A new national park in the Făgăraș Mountains

The Carpathian Mountains dominate Romania’s central region; here, more than 250,000 hectares of virgin forests remain – the largest unfragmented forest region in Europe. They are a critical stronghold of European biodiversity – but Romania’s forests are continually under threat. With the fall of communism, Romania privatised many of its formerly nationalised forests. Logging companies bought many privately owned forests, and the result was tremendous levels of deforestation. Today, illegal logging threatens the integrity of the Carpathian ecosystem.

We support Foundation Conservation Carpathia (FCC) in their efforts to protect the forests of the southeastern Carpathians from deforestation, conserve a crucial outpost for European biodiversity, and create a new national park for Romania.

We support FCC’s work

Foundation Conservation Carpathia (FCC) was established in 2009 with the goal of stopping illegal logging and of protecting a significant area of Carpathian forest for future generations. The organisation purchases forest and alpine meadows in the Carpathians, securing the highest level of legal protection for acquired areas. The ultimate vision is to return landownings to the public in the form of a new national park – tipped to become the ‘Yellowstone’ of Europe.

FCC has begun the restoration of thousands of hectares of degraded forest habitats in core regions of the southeastern Carpathians. By purchasing lands that have been clear-cut, FCC is restoring native tree species through extensive planting programmes.

FCC has set up its own hunters association, aiming to stop trophy and sport hunting on purchased lands, instead implementing anti-poaching programmes and monitoring initiatives of wildlife populations, including bears, wolves, and lynx. FCC are reintroducing native species that have been lost from the ecosystem, including the European bison. To forge coexistence, FCC are leading nature education efforts, while creating new nature-based economies.

TENT and FCC’s Partnership

The European Nature Trust has been working with FCC for over a decade to help purchase forests and alpine meadows in the Carpathians; reforest tracts of clear-cut land; and acquire hunting rights. TENT supports FCC through direct funding initiatives, sourcing sponsorship, and conservation networking. We support the development of educational media to raise awareness of Romanian wilderness.