CENTER>Regional Center for Ecological Survey of the
Apuseni Mountains
Brief presentation
The Regional Center for Ecological Survey of the Apuseni Mountains (RCES) is a federation of
environmental NGOs, founded on November 1, 1994, according to the official act 79/N/1994, as
a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization.
Level of working: regional within Romania
Purposes: the setup and the development of the mechanisms for ecological survey and
sustainable development in the Apuseni Mountains.
The main goals of RCES are to gain the official status of National
Park for the northwestern part of the Apuseni Mountains and to develop the infrastructures for
the management of the protected areas, linking environmental protection with improvements in
economic well-being and social welfare.
Objectives:
-
Nature conservation
-
Biodiversity
-
Protected areas
-
Eco-tourism
-
Environmental education
-
Environment and culture
Foreign languages:
Specific interest: park rangers
Publication: the RCES's Bulletin
The Regional Center for Ecological Survey is a coalition of non-governmental organizations.
Up to now, more than 38 NGOs from 6 Districts (Alba, Arad, Bihor, Cluj, Hunedoara and
Sãlaj) are member organizations, but RCES has also developed partnerships with other
organizations as well.
RCES' activities
So far, the RCES has started an ample campaign to fulfill the goals.
The outcomes are as follows:
-
the affiliation of all environmental NGOs from the districts related to the Apuseni Mountains area: Alba, Arad, Bihor, Cluj, Hunedoara and Sãlaj Districts and the setup of Zonal Centres;
-
the first convention in Romania on ecological survey and environmental protection among the NGOs and the local authorities (District Governments and District Councils of six districts: Alba, Arad, Bihor, Cluj, Hunedoara and Sãlaj representing 1/6 of Romania's surface);
-
the national seminar "Involving the NGOs and the local authorities in order to strenghten the ecological survey system", Bãile Felix, Bihor, April 13 - 16, 1995, supported by REC - Bucharest Local Office.
-
the setup of the first Volunteer Ecological Guard, recognized by the official acts of the District Governors and District Council, and assimilated as a ranger body.
-
the memorandum among the the Ministry of Waters, Forests and Environment Protection, the Ministry of Public Works and Land Use, the District and Local Councils related to the area, the "Romsilva" Forest Company,the RCES, and the Romanian Rangers Association for the establishment of the Apuseni Mountains
National Park in the northwestern part of the Apuseni Mountains. The meeting was held at Vârtop, Bihor District, on July 20,1997. It was decided that the future national park will cover 9,000 hectares.
-
the participation at the first Romanian NGO's Fair - FAR '97, Bucharest, February 27 - March 1, 1997
In these terms, the RCES activities and projects are the following:
-
the programme of survey and management of the protected areas in the Apuseni Mountains, supported by the Bucharest Local Office of the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe - REC, developed by RCES and its member organizations. This includes field data collection regarding threatened plant and animal species and the conservation status of protected areas in the Apuseni Mountains, 1994-1996.
-
the programme "Cerberus", concerning the caves & karst protection, run by the Romanian Speleological Federation together with the Piatra Altarului Club, supported by REC - Bucharest Local Office (1994-1996)
-
the environmental education programme, run by all NGO members of RCES. This includes specific educational camps like those for the children of the Apuseni Mountains organized by the RCES and the Transylvanian Speleological Society or those for orphans organized by the Department of Children's Education of the Romanian Speleological Federation together with the Politehnica Speleological Club - Cluj. These camps were supported by REC - Bucharest Local Office,
and by the Ministry for Youth and Sport, through it's District Departments.
-
the programme for public participation in environmental decision-making process and environmental activities
-
the lobby campaign to promote legislative initiatives and to create an efficient network of protected areas
-
the project: "Sustainable Development of the touristic micro-region Bãile 1 Mai - Sânmartin - 1996", developed with the support of the Soros Foundation for an Open Society Romania. This project included actions in order to save the threatened species Nymphaea lotus var. thermalis, from the 1 Mai Nature Reserve as well as the setup of a youth environmental
training and free time center.
-
meetings of the Convention Committee, in order to establish the steps to follow concerning the infrastructures and the policies in the Apuseni Mountains area (e.g. access roads, telecommunications, tourism facilities)
-
training camps for the Volunteers of the Ecological Guard. In order to certify and officialize the ranger profession in Romania, RCES has developed a partnership with the Romanian Rangers Association, which is affiliated to the International Ranger Federation
-
the project "Partnerships for Sustainable Development of the Apuseni Mountains" (PDP309), funded by the European Union PHARE for Democracy Programme. An outcome of this project is the Center for Partnership Development
In July 1996 all member organizations agreed on the issues of the RCES's Strategic Plan, which is in accordance with the aims of the IUCN's World Conservation Strategy.
RCES attended the following international events:
-
1995 - the first World Congress, International Ranger Federation, Zakopane, Poland
-
1996 - the 2nd General Assembly of the Danube Envirnomental Forum, Košice, Slovakia
-
1996 - Globe 96, International Trade Fair and Conference, Vancouver, Canada.
Departments
The Departments of the RCES were set up according to the RCES constitution. Each department
is co-ordinated by a member of the Executive Bureau.
Each department establishes its own objectives and its own programs on the short and medium terms and is encouraged to be self sustainable. Although the departments function with significant autonomy, every project proposed by the departments is approved by the executive bureau of RCES. Each department is engaged in fund-raising to support their activities, projects, staff and communication needs.
ECOLOGICAL GUARD DEPARTMENT
Objectives:
- the creation, training and recognition of the Ecological Guard body;
- co-ordination of the ecological guards’ activity at the local level;
- conservation and protection activities for protected areas;
- environmental education and interpretation for tourists;
- creation and development of a network of information and visitor centres throughout the entire area of Apuseni Mountains;
- co-operation with authorities to ensure enforcement of environmental laws and regulations;
- creation and co-ordination of a team of rangers to service the future National Park of the Apuseni Mountains.
Structure:
- co-ordinator of the Ecological Guard.
- Co-ordination Council that includes; the co-ordinator of the training team, the co-ordinator of the scientific committee, and the district co-ordinators of the ecological guards, an administrator and the technical co-ordinator.
Priorities:
- the creation and the training of a training team for the ecological guard;
- the creation, recruitment and training of the ecological guards;
- the official recognition of the ecological guards as rangers by the authorities;
- the acquisition and maintenance of the equipment for the Ecological Guard;
- the making of logistical arrangements for the Ecological Guard;
- field co-operation with Mountain Rescue teams;
- the identification of environmental threats to the protected areas of the Apuseni Mountains region.
Co-ordinator of the Ecological Guard Department: George Togor
Contact address: |
CRSE
c/o George Togor
str. Aurel Lazãr nr. 4
3700 Oradea, Romania
Phone/fax: +40-59-411.065
E-mail: crse@mail.soroscj.ro
|
Back to the top
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Objectives:
- to offer technical and logistical support to NGOs and authorities involved in the development and implementation of projects aimed at promoting sustainable development in the communities of the Apuseni Mountains area;
- to promote legislative initiatives on sustainable development of the Apuseni Mountains area;
- to promote communication between authorities, businesses, NGOs and residents in communities engaged in sustainable development activities;
- to train NGOs, authorities and local communities in policies and techniques of local sustainable development initiatives;
- to promote public participation in local government decision making;
- to promote the rural eco-tourism, as an alternative for the development of the communities within the Apuseni Mountains area;
- to collaborate with other structures interested to promote the sustainable development of the Apuseni Mountains area.
Structure:
- Co-ordination centre based in Cluj Napoca (Ecoforum), which has its own paid staff and communication facilities;
- Regional centres based in Oradea (through the Ecotop Foundation), Bologa (Centre for promotion of rural eco-tourism), Alba Iulia (through the Resource Centre for NGOs “Cronos”)
- assistance team.
Priorities:
- to define and enhance the structure of the department and the informational network within the department;
- to publicize the department’s technical assistance programs;
- to establish partnerships with the public administration at all levels (local communities, district councils, district governments, interested NGOs and institutions);
- to set-up pilot centres for sustainable development in Pietroasa, Bologa, Arieseni;
- to publish monographic studies of the main areas included in the Apuseni Mountains zone;
- to propose changes to the district’s land use plan according to the RCES objectives and policies;
- to implement the pilot project of the Apuseni Mountains National Park.
Co-ordinator of the Sustainable Development Department: Cristian Pop
Contact address: |
Transylvanian Conservation Volunteers
c/o Cristian Pop
C.P. 518 - 9
3400 Cluj-Napoca
Phone: +40-64-431.623, fax: +40-64-190.404
E-mail: arr@mail.soroscj.ro
|
Back to the top
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
Objectives:
- to create an opinion tendency favorable to the development of an ecological consciousness, meant to change the behavior and the mentality at the individual level as well as at the collective level;
- to set up collaboration (material, scientifical, technical, logistical, informational) among the supporters of environmental education (EE) activities;
- to raise the interest and the knowledge level of the people, of different institutions and organizations related to environmental education;
- to establish contacts, cooperation; to promote national and international exchanges having as main themes environmental education;
- to promote tourists' environmental education;
- to promote environmental protection and ecological ideas.
Structure:
- co-ordinator of the Environmental Education Department,
- Co-ordination Council, which includes the co-ordinators at the district level,
- assistance team.
Priorities:
- to offer direct technical assistance for EE projects (to RCES' member organizations and collaborating institutions;
- to organize training seminars for members interested in the development of environmental education activities;
- to set up working groups in specific activities and projects;
- to publish EE materials;
- to participate at national and international skillshare activities.
Co-ordinator of the Environmental Education Department: Mihai Botea
Contact address:
|
CRSE
c/oMihai Botea
str. Aurel Lazãr, nr. 4,
3700 Oradea
Phone/fax: +40-59-411.065
E-mail: crse@mail.soroscj.ro
|
Back to the top
PROTECTED AREAS DEPARTMENT
Objectives:
- to offer technical and logistical support for the projects involving protected areas;
- to create a data base of the protected areas within the Apuseni Mountains area;
- to participate in the SACIM network activities (the network for the survey of the international environment conventions’ enforcement);
- to increase public awareness of conservation and protection measures of the protected areas;
- to collaborate with the regional and national authorities in order to promote effective measures and regulations for the declared protected areas;
- to support research of the Apuseni Mountains area.
Structure:
- Co-ordination centre based in Oradea;
- Regional centres (at the district level);
- Working groups on topics related to protected areas;
Priorities:
- the survey and the mapping of the protected areas in the Apuseni Mountains;
- advocacy campaign for the national law of the protected areas and for local regulations for protected areas;
- maintenance of the database of the protected areas;
- conservation and protection activities of the karst and caves in the Apuseni Mountains;
- to publish the Red Book of the protected areas included in the Apuseni Mountains area;
- to organize training courses for NGOs on topics such as: protected areas legislation, protected and threatened species, protected areas of the Apuseni Mountains;
- information dissemination through the RCES Bulletin;
- informational system aiming to prevent the degradation of the protected areas.
Co-ordinator of the Protected Areas Department: Alexandru Fekete
Contact address: |
CRSE
c/o Alexandru Fekete
str. Lugojului nr. 25
3700 Oradea, Romania
Phone/fax: +40-59-135.186, phone home: +40-59-163.419
E-mail: crse@mail.soroscj.ro
|
Back to the top
PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT (part of the TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT)
Objectives:
- to organize the information network within RCES;
- to ensure the RCES’ communication and transperancy of decisions within the departments;
- to promote the activities of RCES’ to national and international organizations;
-to facilitate the RCES’ access to the informational networks.
Structure:
- A technical secretariat - Oradea;
- Secretariats of the regional centres (at the district level);
- Editorial board of the RCES Bulletin;
- Collaborators.
Priorities:
- timely publishing and distribution of the RCES Bulletin;
- technical support for communication within the departments of RCES;
- Collaboration with mass-media;
- On going maintenance of the data base containing information about the RCES activities and its’ member’ activities;
- granting the right to publish under the RCES aegis.
Co-ordinator of the Public Relations Department: Viorel Lascu
Contact address: |
CRSE
c/o Viorel Lascu
str. Lugojului nr. 25
3700 Oradea, Romania
Phone/fax: +40-59-135.186, phone/fax home: +40-59-163.693
E-mail: crse@mail.soroscj.ro
|
Back to the top
This page is
under construction!
Contact us
For more information about the Regional Center for Ecological Survey and it's zonal centers
you may contact:
Viorel Traian LASCU, president of the RCES
Mail address: Str. LUGOJULUI Nr. 25
3700 ORADEA, ROMANIA
Phone/fax: +40-59-135.186
E-mail: crse@mail.soroscj.ro
Mihai BOTEZ, vicepresident of the RCES (Cluj Zonal Center)
Mail address: PIATA 14 IULIE Nr. 4
3400 CLUJ NAPOCA, ROMANIA
Phone/fax: +40-64-187.657
E-mail: speo@mail.soroscj.ro
Mãrioara PUSCAS, vicepresident of the RCES (Alba Zonal Center)
Mail address: Str. VÂNÃTORILOR Nr. 26, Bl. V12, Ap. 10
2500 ALBA IULIA, ROMANIA
Phone: +40-58-822.775, Fax: +40-58-816.051, +40-59-827.143
E-mail: albamont@clio.apulum.ro
Lucian SAS, vicepresident of the RCES (Arad Zonal Center)
Mail address: COLONIA UTA Nr. 13, Ap.1
2900 ARAD, ROMANIA
Phone: +40-57-281.368, +40-57-244.037, Fax: +40-57-285.100
E-mail: czea@czear.sorostm.ro
URL: http://www.sorostm.ro/czea/
George TOGOR, vicepresident of the RCES (Bihor Zonal Center)
Mail address: Str. AUREL LAZÃR Nr. 4
3700 ORADEA, ROMANIA
Phone/fax: +40-59-411.065
E-mail: crse@mail.soroscj.ro