New wild nature reserves to be set up in Russia in 2014
MOSCOW. April 20 (Interfax) - The Natural Resources Ministry plans to set up new wild nature reserves in Russia in 2014, Natural Resources Minister Sergei Donskoy told the ministry's senior officials.
He said the list includes the Ingermanlandsky nature reserve in the Gulf of Finland and Shaitan-Tau nature reserve in the Orenburg region, the Chikoi national park in the Trans-Baikal territory and the Solovki Islands Archipelago federal nature reserve in the Arkhangelsk region.
The Caucasus biospheric nature reserve in the Krasnodar territory and the Russian Arctic national park in the Arkhangelsk region will be expanded, he added.
A bill has been proposed that would amend the federal law on protected wildlife territories, tighten the nature reserve regime and confirm the list of nature reserves to be turned into national parks, he said.
Russia's national parks were expanded by 2.5 million hectares in 2013 to over 12 million hectares, which accounts for 0.6% of Russia's territory. Three national parks were established in 2013: Beringia in Chukotka, Onezhskoye Pomorye in the Arkhangelsk region and Shantar Islands in the Khabarovsk territory.
