Third Meeting of the Advisory Board of APA

On January 21 the third advisory board meeting was held at the Agency of Protected Areas. Representatives from the non-public (NGO sector), international organizations, and university officials attended the meeting where different issues related to problems currently existing in the Agency, as well as current and implemented projects and future plans were discussed.

The members of the advisory board focused on the following topics:

• Current projects and eco touristic infrastructural works at Javakheti National Park;
•  New services to be introduced at the Prometheus Cave: interior design of the Visitors Center exhibition hall, issues regarding taking pictures inside the cave, video streaming regarding the rules of behavior for visitors to be shown at the Visitor’s Center TV screen;
• Marking of cycling trails and developing trail maps for Tbilisi NP;
• Future prospective of the transboundary relationship between Georgian and Azeri National Parks;
• Developing touristic infrastructure at Gochkadili Canyon Nature Monument;
• Re-demarcation of the boundaries of PAs with the aims of excluding private properties form the authority of the Agency of Protected Areas;
• Building of a new ski runs on the territory of Kazbegi NP, in the nearby area of Rooms Hotel in Stepantsminda;
• Bezoar Goat reintroduction project at Borjomi-Kharagauli NP:
• Tusheti NP Visitors Center stable reconstruction issues;
• Utilization of damaged and fall-down trees at Korughi Managed Reserve;
• Functional issues of Kolkheti PA’s development fund;
• Construction of new ranger shelters at Marelisi district of Borjomi-Kharagauli NP and Batsara-Babaneuri Nature reserves;
• Installation of information and advertisement banners at the territories of different PAs.

Next meeting of the board is scheduled to be already in March.