Today, on 10 March, the Government of the Republic approved the draft Regulation “Taking Special Areas of Conservation Under Protection in the County of Jõgeva”. The main objective of the Regulation is to ensure the favourable condition and protection of natural biotic communities, semi-natural biotic communities and habitats of protected species in areas that have been taken under protection, i.e. in the special areas of conservation of Kaasiku, Andressaare, Padinasaare and North-Western Lake Peipsi. In addition, the objective is to preserve the diversity of the biota and the sceneries of these areas for future generations. The total area of the special areas of conservation in Jõgevamaa is 1 277 hectares. This total area comprises 48 hectares of land and 1 229 hectares of Lake Peipsi. From this area 7 hectares are privately owned. It is possible to explore detailed maps of these areas in the Ministry of the Environment, the Estonian Environment Information Centre of the Ministry of the Environment, the Environmental Department of Jõgevamaa, or electronically on the homepage of the Estonian Land Board at the address www.maaamet.ee. These areas have been included in the sites of the Natura 2000 trans-European network of protected areas because of their natural values. Special areas of conservation are established for the protection of the following types of habitat: wooded meadows, dry meadows on calcareous soils and paludifying forests. Out of species under protection, the following aquatic birds could be outlined: bean goose, whooper swan, Eurasian wigeon, greater white-fronted goose, common goldeneye, tundra swan and red-necked grebe. This Regulation imposes a protection procedure of the special area of conservation on the above-listed areas and invalidates temporary restrictions on economic activities that were so far applicable in these areas. As a general rule, it is allowed to continue all earlier activities in the special areas of conservation, but when making plans for new activities, the land owner has to get an approval for the plans from the Environmental Department of Jõgevamaa. The Regulation will enter into force three days after it has been published in the State Gazette. Further information: Elo Kalmet |
