Meetings with the landowners in the Natura 2000 site Łąka w Bęczkowicach

Natura 2000 site Łąka w Bęczkowicach PLH100004 is located in two counties (piotrkowski and radomszczański) in Łódź voivodeship. It has been assigned to protect valuable natural habitats: mainly transition mires (7140) and alkaline fens (7230) and the population liparis loeselii. This is one of the most valuable areas of this type in the Łódź voivodeship. For this area on 17th February 2014 by the Decree of the Regional Director for Environmental Protection in Łódź the conservation measures plan has been established. The content of the plan can be found here: http://bip.lodz.rdos.gov.pl/files/obwieszczenia/18490/Zarzadzenie_RDOS_Lodz_Dz_Urz_Woj_Lodz_2014_741.pdf

The largest part of the site is covered by fens, which in the past has been used for agricultural purposes, and to the early 50s of the last century, partly exploited. In the mid-80s both mowing and grazing has been abandoned.

As a part of the implementation of our project and the agreement concluded between the Naturalists’ Club and the Regional Director for Environmental Protection in Łódź we organized on Natura 2000 site Łąka w Bęczkowicach meeting with the owners of parcels where habitat 7230 – alkaline fens – is present.

On the 29^th of February 2016 in the fire-station in Bęczkowice first meeting with landowners was held. On the second day (1^st of March ) the meeting started with the sound of the sirens in the fire –station in Bartodzieje. During the meetings we presented the project’s objectives and activities to be undertaken in this area in order to preserve protected habitat and associated with it species of orchid – liparis loeselii . In addition the natural values of the area and content of the conservation measures plan has been discussed in details. The range of possible protective measures (especially extensive mowing) and terms of the agri – environmental – climatic scheme has been presented.. The meetings were chaired by the employees of Naturalists’ Club and the representative of the Regional Directorate of Environmental Protection in Łódź. In our opinion both project and proposed conservation measures, including the possibility of cooperation with landowners, met with a very positive response. We believe that we were able to dispel any doubts and answer all the questions from the landowners. We would also wish to thank participants for their presence on the meeting and all interest shown. We are also very grateful for the warm welcome and the provision of the meeting room in the fire stations in Bęczkowice and Bartodzieje.