There must be both big herbivores and big predators / day

The Kemeri National Park (KNP) will celebrate its 30th anniversary in a few years, but the Kemeri National Park Foundation this year – 25. You are at the forefront of its inception. What was it?

Initially, the KNP was its own administration, only later it came to the Nature Conservation Agency (DAP). In the early years, the Fund was less active. More activity began when the Fund took over the economic activity from the park administration and was able to apply for area payments to the Rural Support Service (RSS). In 2006, all non -governmental organizations had to be re -registered and then foundations and associations were divided by re -registering them in the Company Register. The Fund was recorded as a foundation, approving the statutes. Currently, the fund has a board of three people, two of them active – EU and Agnese Balandiņa, who are responsible for more of tourism and communication issues. It should be noted that by 2015, my main job was the DAP, and later the Foundation Manager, who is responsible for project administration and organization of natural grassland management.

Workload has grown over the years?

It has grown significantly. As I mentioned, when we started applying for the RSS area payments for pasture meadows, we had to take on the organization of this work. This is a huge field of work, just like my colleague is a tourist field.

How can the park balance tourism and nature protection?

We are working on it, and this is our task of finding their balance. Follow up with the extent that economic affairs affects nature. Tourism is an important area in the park and has to find its place. The big swamp trail is one of the most popular places – it is highly visited. The plus is that it leads to footpaths where you can’t deviate, and so it doesn’t matter if ten or a hundred people go. It would be much harder to do in the woods, and then its impact on nature would be much more significant, starting from the low cover. Unlike the forest, there are not so many animals in the swamp that would interfere with the presence of tourists. Of course, it is important that the nesting birds are not missed or the nest are destroyed by dogs they have taken them – they must be at the leash.

Can this trail be visited for free? Isn’t it meant to be determined?

No currently meant. However, there would be a certain basis for its determination. Either because the infrastructure needs to be maintained – repairing or replacing the board. True, you have to pay for a parking lot if you arrive by transport. Currently, its manager changed, and as a commercial structure, it is thinking about making money and increasing the range of services, such as meals. Their responsibilities include not only parking spaces, but also the purity of the trail. All of this must be followed so that when they profit, it does not break the limits of reason. And this is the DAP duty, the fund is not really doing there.