"Based on the above, environmental measures and monitoring needs were planned to ensure that the implementation of the proposed activity would not entail significant negative environmental impacts on the majority of protected natural sites within the scope of impact of the planned Nursipalu Training Area," the summary of the assessment states. "Compensatory measures were planned for those protected natural objects on which significant negative impact from planned activities is unavoidable."

The impact assessment drawn up by environmental expert Anni Kurisman examined the habitats of eagles, black storks, Eurasian goshawks, Eurasian hobbies, common buzzards, Ural owls and wood grouse living in and around the EDF training area. Environmental measures were planned to avoid, mitigate or compensate for the impacts of building the training area.

Activities that would negatively impact these habitats include land clearing and construction work, the firing of small caliber firearms as well as tactical operations involving military vehicles, which generate lower noise levels, and the firing of large caliber arms, which generate higher noise levels.

The expert assessment examined activities in various parts of the training area, the various noise situations created by them and the effects of all of it on the protected species in the area.

The document outlines separate avoidance, mitigation and compensatory measures for addressing the training area's negative impacts on each bird species examined.

Avoidance measures are applied to maintain the current state of the environment. These measures are the most numerous as well as the cheapest, as they generally involve doing something less or not doing it all, doing it somewhere else, or, for example, utilizing already cleared areas in lieu of clearing land.

The expert notes that some avoidance measures have already been implemented, such as reducing the size of target areas during the planning process, or excluding planned activities in protected areas.

"Avoidance measures are the first to be considered to reduce the negative environmental impacts of development projects," the assessment states. "They may be based, among other things, on so-called best practices, but in most cases are aimed at preserving the condition of specific species or habitats within the development's impact area."

The goal of mitigation measures is to allow species the opportunity to continue using the territory of the training area in the future. The expert assessment recommends mitigation measures for two species, the lesser spotted eagle and the black stork, as they are likely to suffer the most as a result of planned activities. Mitigation measures for both of these species address both feeding and nesting areas. The area of application for these measures falls primarily within the training area itself; in the case of feeding areas, it falls partially outside of the boundaries of the training area as well.

Compensatory measures are typically applied outside the boundaries of the training area. While Estonia does not have established rules regarding how many times over habitat loss should be compensated for, according to the expert assessment, neighboring countries use a coefficient of eight, meaning that for every lost habitat, eight new habitats must be placed under protection as compensation. Compensatory measures are likewise recommended for both the lesser spotted eagle and the black stork.

The expert assessment furthermore explains that the measures presented within it are divided into conditions and recommendations, based on the importance of their implementation.

Conditions are environmental measures whose implementation is essential to avoiding significant environmental impacts. Recommendations, meanwhile, aim to reduce the adverse impacts of low-intensity and standard-compliant environmental disturbances, but failure to implement them would not result in significant environmental impacts.

"It is important to note that this report presents only realistically implementable recommendations, the implementation of which will preserve the objectives of developing and using this project," the expert emphasizes.

The expert assessment specifically outlines protection measures for the black stork, lesser spotted eagle, white-tailed eagle, osprey, Eurasian goshawk, wood grouse and Eurasian three-toed woodpecker.

Likewise cited as bird species present in the area of potentially significant noise disturbances are the Eurasian bittern, common buzzard, black tern, western marsh harrier, Eurasian pygmy owl, Eurasian curlew, sand martin and tawny owl.

To strengthen Estonia's defense capabilities, Nursipalu Training Area, established in 2008 and currently covering 3,134 hectares in Võru County's Rõuge, Võru and Antsla municipalities, is being expanded to approximately 9,898 hectares in size.

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