Protected Areas Of Estonia
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Protected areas of Estonia are regulated by the Nature Conservation Act (), which was passed by the
Estonian parliament The Riigikogu (, from Estonian ''riigi-'', "of the state", and ''kogu'', "assembly") is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. In addition to approving legislation, the Parliament appoints high officials, including the prime minister and chief ...
on April 21, 2004 and entered into force May 10, 2004. Overall Estonia has 15403 protected areas covering 21% of the country land and 18% of it marine and coastal territory,Estonia
Protected Planet The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) is the largest assembly of data on the world's terrestrial and marine protected areas, containing more than 260,000 protected areas as of August 2020, with records covering 245 countries and territori ...
including 6 national parks:
Lahemaa National Park Lahemaa National Park is a park in northern Estonia, 70 kilometers east from the capital Tallinn. The Gulf of Finland is to the north of the park and the Tallinn-Narva highway (E20) to the south. Its area covers 747 km2 (including 274.9  ...
,
Karula National Park Karula National Park is a national park in southern Estonia. It was established in 1979 as a protected area and in 1993 became a national park. It is the smallest national park in Estonia. The park is located in Antsla and Rõuge parishes in Và ...
,
Soomaa National Park Soomaa National Park () is a national park in south-western Estonia. Soomaa ("land of bogs") protects 390 km2, the park was created in 1993. Soomaa has been an Important Bird Area since 1989, a Ramsar site of protected wetlands since 1997, ...
,
Vilsandi National Park Vilsandi National Park () is a marine protected area in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County, Estonia. It includes part of the island of Vilsandi, a number of smaller islands, and adjacent parts of western Saaremaa including the Harilaid peninsula. ...
,
Matsalu National Park Matsalu National Park (previously Matsalu Nature Reserve, , often just Matsalu) is a nature reserve and national park situated in the Lääne and Pärnu counties of Estonia. Matsalu National Park spans an area of , comprising Matsalu Bay, the K ...
, and Alutaguse National Park


Protected areas

As stated in §10.1: An area shall be placed under protection as a protected area or a special conservation area by a regulation of the Government of the Republic. According to the law, protected areas are areas maintained in a state unaltered by human activity or used subject to special requirements where the natural environment is preserved, protected, restored, researched or introduced. There are three types of protected areas;
National parks A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...
,
Nature conservation area A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
s and Landscape conservation areas (
nature parks A nature park, or sometimes natural park, is a designation for a protected area by means of long-term land management, land planning, sustainable natural resource management, resource management and limitation of agricultural and real estate dev ...
). The law declares the following 3 special protection areas, which are designated for the conservation of habitats, for the preservation of which the impact of planned activities is estimated and activities liable to damage the favourable conservation status of the habitats are prohibited:
Strict nature reserve A strict nature reserve (IUCN category Ia) or wilderness area (IUCN category Ib) is the highest category of protected area recognised by the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), a body which is part of the International Union for ...
(§ 29), Special management zone (§ 30) and
Limited management zone Limited may refer to: Arts and media *''Limited Inc'', a 1988 book by Jacques Derrida *Limited series (comics), a comic book series with predetermined length Businesses *Limited Brands, an American company - owners of Victoria's Secret, Bath & Bo ...
(§ 31) In the time of the
Estonian SSR The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, (abbreviated Estonian SSR, Soviet Estonia, or simply Estonia ) was an administrative subunit ( union republic) of the former Soviet Union (USSR), covering the occupied and annexed territory of Estonia ...
, there were only five protected areas categorized as ''
zapovednik A zapovednik is an established term on the Post-Soviet states, territory of the former Soviet Union for a protected area which is kept "forever wild". It is the highest degree of environmental protection for the assigned areas, which are strictly ...
s'' ("scientific nature reserve"): Vilsandi, Viidumäe, Endla, Nigula and Matsalu.


National parks

A national park is a protected area prescribed for the preservation, protection, restoration, research and introduction of the natural environment, landscapes, cultural heritage and balanced use of the environment of the protected area. The following are national parks of Estonia: #
Lahemaa National Park Lahemaa National Park is a park in northern Estonia, 70 kilometers east from the capital Tallinn. The Gulf of Finland is to the north of the park and the Tallinn-Narva highway (E20) to the south. Its area covers 747 km2 (including 274.9  ...
, intended for the protection of the natural and cultural heritage of the coastal landscapes of Northern Estonia; #
Karula National Park Karula National Park is a national park in southern Estonia. It was established in 1979 as a protected area and in 1993 became a national park. It is the smallest national park in Estonia. The park is located in Antsla and Rõuge parishes in Và ...
, intended for the protection of the natural and cultural heritage of the hilly moraine landscapes of Southern Estonia; #
Soomaa National Park Soomaa National Park () is a national park in south-western Estonia. Soomaa ("land of bogs") protects 390 km2, the park was created in 1993. Soomaa has been an Important Bird Area since 1989, a Ramsar site of protected wetlands since 1997, ...
, intended for the protection of the natural and cultural heritage of the mire landscapes and floodplain landscapes of transition zone of Estonia (Estonia intermedia); #
Vilsandi National Park Vilsandi National Park () is a marine protected area in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County, Estonia. It includes part of the island of Vilsandi, a number of smaller islands, and adjacent parts of western Saaremaa including the Harilaid peninsula. ...
, intended for the protection of the natural and cultural heritage of the coastal landscapes of the Western Estonian archipelago; #
Matsalu National Park Matsalu National Park (previously Matsalu Nature Reserve, , often just Matsalu) is a nature reserve and national park situated in the Lääne and Pärnu counties of Estonia. Matsalu National Park spans an area of , comprising Matsalu Bay, the K ...
, intended for the protection of the characteristic biotic communities of Western Estonia and of the natural and cultural heritage of the Väinameri Sea region. # Alutaguse National Park, the most recently founded, in 2018 #A national park may include strict nature reserves, special management zones and limited management zones.


Nature conservation area

A nature conservation area is a protected area prescribed for the preservation, protection, restoration, research and introduction of the natural environment. The zones possible in a nature conservation area are the strict nature reserve, special management zone and limited management zone.


Landscape protection area (nature park)

A landscape protection area is an area prescribed for the preservation, protection, restoration, research, introduction and regulation of use of landscapes of the protected area. A park, arboretum and forest stand are special types of landscape protection area. The zones possible in a landscape protection area are the special management zone and limited management zone.


Strict nature reserve

A strict nature reserve is a land or water area of a protected area whose natural status is unaffected by direct human activity and where the preservation and development of natural biotic communities is ensured only through natural processes. All types of human activity is prohibited within a strict nature reserve, and persons are prohibited from staying in such reserves, except in cases specified in subsections (3) and (4) of this section. Persons may stay in a strict nature reserve only for the purposes of supervision, rescue work or administration of the natural object. People may stay in a strict nature reserve for the purpose of monitoring and assessment of the status of the natural object only with the consent of the administrator of the protected area.


Special management zone

A special management zone is a land or water area of a protected area prescribed for the preservation of natural and semi-natural biotic communities established or to be developed therein. Mineral resources present within a special management zone are not deemed to be resources intended for exploitation. Unless otherwise provided by the protection rules, the following shall be prohibited within a special management zone: #economic activities; #use of natural resources; #erection of new construction works; #staying of persons in the habitats of protected species and staging posts of migratory birds; #driving motor vehicles, off-road vehicles or floating vessels; #camping, building fires and organising public events. The prohibition established by clauses (2) 4) and 5) of this section does not extend to supervision and rescue work, activities related to the administration of the natural object, and to research carried out with the consent of the administrator of the protected area. The following may be permitted by the protection rules in the special management zone as activities necessary for the preservation of the object or activities which do not harm the object: #maintenance work on existing land improvement systems and restoration of the water regime; #development of biotic communities in adherence to the objective of protection; # gathering of berries, fungi and other forest by-products; #hunting; #fishing; #erection of roads, utility works or non-production construction works for servicing an immovable located within the protected area, or the protected area, and maintenance of existing construction works; #activities necessary for guaranteeing the preservation of the characteristic features and species composition of semi-natural biotic communities, and activities for preservation of the living conditions of protected species; #gathering reed and seaweed.


Limited management zone

A limited management zone is a land or water area of a protected area where economic activities are permitted, taking account of the restrictions provided by this Act. Unless otherwise provided by the protection rules, the following shall be prohibited within a limited management zone: #construction of new land improvement systems; #altering the water levels and shorelines of bodies of water, and creation of new bodies of water, #extraction of mineral resources and earth substances; #design of pure stands and planting of energy forests; #regeneration cutting; #training of crowns of trees and bushes, and cutting of woody plants without the consent of the administrator of the protected area; #use of biocides and plant protection products; #erection of construction works, including temporary construction works, and altering the exterior structure of construction works located in a national park; #hunting and fishing activities; #driving motor vehicles, off-road vehicles or floating vessels, except for the performance of work necessary for the maintenance of line facilities, and for forestry work or agricultural work in profit yielding land; #camping, building fires and organisation of public events in locations not intended for such purposes and unmarked by the administrator of the protected area; #gathering of reed on unfrozen ground. An obligation to preserve the species and age diversity within biotic communities and a prohibition on haulage and transportation of timber out of the zone if the ground is not frozen may be established by the protection rules. Restrictions different than those provided by the Forest Act may be established by the protection rules with regard to the size and form of cutting areas and the composition of a forest within a limited management zone necessary for the preservation of a biotic community or protected species within the zone.


See also

*
Estonian Nature Fund Estonian Fund for Nature (Eestimaa Looduse Fond) or ELF is an Estonian environmental non-profit organisation. Mission Mission of ELF is to preserve the rich natural diversity in Estonia and the world through active cooperation with individuals, ...
*
List of national parks in the Baltics This is a list of the national parks in the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Estonia There are 6 national parks in Estonia. Latvia There are 4 national parks in Latvia. Lithuania There are 5 national parks in Lithuania.< ...
*
List of Ramsar sites in Estonia This list of Ramsar sites in Estonia includes wetlands that are considered to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Estonia currently has 17 sites designated as "Wetlands of International Importance". The total area of Ramsa ...
* :Nature conservation in Estonia * :Nature reserves in Estonia


References


External links


Estonian Environment Agency
{{Europe topic, Protected areas of, countries_only=yes, UK_only=no
Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...