What awaits the Kalnciems Meadows?

Public hearing to discuss development of the management plan for the Kalnciems Meadows Nature Reserve will take place on 10 November 2005 at 15.00 in the Kalnciems town social hall.

Counting of Gladiolus imbricatus

at Kalnciema meadows

What awaits the Kalnciems Meadows?

Public hearing to discuss development of the management plan for the Kalnciems Meadows Nature Reserve will take place on 10 November 2005 at 15.00 in the Kalnciems town social hall.

Andris Zamuels, land use expert of the Kalnciems Town Council, explained that the meadows are only a part of the Kalnciems administrative territory that has a planned and clearly defined future development vision in place. Work on land use development planning still has not started for the Kalnciems town with its rural territory.

For one year already a working group from the Latvian Fund for Nature lead by Viesturs Vintulis has been working on the management plan. V. Vintulis has stressed that “the Kalnciems Meadows are one of the rare natural stretches of the entire Lielupe River with open floodplain meadows on its banks. Nature values of this area are truly surprising, for instance, the site hosting shingled gladiolus is bigger than any of the known ones in the adjacent Ķemeri National Park.” The area also boasts a number of wader species, and the biggest density of breeding corn crakes. Bluethroat, a bird rarely found in Latvia and famous for its beautiful song that could easily compete with that of a nightingale, has also been observed here.

The main objective of the management plan is to find a balance between nature conservation and

Representative of city council

A.Zamuel at informal meeting

economic interests of the area in order to prevent degradation of its natural values. In the early stages of assessing natural values in the country, the Kalnciems Meadows have been noted as one of the most valuable natural floodplain meadows in Latvia, and it was also designated as a nature protection area of European importance.

A. Zamuels noted that activity of local inhabitants before the public hearing is not very high. He attributes it to the low number of private landowners in the territory; the regularly flooded meadows within the nature reserve are difficult to manage. Historically, these meadows have been a communal property; they have been divided into smaller strips for use as pastures or hay meadows by way of lottery. Currently, interest in acquiring/using this municipal land is fueled by two types of interest. Firstly, it is for land speculation purposes: the area is conveniently located between the Riga-Liepāja highway and has good infrastructure connections to the nearby Kalnciems town. However, upon discovering that this is a Natura 2000 site, which prohibits any residential development there, interest vanishes. Secondly, larger land managers are interested to take on the land and to subsequently receive subsidies for managing land for nature conservation purposes. The latter approach corresponds with objectives of the management plan, which prescribes precise management activities that would attract additional funding.

Areas with bushes in

Kalnciema meadows

However, land managers who have already started activities in the area have complained that the level of water in the meadows is unpredictable, and it limits their ability to mow the entire area. The Kalnciems municipality would be interested is clearing large areas overgrown with bushes in order to develop an aesthetically appealing landscape when approaching the town from Riga. Nevertheless, nature conservation objectives are the primary here; two information boards will be put up next year for local inhabitants and visitors to better appreciate particular nature values of this area.

To participate in shaping the future of the Kalnciems Meadows Nature Reserve, local landowners along with other involved parties are invited to take part in the public hearing.

The management plan is being developed within the LIFE-Nature project on Restoration of Floodplains. It is implemented by the Latvian Fund for Nature working for conservation of nature diversity in Latvia.