................................................................................................ 161 7.5 OBJECTIVES ......................................................................................................................................... 161 7.6 ACTIVITIES........................................................................................................................................... 161 7.7 INDICATORS OF ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................................. 163 3 7.8 MONITORING........................................................................................................................................ 163 8 DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM.............................................................................................................. 164 8.1 POLICY ................................................................................................................................................. 164 8.2 TOURISM RESOURCES IN KEMERI NP .................................................................................................. 164 8.3 INFORMATION AND IT'S ACCESSIBILITY............................................................................................... 167 8.4 VISITATION .......................................................................................................................................... 167 8.5 CAPACITY AND LIMITS OF THE