1. Asnāte Ziemele, president LIFE07 ENV/LV/000981 Kick-off Meeting, 2.03.2009, Helsinki Project title and/or acronym: «POLPROP-NATURA» PROJECT LOCATION: Latvia (demo in the Slītere National park) BUDGET INFO: Total amount: EUR 501.535 50 % EC Co-funding: EUR 244.900 PROJECT’S IMPLEMENTORS: Coordinating Beneficiary: LCTA “Lauku Ceļotājs” Associated Beneficiary: ECEAT - projects DURATION: Start: 01/02/09 - End: 31/01/12

2. Asnāte Ziemele, president LIFE07 ENV/LV/000981 Kick-off Meeting, 2.03.2009, Helsinki BACKGROUND and AIMS: Background: - protected nature sites suffer from intensive degradation and anthropogenous load - the need to specify, monitor and solve the negative environmental impact from tourism - lack of long-term approach to sustainable tourism development in protected nature areas - need for balance between tourism an nature protection needs Aims: To impact tourism development and nature protection policies at all stakeholder levels, directing towards implementation of sustainability principles in practice To implement, test and demonstrate a sustainable tourism management model of a Natura 2000 site (the Slītere National Park) To raise positive awareness of Natura 2000 in local stakeholders and general public in Europe MAIN EU POLICY(IES) TARGETED: The EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) of 21 May 1992 The Council Directive 79/409/EC of 2 April 1979

3. Asnāte Ziemele, president LIFE07 ENV/LV/000981 Kick-off Meeting, 2.03.2009, Helsinki MAIN ACTIVITIES: Design 5 sustainable tourism products in the Slītere NP Develop methodology for monitoring the dynamics of tourism environmental, social and economical impacts in the Slītere NP establishing a model for sustainable tourism management Develop a guide to 14 national parks in the Baltic States of sustainable nature based tourism products Promote Natura 2000 products for European tour operators Develop the manual on best practices on integration of tourism and nature protection in Europe Organize a communication and dissemination campagne on nature and tourism in the Natura 2000 sites (Latvia – Baltics - Europe) To draft recommendations for national policy documents to balance sustainable tourism development and environmental protection needs enabling Natura 2000 as an opportunity and an advantage. EXPECTED RESULTS: 1. Environment and sustainable tourism policy proposal document for LV 2. Sustainable tourism management model of a Natura 2000 site 3. Positive awareness of Natura 2000 among all target groups