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Moving Forward with the Galilee
A national priority
Only KKL-JNF has the expertise to develop the Galilee sensibly and sustainably!
An environmental priority
The Galilee is Israel’s greenest region, thanks to its climate and natural vegetation. KKL-JNF plays a leading role in nurturing existing and new forests throughout the region.
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KKL-JNF prepares plans for preserving forests and open spaces from urban encroachment.
Read more:
KKL-JNF is creating a better and brighter environmental future for the Galilee!
A water management priority
The Galilee is Israel’s rainiest region, but is still considered relatively dry by world standards. Although the Galilee has many springs and streams, they are plagued by pollution and misuse.
- KKL-JNF is a key player in rehabilitating the Hula Valley that prevents pollutants from reaching Lake Kinneret, Israel’s major source of drinking water.
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KKL-JNF plays a key role in water management in the Galilee by rehabilitating river banks and springs.
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KKL-JNF builds reservoirs to impound treated wastewater used for irrigation, saving millions of cubic meters of fresh water for Galilee residents.
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KKL-JNF develops new sources of water, such as the Shamir Drills in the Galilee.
KKL-JNF meets the water needs of the Galilee!
A community development priority
The Galilee offers unparalleled opportunities for Israelis to live in a wide variety of beautiful, green settings: from full-fledged cities to small hilltop communities. Encouraging community development in the Galilee is an ecological and national imperative in order to ease the pressure on Israel’s overcrowded central coastal strip. Such development must be coordinated and guided in order to respect the natural values that make the region so appealing.
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KKL-JNF develops infrastructure for tourism, agriculture and industry to provide employment opportunities for Galilee residents.
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KKL-JNF creates community forests and urban parks and carries out landscaping projects.
KKL-JNF works for the benefit of the people in the Galilee!
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"The Tur'an Forest Scenic Road not only provides security, but also makes the forest and the incredible view accessible to everyone. Before the new road, only people with jeeps could enjoy the natural beauty of the area. It's made a huge difference in our quality of life, and we're very grateful for it." (Molli Levias, Kibbutz Beit Rimon)
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A tourism & recreation priority
The natural beauty and human diversity of the Galilee make it an ideal region for the development of tourism-based industries and enterprises. Tourism introduces Israelis to this beautiful region, enhancing their awareness of the need to protect and develop it and presenting them with the option of moving to the area. The Galilee is also a vital component of Israel’s appeal to foreign tourists, with its combination of natural beauty and sites of religious, historical, and cultural importance. KKL-JNF focuses on special tourism niches such as ecotourism and agrotourism, as well.
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KKL-JNF works to promote ecotourism by constructing scenic roads, bicycle and walking trails in KKL-JNF forests and between Galilee communities and by developing tourist complexes.
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KKL-JNF has developed and maintains the Galilee's Gospel Trail.
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The JNF Western Galilee Visitor's Center in Akko
Gate to the North Information Center in Yokneam
KKL-JNF opens the Galilee to people from near and far!
An educational priority
Since its founding, KKL-JNF has worked to foster the bond between the Jewish people and their land. Educational efforts in the Galilee encourage residents, young and old, to respect and nurture the region’s natural resources. Educational work with visitors from throughout Israel and abroad heightens awareness of the tremendous challenges that must be overcome in order to maintain the lush greenery that typifies much of the region.
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KKL-JNF created MAOF – the Hebrew word for vision – KKL-JNF’s innovative eco-Zionist program aimed at new immigrant students and peripheral communities.
KKL-JNF organizes a myriad of events, festivals and educational projects focusing on nature and the environment in KKL-JNF forests and open spaces.
KKL-JNF is educating the Galilee’s future generations!
A research priority
KKL-JNF supports research in the many fields related to forestry and the environment as well as applied research at R&D stations throughout the country. In the Galilee, KKL-JNF investigates forest tree species to find the ones best adapted to the climate, the effect of grazing and wildfires on forests and a number of research projects focusing on the Hula Valley rehabilitation.
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KKL-JNF supports the Northern R&D Station that operates several experimental farms and develops methods to reduce pesticide use.
KKL-JNF spreads the word!
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"Modern agriculture cannot ignore the environmental issues preoccupying farmers today. Lake Hula is the ideal venue for showing people what we do; the site itself is living proof that it’s possible to find a balance between nature and agriculture, allowing both to exist side by side, in harmony.” (Dr. David Cohen, R&D researcher)
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The Hula Valley
The Hula Lake Nature and Bird Park is KKL-JNF’s flagship project in the north of Israel. The lake occupies part of the area once covered by the original Hula Lake, which was drained in the 1950s and re-flooded in the 1990s, restoring the ecosystem that once flourished there and serving as a vital filtering process for Lake Kinneret. The Hula Valley is located along a major migration flyway, over which close to 500 million birds fly every spring and fall, many of them spending winter, spring or summer in the valley, where they are joined by hundreds of thousands of nature lovers from Israel and the world over. Nothing symbolizes the successful rehabilitation of the valley more than the cranes, thousands of which migrate over the valley in autumn, with thousands more staying for the winter.
KKL-JNF has already completed the first stage of development, which included infrastructures, roads, bicycle trails and various educational programs. Existing projects are accessible to people with disabilities and the park will continue to be developed in accordance with the principles of universal design. The second stage of development includes:
- A state-of-the-art visitor center that will serve the more than 400,000 annual visitors to the park and eventually include educational and research functions as well.
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"The Feed the Cranes project prevents irreversible damage to the Hula's agriculture. We finally succeeded in finding a sure and safe method to protect the valley's field crops and vegetables from the huge numbers of birds. At present, we're looking for a way to guarantee the program's long-term viability in order to ensure "co-existence" in the valley. (Ofer Barnea, a Hula Valley farmer)
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The Galilee: Facts & Figures*
* Israel Central Bureau of Statistics website.
KKL-JNF Northern Region – Facts & Figures
Map of how KKL-JNF and its Friends worldwide are changing the Galilee
KKL-JNF's committment to sustainable development
KKL-JNF is committed to sustainable development and environmental responsibility, in the Galilee and throughout Israel. The word in Hebrew for sustainability, kayamut, is part of the organization’s Hebrew name, Keren Kayemeth, suggesting that ethical assumptions concerning responsibility toward future generations have always been part of the KKL-JNF philosophy.
KKL-JNF is committed to:
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