15.05.2024.
The project of renovation of the mountain lodge was presented today on the premises of the Volunteer Centre of the Public Institution Risnjak National Park together with activities of reconstruction of visitor infrastructure in Northern Velebit National Park and Lastovo Nature Park.Minister Habijan pointed out that these projects would improve the visitor offer, provide space for educational activities, and allow public institutions better supervision of the area. "This project of the renovation of the guest house Risnjak is worth 1.8 million euros, and for which generous co-financing was provided by the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund. I expect that our excellent cooperation with all directors of national parks and nature parks will continue because its impact on not only environmental protection but also tourism and the economy is invaluable," Habijan pointed out.
"Although the Fund is publicly recognised for energy renovation schemes, co-financing of programmes for renewable energy sources, waste management, and nature protection are also included in our financing," Balen said, adding that in the last few years the Fund had provided almost 40 million euros for such projects. He added that these investments were focused mainly on projects that are realised in national parks and nature parks, aimed at establishing their management in a controlled, systematic and sustainable way to ensure their long-term preservation.
The director of Risnjak National Park Mario Antolić thanked the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development and the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund for the allocated funds, which will directly affect the visitor offer of the National Park, as well as the mountaineering infrastructure of the Republic of Croatia.
These expectations were also confirmed by director Igor Kreitmeyer, who announced the continuation of investment in the park mountaineering and visitor infrastructure in the period 2024 - 2026: "After having successfully implemented 17 projects to establish the visitor infrastructure in parks co-financed from OPCC with 56 million euros, we continue at the same pace with the ongoing support from the Fund and budgetary funding." Kreitmeyer added that NP Papuk, NP Žumberak and Samoborsko gorje received 100% in EU grants from the NPOO for similar projects, while the day before funds were secured for 3 more projects with 80% co-financing from the Fund and 20% from the State budget. They will cover the renovation of 2 mountain lodges, Risnjak and Visočica, and the refurbishment of the old barracks in the Lastovo Islands Veje Nature Park, while the renovation of mountain lodges Zavižan and Snježnik was announced for the next year.
