In Slovakia (SKCHVU029):

Conditions on about 112 hectares of the land (intensive farming at present) will be significantly improved and land will be transformed from arable land to fellow land/grassland. The land will be the subject of specific restoration during the project.

Best practice methods of management leading to habitats restoration and innovative solutions will be introduced and tested either as pilot or as demonstration activities. Among these long strips of bright wildflowers will be planted through crop fields to boost the natural predators of pests and potentially cut pesticide spraying. Exclusively practices to support insects including bee populations will be in place.

All stakeholders will be involved, especially the land owners. Meetings will be organized not onlyto increase awareness. Our goal is to achieve significant change of present status in the area.Therefore negotiations will be in place to ensure future proper management on another state-owned100 hectares of the land, which are in present under administration of Slovak Land Fund.

In case a breeding attempt of Great Bustard will be recorded, protection of the breeding site will be ensured by legal tools, such as the protection zones around nest etc. Similarly, all legal methods will be used to ensure safe breeding of detected pairs of Red-footed Falcon. Non−invasive methods to prevent nest predation by a marten will be tested.

Over 3000 trees/shrubs of original varieties will be planted to support invertebrates, overall biodiversity, water retention and safe breeding conditions for Red-footed Falcon. By this we also help to prevent soil erosion and spread of pollution by pesticides.

100 alluminium nest boxes of a new type will be designed and new methods of installation will be introduced in the central part of SKCHVU029.

12 Red-footed Falcon will be mounted with a transmitter (6 adults, 6 juveniles) and at least 200 chicks will be ringed under the international color scheme.

Several actions will be implemented to decrease disturbance. Regular inspection visits will be carried out in cooperation with police (training will be ensured) and State Nature Conservancy (SNC). A study will be elaborated to identify measures and concrete actions to direct visitors from core area into less sensitive parts of the SPA, with several actions carried out during the project lifetime (installation of small-scale infrastructure etc.).

 

In Hungary:

Habitat restoration for Red-footed Falcon in HUFH10001 and HUFH10004 is planned after mechanical elimination of invasive tree species or agressive weed and shrub species. The different habitat management requirements during the breeding season of Great Bustard and Red-footed Falcon make necessary the creation of separate zones for each species.

In HUFH10004 Mosoni−sík the target area is 33 ha in the management of FHNPD, as well as 15 hain the management of the cooperating Lajta−Hanság Corporation. Apart from grassland restoration we plan to cooperate with farmers to establish fallow land strips on altogether 50 ha intensiveploughland to provide more adequate habitats for the target species. In HUFH10004 the municipality of Várbalog will hold several events for farmers from HU, SK and AT to promote proper farming practices and increase land under suitable management (workshops, events, joint plantation and care for 50 grown trees for roosting of Red-footed Falcon).

In HUFH10001 Fertő−tó 263 ha under the management of FHNPD will be managed in favor of Red-footed Falcon.

50 nest boxes will be placed out for the Red-footed Falcon in each SPA (100 altogether). 50 chicks will be marked under the international color ringing scheme.

200 nest boxes will be installed and maintained in at least 4 colonies in HUDI 10005 and HUDI10007to ensure suitable conditions for breeding success and creating stepping stones for the range expansion of breeding Red-footed Falcon from core breeding areas in Hungary.

 

General:

The impact of project measures will be verified.

Besides the breeding population, also wintering (Great Bustard) and migrating (Red-footed Falcon) population will be monitored.

Active networking, exchange and sharing of knowledge is expected during the project lifetime and afterwards between project beneficiaries, stakeholders on national and transnational level as well as with external partners. At least 80 meetings, workshops and other events are expected.

Joint land use and CAP payment policy recommendations with emphasis on Natura 2000 sites willbe elaborated.

Innovative and highly efficient PR actions are planned to support the long-term outreach of theproject.

Principles of sustainability will be followed and promoted. Products and services of officiallyrecognised eco−labelling schemes such as the EU Ecolabel will be preferred and promoted.