The Hortobágy Non-profit Company for Nature Conservation and Gene Preservation is to be transferred from the National Asset Management Inc. to the Hortobágy National Park (HNP), announced Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas on Monday in Hortobágy.
According to Minister Fazekas, 6-8 thousand hectares of land may now be utilised, primarily for grazing and feed production, by family-run businesses in the area as a result of the move.
Contracts have been signed with relation to the utilisation of 5830 hectares of land since 2010, with a further 1850 hectares currently under tender and another 6820 hectares being transferred to the HNP from the National Land Fund Management Organisation, which local farmers may also apply for, detailed Sándor Fazekas.
On the last stop of his promotional tour of the country's national parks, the Minister for Rural Development visited the Hortobágy National Park, which is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary. In the Minister's words, as a gift to the country's oldest, most famous and largest national park on its 40th birthday, he has brought the news regarding the transfer of the management rights of the gene bank, which will further improve harmony between farming and conservation.
Sándor Fazekas designated the smooth transfer of the gene bank as the most important current task, also indicating the significance of cooperation between the national park and local authorities in the surrounding area.
In this respect, Director of the HNP Gábor Szilágyi noted that they currently have contracts with over 600 farmers operating on the national park's territory.
Commenting on recent development projects, he added that the HNP has 30 tenders in process, most of them reaching completion, enabling a total of HUF 6.7 billion for development by the Hortobágy National Park, which performs conservation activities in three counties – Hajdú-Bihar, Jász-Kiskun-Szolnok and Szabolcs-Szatmár Bereg – and employs 130 staff.
Gábor Szilágyi reminded those present that the HNP, as the country's first national park, officially began operating on January 1, 1973. With its territory of over 80 thousand hectares, it is the country's largest protected area.
The Hortobágy National Park has been a World Heritage site since 1999, and in 2011 Hungary's second Dark Sky Park, the third such park in Europe, was designated within the HNP's territory, he added
Gábor Szilágyi announced that the 40th anniversary of the HNP will be celebrated within the framework of the series of programmes marking Earth Day in April, and celebrations will continue in June at the opening event of Hungarian National Park Week. The annual conference and general meeting of Europarc, which brings together organisations that manage protected areas in Europe, will be held in Debrecen in October, the Director of the HNP added.
(MTI)
