this presentation was used at CEEWEB conference on forestry and wilderness organised in Blagoevgrad on 12-14 September (co-financed by the European Commission)

1. EU PROCESSES ADDRESSING FOREST CONSERVATION:
THE WILDERNESS MANAGEMENT GUIDELINE
Zoltán Kun, Executive Director
PAN Parks Foundation
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3. What is PAN Parks?
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4. What is PAN Parks?
PAN Parks works to protect Europe’s wilderness, the
continent’s most undisturbed areas of nature.
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The only European-wide organisation focusing on
the protection of wilderness areas.

5. KüreMountainsNP©AykutInce
What is PAN Parks?
Although it is a registered foundation, but we rather
like to call it as a movement
Our partners are
40+ protected areas
10+ conservation organisations
50+ tourism and other entrepreneurs

6. The European Wilderness Preservation
System

7. The political context
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8. The political context
The two nature directives (Bird and Habitat) provide
the framework for designating and managing N2000
sites but there are several challenges such as
- Interpretation of FCS
- N2000 vs national designation
- Planning and managing ...
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9. November 2008 over 100 organisations signed a
resolution (citizens’ call) on wilderness submitted to
the EP
3 February 2009 the overwhelming majority of the EP
adopted the Resolution on Europe’s Wilderness
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The political context

10. RilaNP©EvgeniDinev
EC Presidency conferences:
- Prague May 2009 conference on wilderness and
wild lands resulting the Agenda for Europe’s
Wilderness with 24 recommendations
- Brussels November 2010 Restoring the Wild Heart
of Europe (EU 2020 Biodiv Strategy)
- Westport May 2013 wilderness restoration on
modified landscape
The political context

11. EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy includes wilderness
linked to forestry
EC management guidance recently approved
Wilderness register covering the EEA countries (draft
expected by October 2013)
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The political context

12. Beyond the biodiversity and social arguments, there is
a moral obligation as well to protect wilderness for
future generations
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The political context
WILD10 how far can we go with our vision?
Wilderness Convention at COE or....
European Citizens’ Initiative

13. Wilderness Guidance
trying to avoid anecdotes!
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14. Guidelines on Wilderness in Natura 2000 sites
Management of terrestrial wilderness and wild areas
within the Natura 2000 Network
Alterra, Eurosite, PAN Parks
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Wilderness guidance
Downloadable from EC DG Environment website!

15. Defining wilderness in a European context
A wilderness is an area governed by natural processes. It is
composed of native habitats and species, and large
enough for the effective ecological functioning of natural
processes. It is unmodified or only slightly modified and
without intrusive or extractive human activity, settlements,
infrastructure or visual disturbance
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Wilderness guidance

16. KüreMountainsNP©AykutInce
Wilderness guidance
Understanding the difference between rewilding
(verb, restoration process) and wilderness (noun,
status mainly focused on management)!
Rewilding the hearts and minds of people
Rewilding an area might end up with wilderness

17. The purpose of this document is to guide the
management of those areas in Natura 2000 where the
objective of management is to preserve wilderness
qualities and consequently the chosen management
method is non-intervention or set aside and to
present the current knowledge on the benefits of
such an objective as well as the consequences...
The document does not suggest more wilderness!
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Wilderness guidance

18. Chapter 1: review of literature and definition
Chapter 2: EU policy framework
Chapter 3: ecosystem resillience and pressures for
wilderness
Chapter 4: best practice examples
Chapter 5: stakeholder involvement
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Wilderness guidance

19. Bark beetle
Forest fires
Reindeer grazing
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Wilderness guidance
Several best practice examples are submitted and
attached to the document

20. Examples
collected from
over 1/3 of
habitat types
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Wilderness guidance

21. 31% of
habitats are
forest, but not
exclusively!
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22. Wilderness management can be implemented
throughout Europe not only in East or North!
It is bound by and faithful to the EU directives
It is not legislative
It is not promoted specifically
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Wilderness guidance
The NGO sector should promote the document!

23. PAN Parks works to protect Europe’s
wilderness, the continent’s most
undisturbed areas of nature
GET INVOLVED!
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zkun@panparks.org