The tasks of the Nature Conservation Guard, operating within the organisational unit of the Hortobágy National Park Directorate, are multilayered: — performs the official custody of protected areas and species and the protection of state land assets held by the Board of Directors; — provides data with field observations to underpin the adequate management of habitats and to formulate the opinion of national legal assistance received in the administrative procedures of the nature conservation authority from the point of view of nature conservation managers; — on-the-spot checks on the implementation of the operator’s regulations and authorised activities and contacts with landowners and land users on a daily basis. Physical assets necessary for the performance of watchkeeping tasks: — vehicles suitable for field conditions (cars, boats, motorcycles) in order to access terrain objects and ensure regular territorial presence; — monitoring and collection equipment adapted to the specificities of the groups of organisms in order to provide biotic data, as well as optical and mobile IT devices capable of recording imagery and geospatial data (special traps and nets, industrial alpine technical equipment, telescopes, cameras, wild cameras, GPS devices, etc.); — office IT tools (computers, laptops) satisfying the necessary technical parameters for the purpose of data processing; — audio and office equipment (mobile phone, printer) for the transfer of the knowledge necessary for personal contact and the pursuit of environmentally friendly farming practices. As part of the development, we intend to achieve the development of the nature protection guard by implementing three main activities. — Development of a watch office network — Development of watch mobility — Development of monitoring and watchkeeping equipment Park The construction and refurbishment of nature conservation guarding and office buildings suitable for additional functions would greatly improve the work of the watch service. It would be much quicker and simpler to perform administrative tasks, more efficient customer reception and information. The storage of assets temporarily seized during conservation guard measures, tools, materials used during the work of the nature conservation guard, and the temporary disposal of damaged species would be solved. The storage, maintenance and possible servicing of the vehicles used during nature conservation treatment (terrainway, car, motorcycle, boat) would also be arranged. The aim of the procurement of vehicles and equipment planned under the project is to make the work of the Nature Conservation Watch Service more effective in order to achieve the nature conservation target state and to maintain it in the long term: — increasing the intensity of territorial presence and surveillance, thereby increasing the number of detections of illegal activities, — on the basis of field observations and targeted data collection (monitoring, research), an increasingly diversified management of habitats (more efficient species protection, better foundation for conservation treatments, increased knowledge), — more and more extensive cooperation between local communities, land users and landowners through day-to-day information and communication, — better knowledge of heritage sites. This can be achieved by developing tools for mobility, efficient field monitoring, monitoring, data processing and transmission. Without the field data provision of the Nature Conservation Guard Service, its territorial presence and its contact with local communities, the international and national conservation strategic objectives remain at the administrative level of legal requirements, therefore it is essential for the achievement of the nature conservation status that the means and infrastructure on which their work is based are available in sufficient quality and quantity. Planned activities: The construction of a new office building in Berettyóújfalu; Refurbishment of the existing watch office in Szolnok; Purchase of 11 Toyota Hilux Pickup trucks; Acquisition of 6 Suzuki Jimmys; development of monitoring and office equipment.
