Functioning of Kolkheti Protected Areas Fund

 On May 6, 2008, an agreement was made between the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia and the Black Sea Terminal, according to which the latter must implement compensatory measures as defined in the Environment Impact Assessment of the railway line built to connect to the Kulevi Terminal. In order to carry out the above mentioned measures, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection and the Black Sea Terminal jointly established the Kolkheti Protected Areas Development Fund. Financial resources of the fund are directed towards infrastructure development, restoration, rehabilitation, monitoring and research work in Kolkheti National Park, Kobuleti Strict Nature Reserve and Kobuleti Managed Reserve.

At the current stage of the fund operation, a tender was announced in August and September for the procurement of off-road vehicles. The purchased vehicles will be handed over to the ranger service of Kolkheti National Park for improving the quality of patrolling. Furthermore, pursuant to the agreement formed with the construction company on September 5, 2013, it undertakes the responsibility of preparation of punch lists for the Administrative and Visitor Center buildings.

Simultaneously, the written offers are being accepted from the construction companies to produce the projects for the enclosure of the administration, ranger shelter, boat pier and creation of the eco-touristic infrastructure projects at the bank of river Pichori. The following activities are planned until the end of the year: installing new shelters for bats along the Kulevi railway line, implementing the monitoring program of cetaceans in the Black Sea, developing the plan for monitoring the Kolkheti National Park fauna, creating the biodiversity electronic database, establishing the bird ringing center at Churia and registering the nesting birds and wintering waterfowls of Kolkheti National Park.