We are proud and joyful that another LIFE project has officially started in Croatia, for the first time in the Cetina valley. The project was created by the joint effort of Biom association with the University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, Hrvatske šume d.o.o. and the LAG “Cetinska krajina”.
At the first meeting of project partners, the goal was to gather all members of the project team, present the goals and activities in the first phase of the project and to announce the upcoming activities. Each partner presented their share in the project with an emphasis on the identification of key activities within the project area, which will contribute to the knowledge of biodiversity, but also to encourage the population for sustainable management. The team met with representatives of the City of Vrlika, Mayor Juro Plazonić, his deputy Nikola Uzun and a representative of the Alkar stud farm to identify opportunities for cooperation in the project area for breeding horses.
Except of the work meeting, the team toured part of the project area; meadows near Vrlika, Ježevićko Suhopolje, part of Vrdovo area at the foot of the Mali Maglaj peak and wells through out Gornji Bitelić.
With the aim of encouraging and perseverance biodiversity on Dinara Mountain, we have started the project entitled “Dinara back to LIFE”.
The project consists of conservational activities for restoring grasslands, including manual removal of overgrown vegetation, its removal by planned grazing and controlled burning, as well as additional activities, creating institutional requirements for preserving grasslands and providing support to the local population in developing agricultural and tourist activities basing their value on co-existence with nature.
In the first few months, while habitat analysis and selection of appropriate approach to perseverance of grasslands are underway, the project team plans to visit examples of good practices within Croatia, but also in neighboring countries to improve their future activities.
The total duration of the project is three years and seven months. The activities will be implemented in the area of Knin, Sinj, Trilj, Vrlika and the municipalities of Civljane, Hrvace, Kiev and Otok. It is important to emphasize that the project area is a part of Natura 2000, an ecological network of areas important for the conservation of endangered species and habitat types of the European Union.
