The Public Service Agency
manages the Park as a public service, provided
and partly financed by the founder. Within the
framework of public service, the Agency performs
several activities based on the Škocjan Caves Regional
Park Act and the Decision Establishing the Škocjan
Caves Park Public Service Agency. These activities
include maintenance, renovation and protection
of monuments and sights in the area of the Park;
continuous monitoring and analysis of the state
of valuable natural features and cultural heritage
in the Park; co-ordination of research tasks related
to the Park and organisation of research work;
participation in international projects; public
presentation of the Park; execution and organisation
of educational activities; preparation and maintenance
of paths and signs in the Park; co-operation with
the owners of individual monuments in the Park;
provision of professional assistance and counselling;
maintenance of cave infrastructure for cave visits
and performance of guide services around the Park
and caves; and Information Centre management.
The goals of Park's management
are divided into several areas: (1) protection
goals, (2) development goals, (3) wider goals,
followed by the especially important (4) education
goals and (5) monitoring goals. Protection goals
include the goals of preserving valuable natural
features, nature and the environment as well as
cultural monuments and cultural heritage. Development
goals include the goals related to the development
of activities for the needs of local inhabitants,
the Park's activities as well as visitors' and
employees' safety. Wider goals cover the development
of activities in the Park's area of influence.
Protection goals are goals dealing with the
areas of nature protection, preservation of
the cultural landscape and cultural heritage
as well as management of cultural monuments.
Nature protection goals can be defined as passive
as they are concerned with the preservation
of the existing situation. Active goals are
goals related to environmental protection and
preservation of the cultural landscape, certain
plant and animal species and cultural monuments.
These include agriculture, forestry and other
activities by means of which cultural landscape
and areas of settlement and cultural monuments
are maintained.
Development goals are determined by valuable
natural features and their protection, as well
as by sustainable use of cultural heritage.
In this respect, the most important are an
adequate – sustainable tourist activity and
recreation or its forms (independent, guided),
types of recreation and places of implementation.
Village development goals are based on the
establishment and maintenance of sustainable
economic, social and cultural development,
preservation of agricultural activity within
the Park and the promotion of investments into
expanding tourist activities in villages.
Wider objectives deal with the limitation
of sources of pollution and other intrusions
into the environment that pose a risk or hazard
for the environment in the area of influence
of the Park, the adverse effects of which extend
into the Park (industry, craft industry, agriculture,
infrastructure, military structures and other
devices as well as other activities having
an adverse impact on the environment).
Education goals include the goals of employee
education, education and awareness building
of local inhabitants, voluntary nature protectionists,
educators, domestic and foreign visitors as
well as pupils and students.
Monitoring goals are concerned with the monitoring
of the status both in the Škocjan caves system
and on the Park's surface.
