Management Plan for the Raķupe River Valley: Work in Progress

The Raķupe River Valley is a unique natural value that the inhabitants of the Dundaga, Ance, Puze and Valgale counties should take pride in. The Raķupe River Valley Nature Reserve was established in 1987, and it is situated within the territory of these counties. Today, it is also a Natura 2000 site – a part of the Europe wide network of specially protected nature territories.

Typical landscape of Raķupe

River valley

Management Plan for the Raķupe River Valley: Work in Progress

The Raķupe River Valley is a unique natural value that the inhabitants of the Dundaga, Ance, Puze and Valdgale counties should take pride in. The Raķupe River Valley Nature Reserve was established in 1987, and it is situated within the territory of these counties. Today, it is also a Natura 2000 site – a part of the Europe wide network of specially protected nature territories. This makes the Raķupe River Valley an equal to such unique nature sites as the Tatra Mountains, the Bavarian Forest or the River Rhine Delta, among others.

The most remarkable value of this nature reserve is the Raķupe River, which has been largely spared from significant human impacts. Winding through a narrow valley the river forms natural floodplain meadows. The floodplains that are regularly flooded host the densest population of breeding corncrakes in Kurzeme. Yet, the natural value of the meadows is jeopardized by their

Executive of management plan

J.Bāra after Informal meeting

discussing with experts

overgrowing or inappropriate management. Old oaks growing in the valley have been found a suitable habitat by an endangered beetle of European significance – the hermit beetle. The surrounding forests are a valuable and favored habitat of many rare  birds and animals. In order to plan for appropriate management in the nature reserve and to balance nature protection goals with economic interests of local inhabitants, there is a need for a comprehensive management plan.

In the course of developing the plan the Raķupe River Valley will be carefully studied by scientists – experts of forest, meadow and water habitats, as well as those researching birds, insects and fish. However, the management plan could only become a useful and a comprehensive document if it encompasses input from all stakeholders, i.e., land owners, representatives of local municipalities and responsible authorities, hunting clubs and others. To facilitate this dialog, special meetings are held that offer a chance to learn more about the natural values of the site and to discuss future developments of the territory. Completion of the management plan is set for the end of this year. Before becoming a useful tool for planning activities for the next decade, the document is approved by the Ministry of the Environment.

The management plan for the Raķupe River Valley will be drawn by the non-governmental organization, the Baltic Environmental Forum. This activity is financially supported by a larger project – the LIFE-Nature Restoration of floodplain meadows administered by the Latvian Fund for Nature. As the name implies, the project mostly deals with restoration of floodplain meadows and with providing additional financing for necessary management activities.