Carpathian National Park 2019-2020 Progress Report

Carpathian National Nature Park Progress Report: Global Park Defense Deployment 

Background

Starting in October 2019, Global Conservation has provided significant funding to help strengthen law enforcement in Carpathian National Nature Park. Carpathian National Nature Park (CNNP) is one of the oldest parks in the Ukraine and the biggest in the Carpathian region. Global Conservation has supported CNNP in the deployment of Global Park Defense, creation of a new Command Center, developing protection strategy, and ongoing capacity building. 

GC is focused on the deployment of Global Park Defense against wildlife poaching and illegal logging. We are providing equipment, systems, technologies and training to improve the effectiveness of park administration and park rangers. Global Conservation has supported the work of the rangers by purchasing the vehicle, camera traps, GPS's, smart phones, and software for mapping. 

Global Conservation is also supporting the mapping and legislative work needed to expand and connect existing parks and forest areas into a large Greater Carpathian National Park for potential UNESCO World Heritage designation.

The Rangers are working hard to counter wildlife poaching, illegal logging, fast respond on illegal activities in the CNNP. Rangers are on patrol every day of the year. Their tireless work has been effective in strengthening law enforcement, cracking down on illegal logging and poaching networks. Ranger patrolling is conducted from 12 ranger stations (divisions). Each station (division) has a patrol quadrant that ranges from 4,000 ha to 8,000 ha.

Snapshot: Achievements from 2019-2020

• Surveillance Coverage: Cellular trailcams now monitor a small number of trails, roads and rivers in the national park.
• Patrol Coverage: A new truck and equipment has enabled increases in patrol area.
• Law Enforcement: The first formal agreement between CNNP and the local police has resulted in one officer being dedicated to investigating criminal activity in the park.

Key Objectives

In 2019-2020, we had three main objectives:

1. Training of 70 park rangers and increasing patrol coverage and frequency to increase capacity and reduce illegal activity in the area.
2. Increasing rapid response and monitoring capacity in the areas with high wildlife, illegal cutting and poaching incidents. We are increasing the use of threat monitoring technology (i.e., cellular trailcams, GPS trackers) and increasing the efficiency of the existing SMART patrol teams in the Carpathian National Nature Park.
3. Mapping the Greater Carpathians Ecosystem with the eventual goal of expanding the national park and connecting adjacent protected areas.

Meeting of the CNNP rangers and Global Defense team.

Strategies and Progress to Date

Objective 1: Training of 70 park rangers and increasing patrol coverage and frequency in the Carpathian National Nature Park 

Goal: To increase capacity in order to reduce poaching incidents.

All-terrain vehicles expand the reach of ranger patrols.

Strategy: To achieve this, we will provide basic field operation and administrative training to the chief ranger and one head ranger. They will be responsible for training the remaining 11 head rangers who will then train their teams. We will also hold a two-day training with all 12 lead rangers to establish basic protocols and Global Conservation’s expectations.We are also ramping up the number and distance of patrols. Over the next three months, we plan to increase the number of foot patrols using GPS throughout the park.

Progress to Date: 

• In 2019, vehicle-based patrolling was increased from 0 km to 537 km. In the first 6 months of this program, from October 2019-March 2020, 213 km of foot patrols were also logged. We look to increase that number two-fold in the next 6 months.

On patrol in CNNP.

• Purchased an off-road capable Mitsubishi L200 to increase patrol coverage.

Patrol Vehicle funded by Global Conservation.

• Established regional command center after repairing and refurnishing the facility.

New CNNP Command Center.

We have also improved our standard operating procedures (SOPs):

• Patrol schedules were developed according to GC recommendations to be ready for patrolling and rapid response 24/7. 
• We have implemented a “stop and talk” policy. Park rangers will engage with all park patrons they encounter in order to establish a better park presence and familiarize themselves with locals and frequent park visitors. This should result in more information and tips being given to rangers, thus helping them in investigations. It will also let criminals know that they will not go unnoticed.  

A ranger uses a GPS to mark points of interest.

Objective 2: Increasing Rapid Response and Monitoring Capacity

Goal: To improve the ability of CNNP rangers to respond to illegal activity quickly and efficiently.

New high-performance computers for satellite and GIS mapping.

Strategy: To achieve this, we are installing Global Park Defense technological systems. We plan to install cellular trailcams throughout the park, improve communications systems, and implement GPS mapping technology.

Installing cellular trailcams in CNNP.

When people are detected in the surveillance area where cellular trailcams are located, the information is immediately transmitted from the command center to the chief ranger in the field. This allows rangers to obtain the location of the activity and the nearest exit/entrance points to and from the forest. When violations are detected, we will work to eliminate illegal activity in accordance with the current environmental legislation of Ukraine.  

A cellular trailcam captures a man dragging illegally harvested wood in CNNP.

Progress to Date:

• Project team installed 26 camera traps in the park. These camera traps are used to identify poaching hotspots in the park, track tourism, and monitor wildlife. Photographs from the camera traps are processed, categorized (animals, suspicious activity, criminal activity, or tourism), and then sent to the appropriate staff or to authorities. We have created a database of images to standardize this process and gather information on repeat offenders. 

A deer captured on a cellular trailcam in CNNP.

• GIS mapping specialist conducted handheld GPS training for lead rangers. This allows them to log distance patrolled and mark points of interest or illegal activity. Using the GPS units lets us identify higher-threat areas for increased patrolling and eliminate or minimize patrolling in low or zero threat areas. The units also allow rangers to communicate with each other and the command center in remote areas of the park that do not receive cell coverage.

Computers, cellular trailcams and GPS units provided by Global Conservation.

• Equipped the command center with two PC notebooks, two monitors, a wireless router, external hard drives, a PC to work with the maps, a printer, 26 camera traps, three Garmin GPS units with communication capabilities, three mobile phones, and many other items needed to implement Global Park Defense. Later this year we will be adding nine more GPS units and 11 more camera traps. 

New Global Park Defense Equipment including Computers and Cellular Trailcams.

Objective 3: Mapping the Greater Carpathians 

Goal: To map the entire Carpathian Mountains region towards the goal of expanding the national park and connect it to adjacent protected areas. In conjunction with the national government, we will also work toward nomination of the Greater Carpathians for UNESCO World Heritage status. Ultimately, the Carpathians is a tourism development opportunity that could attract millions of visitors and generate critically needed revenues and employment.

Strategy: To do this, we must first understand wildlife corridors, old growth forests, communities and towns, land use and transportation, rivers, and tourist attractions in the national parks.

Mapping Objectives:

1. Base Maps of protection type, land use, and transportation pathways

   Focal protected areas in the Greater Carpathians region.

2. Human Settlement
3. Wildlife Habitats and Corridors
4. Tourism Attractions 
5. Mapping of Old Growth Forests (courtesy Frankfurt Zoological Society)

   

2020 CFPP Results

In 2020, our rangers from 12 divisions patrolled 20,000-km by foot and 14,000 by car. As a result of this action, our rangers filed 8 court cases against forest criminals. We have provided written protocols for all new strategies encompassed in our Global Park Defense program. This will help to standardize techniques and provide a guide for park rangers and park management to refer to in the early stages of our program, maximizing our chance of early success.

2020 Results in Numbers

• 37 Response Interdictions
• 7 Arrests (5 for illegal logging, 2 for illegal entry)
• 5 Confiscations
• 45 Talks/Warnings
• 8 Prosecutions
• 14,000 Kilometers of vehicle patrols
• 20,000 Kilometers of foot patrols
• 4 Cooperations with Police

New Book: Underground in the Carpathians

Nine hundred copies of this new book, authored by Dr. Olena Slobodian, will be printed for distribution to all schools, libraries and protected areas in the Carpathians. We aim to contribute to youth education on science, nature and conservation. The production of this book was funded by Global Conservation and the Frankfurt Zoological Society, with support from Eva-Maria Melchers of Germany, a supporter of Global Conservation.