National parks and reserves tourism development law adopted by State Duma

The State Duma approved the law on developing tourism in national parks and protected areas. The document defines uniform rules for all specially protected natural areas.

The law states that changing the protected area's area, location, and boundaries is forbidden. In addition, it is no longer possible to build residential buildings in natural parks. It is allowed to erect facilities for temporary accommodation, cultural and environmental education, public catering and consumer services, and personal hygiene.

Agreeing with the federal executive body and the auction winner will be mandatory to attract investments. It should spell out all the key points: taking measures to prevent environmental damage, compliance with the established maximum allowable recreational capacity, and others. The agreement is terminated, among other things, due to violation of its terms.

“There is a mandatory coordination of the plan of recreational activities of the national park with the head of the region, which is important for taking into account the development of tourism in the territory of each subject,” explained Dmitry Kobylkin, chairman of the committee on ecology, natural resources, and environmental protection.

The law will come into force on September 1, 2023. Until now, it is prohibited to lease land plots within the boundaries of specially protected natural areas of national significance, except for settlements within national parks' boundaries.

Earlier, Bashinform News Agency wrote that there are currently three nature reserves in Bashkiria (Bashkirsky, Yuzhno-Uralsky, Shulgan-Tash) and one national park - Bashkiria. The total area of these specially protected natural areas of national significance is about 400 thousand hectares. And there are also five natural parks - "Iremel", "Muradymovskoe Gorge", "Kandry-Kul", "Asly-Kul", "Zilim" - and 27 state nature reserves.

Author: Laysan Zakirova