The project is financed by Danish Environmental Protection Agency (DEPA)

The project period is from 1 September 1998 till 30 December 2000. The project delivers the 9 general outputs, which in short are outlined below:

Output 1. Inception Report

Output 2. Survey of Habitats
We will work out Latvian Habitat Classification System, which will be harmonised with the classification system used by EU and identify Latvian Specially Protected Habitats.

Output 3. Survey of Species
Selected priority species will be investigated during the project. The Species and Habitats Project will do all the necessary preparatory work for evaluation of existing network of protected territories as well as for designating new sites and how to draw their borders. Sub-consultants shall prepare Status Reports (related to outputs 2-4) with all necessary status information and arguments for the MEPRD officials who will negotiate with the European Commission about possible exemptions and amendments to the Annexes of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives.

Output 4. Large Mammal Management Plan
There will be prepared draft Management Plans for the carnivore species to be investigated including wolf, lynx, otter and possibly brown bear.

Output 5. Data Handling System
There is already developed a STATUS Database under the Swedish EPA financed Natura 2000 Project. The output from this Species and Habitats Project will be a report describing how this database has been managed and further developed in order to meet the needs of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development and how it will supply information about species and habitats for the implementation of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives. We will make a data catalogue covering nature-related data holders and investigate the possibility to link the STATUS Database to other databases.

Output 6. Legal and Economic Aspects
We shall produce a draft law On Protection of Species and Habitats including two regulations to be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
We will suggest necessary changes to be made in other existing Latvian legislation in order to comply with the EU Birds and Habitats Directives and International Conventions signed by Latvia. Status Reports, needed for the MEPRD officials in their negotiation process with the European Commission, will also be produced.

Output 7. Public Awareness
We shall produce popular leaflets and articles, including also Threatened Habitat Handbook. Furthermore we will develop an Internet Homepage for the MEPRD’s Nature Protection Division.

Output 8. Capacity Building
We shall provide 3 training sessions for about 40 regional flora and fauna inspectors. Out of participants, 10 trainers will be selected and additionally educated with an aim that these persons will undertake the role of trainers/leaders also after the end of this project.

Output 9. Final Report
The institutions and NGOs selected as Sub-consultants for this project are:

• Latvian Fund for Nature
• Latvian Ornithological Society
• State Forest Inventory Institute / State Forest Service
• Institute of Biology, Laboratory of Ornithology
• Environmental Data Centre

The Project office is situated in Old Riga, Kaļķu street 11A and hosts the Expatriate Project Manager (EPM) and the Latvian Project Co-ordinator (LPC). The Project Steering Committee has been formed and it consists of 8 persons, led by the Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (MEPRD).