1. Häädemeeste Municipality- priorities and activities to guarantee sustainability in long term development
Marika Kose & Merle Looring
Häädemeeste Municipality Pärnu str 13, Häädemeeste Pärnumaa, Estonia
Contribution of Häädemeeste to Estonian presentation / Session C03
, Sevilla

2. AGENDA 21 ESTONIA ONE OF THE GOALS:
Viability of the Estonian cultural space,
growth of welfare,
coherent society,
ecological balance....
..... as an example in management of the small rural municipality HÄÄDEMEESTE

3. The preconditions
Nature Reserves and NATURA 2000 areas cover more than1/3 of the municipalities territory
Bogs and forests cover 3/4 of the territory
Most of the population (alltogether 3200) lives in coastal area
Area is becoming more and more popular among tourists
VIA BALTICA highway is crossing the municipality

4. HÄÄDEMEESTE

5. Municipality strategy in using (nature) resources
The municipality favours and participates in projects and activities which promote and enable to use nature resources in smaller scale and in longer run.
The municipality has not been against to the creation of Nature Reserves and Natura areas in its territory.
The spatial planning of the Häädemeeste is strictly regulating the building and favors the public interest on coast and other habitats

6. Coastal meadow at Häädemeeste

7. Wild gladiolus Gladiolus imbricatus on coastal meadows

8. HÄÄDEMEESTE municipality
has seen its potential in investing the environment quality and inhabitants awareness as well as visitors.
has participated or initiated several smaller and larger scale projects, restoring and promoting local nature values to wider public

9. The projects
Phare project (Rannametsa Nature trail, tourism Development plan, Yacht port technical design)
LIFE Nature Project (coastal meadow and bog restoration, Nature tourism facilities, working camps, promotion ...)
ERDF project on nature conservation activities
Interreg IIIA project Cross border tourism development
and PIN Matra, ERDF, INTERREG, etc by different Nature conservation organisations, taking place in Häädemeeste territory

10. LIFE Häädemeeste project has enabled the local municipality and community a useful experience in managing conservational, tourism- and training projects, which has resulted in participation in several environmental and cross-border cooperation projects.
Municipality has prepared 2 projects to Norwegian Fund
Municipality is preparing projects for next EU programming period (Leader +, LIFE +, INTERREG)

12. Benefits from EU LIFE Nature
Using the finances of EU LIFE project the coastal meadows have been restored and managed afterwards, which has maintained both the biodiversity as well as traditional land use
Successful nature conservational activities in the region has brought significant positive recognition to the municipality and has had a positive impact to the economical development.

13. Continuation
The conservational land management and argy-environmental subsidies has kept residents in the region, offering them economical perspectives as well as substances.
Healthy and well- functioning ecosystems as well as positive international and national recognition rises the confidence of the inhabitants and the potential of the municipality for further applications

14. Future perspectives
Häädemeeste Municipality has founded a FOUNDATION LUITEMAA to promote the region and write projects
Via planning processes municipality tries to promote healthy and sustainable solutions for residents and nature
Together with Nature Conervation Centre the tourism attractions and visitors guidance in nature are developed

15. Volunteers cleaning the coast from reedbeds in a working camp

16. Bird watching is popular in our coast, one can see
alltogether 265 bird species here.
There are about 10 different birding towers on coast and in the woods

17. The area is a popular destination for different conferences and post
conference tours, scientific researches and student excursions.
It has brought a lot of international recognition and visits to the area.