BACKGROUND INFORMATION

NAME: Great Mazurian Lakes Foundation seated in Giżycko

Address : Giżycko, ul. Moniuszki 17, 11-500 Giżycko
phone: (0-87) 428 04 90, 428 04 13
fax: (0-87) 428 04 91
e-mail : fowjm@ol.home.pl
www.jeziora.com.pl

LEGAL STATUS: foundation

FOUNDERS: Suwałki and Olsztyn Voivods, four Municipalities located within the Great Mazurian Lakes Region: Giżycko City, Kętrzyn City, Mrągowo City, Ruciane-Nida Municipality, private persons
Date of the establishment: January 8th 1991

STATUTORY GOVERNING BODIES: GMLF Council, GMLF Management Board

Members of the GMLF Council:

1. Chairman of the Council: Jerzy Krasiński – Head of Mrągowo Municipality,
2. Vice-Chairman of the Council: Wiesław Sadok – Head of Miłki Municipality,

3. According to the Statute, the Council consists of nine to thirty members, at present the Council comprises fourteen members, including: a representative of the Ministry of Environment, a representative of the Chairman of the Management Board of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodship, Heads and Mayors of eleven municipalities located within the GML Region and a representative of the Voivodship Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Olsztyn.

Management Board:

1. Zdzisław Suski - Chairman of the Management Board
2. Jadwiga Dąbrowska - member of the Management Board, Chief Accountant
3. Ewa Stajuda - member of the Management Board

Number of staff : 10

GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE:

The following municipalities of the Great Mazurian Lakes (GML) Region:
Giżycko City, Kętrzyn City, Mrągowo City, Biała Piska Town and Municipality, Mikołajki Town and Municipality, Orzysz Town and Municipality, Pisz Town and Municipality, Ruciane-Nida Town and Municipality, Ryn Town and Municipality, Węgorzewo Town and Municipality, Giżycko Municipality, Kętrzyn Municipality, Kruklanki Municipality, Miłki Municipality, Mrągowo Municipality, Piecki Municipality, Pozezdrze Municipality, Sorkwity Municipality, Stare Juchy Municipality, Świętajno Municipality, Wydminy Municipality.

STATUTORY GOALS :

1. Initiating and supporting measures aimed at protecting the Great Mazurian Lakes Region.

2. Encouraging environmental initiatives and creating conditions for their greater effectiveness.

3. Promoting construction of wastewater treatment plants and other measures preventing further deterioration of the environment.

4. Creating organisational and financial conditions for the implementation of innovative environmental measures.

5. Developing free movement of ideas and environmental know-how between Poland and other countries.

6. Promoting environmental protection and respect for ecological principles in regional and national development.

7. Promoting ecological methods in agriculture, especially those connected with healthy food production.

8. Organising and supporting the construction, modernisation and development of environmentally sound facilities contributing to the enhancement of domestic and international tourism.

9. Undertaking other measures of social and economic importance for the Region and connected with protecting the Great Mazurian Lakes.

CORE ACTIVITIES

Development of environmental programmes for twenty one municipalities of the Great Mazurian Lakes Region and raising funds for the implementation thereof; environmental education.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Commercial services in the fields of waste collection, wastewater sludge dewatering, construction works supervision, land use planning, small-scale printing, aimed at covering GMLF’s running costs and supporting core activities.

EXAMPLE OF ACTIVITIES UNTIL PRESENT

1. Implementation of the environmental Great Mazurian Lakes Region Masterplan (since 1994). So far, the following projects included in the Masterplan have been implemented:
   

   • 10 WWTPs for all cities and towns of the Region
     

   • 9 WWTPs for major villages
     

   • about 70 % of the planned scope of sewer networks ( approximately 1300 km)
     

   • about. 10 % of the planned scope of solid waste management projects
     

   • about 35 % of the planned scope of air protection projects.

2. 2. Implementation of the campsite upgrading programme, known as “Save Mazury” (1997), including:
   

   • purchase and deployment of 200 campsite solid waste containers
     

   • purchase of two compaction vehicles
     

   • purchase and installation of 33 toilet cabins plus necessary infrastructure for 22 places used by sailors as stop-over sites

3. Management of foreign aid programmes, including US EPA, Phare I and Phare II programmes, covering, inter alia, deliveries of equipment for several wastewater treatment plants and specialist training courses (since 1993 )

4. Technical advice for municipalities on environmental protection investment projects (since 1991)

5. Collection of solid waste from summer holiday facilities (since 1993)

6. Environmental education (since 1991), currently within the framework of the Mazurian Environmental Education Centre

7. Running the Regional Tourist Information Centre (1995- 1998)

8. Establishment and support of the Mazurian Nature Conservation Guard (1995 –1998)

PRESENT ACTIVITIES

1. Development and implementation of environmental protection programmes for the Great Mazurian Lakes Region

2. Raising funds from domestic and international sources, particularly from the European Union; this includes preparation and management of applications for grants and loans for the implementation of environmental programmes and investment projects in the Great Mazurian Lakes Region

3. Consultancy services for the Region’s municipalities, including preparation and execution of tender procedures for environmental investment projects, environmental design services and works supervision

4. Solid waste collection, particularly from the Region’s campsites and summer holiday centres

5. Development and implementation of environmental education programmes within the framework of the Mazurian Environmental Education Centre\

6. Training courses in:
   
   - environmental protection – for local government staff and elected representatives
   - environmental education
   - solid waste management
   - information technology
   - customised specialist training courses
   - presentations of environmental firms

KEY PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

1. Completion and implementation, in cooperation with the municipalities of the GML Region, of the remaining environmental projects covered by the Masterplan, within the framework of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodship Regional Contract and EU pre-accession programmes and, later, under EU structural funds programmes.

2. Further assistance to the Region’s municipalities in raising funds for environmental investment projects

3. Promotion of the idea of protection of the Great Mazurian Lakes Region as an area of unique nature and landscape qualities conducive to the development of tourism, promotion of environmental investment projects in the Region and of the Great Mazurian Lakes Region as such.

4. Coordination of the “Pact for Mazury” Programme and of activities under the programme “Partnership for the Safety and Development of Mazury”.

5. Extension of the scale and scope of environmental education activities in the Region and raising of additional funds for the functioning of the Mazurian Environmental Education Centre

6. Organisational measures aimed at increasing the Region’s internal cohesion and at strengthening the position of the GML Region.