The decade-long discussion on the creation of the Palukni meadows biosphere polygon is coming to an end - this year, another 967-hectare protected area is planned to be established in the country.
The Minister of the Environment, after receiving the last comments of the institutions and evaluating them, promises to soon sign an order on the creation of such a territory in Trakai Municipality.
In this way, the aim is to preserve the natural habitats of European Union importance found in the Palukni meadows and protected bird species, including those listed in the Lithuanian Red Book, therefore Palukni meadows are intended to be given the status of an area important for the protection of birds of the European ecological network "Natura 2000".
"That (landfill establishment - BNS) process has been going on for many years, a decade, and has been sufficiently discussed with all residents," Džiugas Anuškevičius, senior advisor of the Nature Protection Policy Group of the Ministry of the Environment, told BNS.
According to him, a number of rare and protected birds live and breed in the vicinity of Palukni, so it was decided to create more favorable conditions for them - in particular, the aim is to maintain the population of grebes, stilts, common grouse, meadow lings, grouses, swifts and sparrowhawks.
The landfill could be used for organic farming, but without the use of pesticides and fertilizers, to regulate the number of foxes and gray crows, and to remove bushes and other woody vegetation spreading in meadows and wetlands.
It is proposed to mow from the center to the edges so that the birds can move away, and this can be done from June 20th, and grazing from June 15th, with no more than one animal allowed to graze per hectare of meadow.
According to D. Anushkevičius, such a requirement means that the soil should be trampled as little as possible.
"This will be an important area for bird conservation, and most of them are pond-dwelling, for example, the rapidly disappearing grebes, grebes, which make their nests and nest on the ground, not in trees. And the more cattle there are, the more likely it is that those nests will be trampled," he told BNS.
According to D. Anuškevičius, small plots prevail in Palukni's surroundings, residents have several hectares each.
Small parts of Varėna, Šalčininkai districts beyond the Merkis River also fall into the planned territory of the polygon in the southern part, but there is no intention to include them in the biosphere polygon, as they are insignificant for the protection of meadow birds.
Protected areas are called landfills, where the mildest regime is applied - the economic activities of people are the least restricted.
The author is Sniegė Balčiūnaitė
