A Workshop in Bulgaria: Options for Local Biodiversity Management in Protected Areas

8 - 10 February, 2002

After this workshop: possible future action

• Use the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute web-site to publish the papers and results of the workshop, including the EU Phare proposals.
• Designate an individual from the protected area administrators to assess funding opportunities for the EU Phare project proposals developed during this workshop.
• Nominate 2 - 3 persons in Bulgaria to develop these proposals, to consult other workshop participants in that development, and then to submit to the EU delegation.
• In developing these three proposals, organise visits of successful demonstration projects in Bulgaria.
• Nominate a person to liase regularly with the EU delegation in Sofia, to disseminate EU policy and funding issues information to administrators nation-wide.
• Consider a future workshop for protected area administrators and rangers specifically on conflict resolution.
• Consider future training in developing business plans, and development plans for the whole territories.
• Organise bilateral exchange between Slovenia and Bulgaria.
• Protected area administrators do not currently have control of funds that they generate: all of these are currently centralised within the relevant ministry. Until administrators have control of these funds, there are no economic incentives for them to initiate such activities. It is debatable whether administrators should be involved in such commercial activity.