Although at first sight it might seem as unspoiled wilderness, the centuries-long human presence in the area of Northern Velebit, including the Northern Velebit National Park, has left a far-reaching imprint on this region. Needs of people who used this area and its resources were one of the crucial factors that defined the manner in which its infrastructure developed. Up until the outbreak of World War Two, this population consisted predominantly of inhabitants of the Velebit foothills (“Podgorje”), who would take livestock to pasture in the mountain, including its altimontane zone, and would usually build simple residential buildings there (shepherds’ “summer huts”), erect stonewalls or corrals for livestock or fence water pools – the so-called “lokve”. Communication was established through a system of old shepherds’ paths, which had partially been fenced by dry stone walls. Remains of these paths have survived until today, widely distributed across the whole area of the Northern Velebit National Park, and some of them now serve as hiking trails.

After World War Two, this area saw a more intensive construction of forest roads and dwellings, which were necessary for enhancement of forest management and accommodation of forest workers, respectively. These facilities gradually became less important and their management was partially taken over by some mountaineering associations, which also took over the responsibility of their use and maintenance.

Northern Velebit National Park has recently completed the implementation of a project of reconstruction of 10 shepherds’ huts located in the area of Lubenovac and Alan. Total value of the project amounted to HRK 6,370,330.45.Through the EU Natura 2000 Integration Project, Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection financed construction works for the reconstruction of shepherds’ huts in the amount of almost HRK 4.4 million, whereas Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund invested an amount of almost HRK 2 million in the furnishing of huts and the activities of installing signs and organizing interpretive, educational and promotional programmes.Reconstruction of shepherds’ huts encouraged the formation of prerequisites necessary for increasing the number of visits to the Park and for reintroducing traditional livestock rearing activities as crucial management measures aimed at biodiversity preservation. Another important component of the project is the idea of enabling visitors to spend some time in this area, in renovated shepherds’ huts, and meet the traditional ways in which people used to live and work on the Velebit Mountain as well as to help them realize the full extent to which this style of living was in harmony with nature and to what extent it was founded on the principles of sustainability. These huts are used not only as accommodation facilities for employees of the National Park (wardens, expert service members), scientists, associates and visitors, but also as facilities intended for implementation of interpretive and educational programmes focused on the topic “Natura Species and Habitats” on the one hand and on the other hand, on the topic of traditional lifestyle of the local population, with a special emphasis on their mutual interconnectedness as well as the impact of long-term human activity on the space, landscape and biodiversity.