When operating on protected natural objects, it is a good idea to first identify the restrictions of the area and to find out what activities are permitted and what activities need the consent of the manager of the protected area. Information about the protected natural objects can be found in the Land Board's Nature Conservation and Natura 2000 Site Map Application (NB! public application does not display the places of finding of strictly protected species), the Environmental Portal , information on the extent of restrictions can be found in the Nature Conservation Act and the protection rules for specific protected areas.
The most common activities that may require prior consent in protected areas
Pursuant to § 14 (1) 1) of the Nature Conservation Act, without the express consent of the manager of a protected natural object, it is prohibited within a protected area, limited-conservation area, species protection site or protective zone of an individual protected natural object to change the boundaries of the areas of the land use types and the intended use or uses thereof.
More common changes in land use type that may affect the conservation objectives of the protected areas are the afforestation of natural grassland or the development of natural grassland or other land from forested areas (which may also serve a purpose that supports conservation objectives – e.g. in the restoration of wetlands), the expansion of yard areas at the expense of natural land parcel, etc.
It is necessary to agree the amendment of the boundaries and intended purpose of the land parcels with the Environmental Boards, above all, if no other document or consent is required (e.g. planning, building permit, etc.).
Pursuant to § 14 (1) 2) of the Nature Conservation Act, without the express consent of the manager of a protected natural object, it is prohibited within a protected area, limited-conservation area, species protection site or protective zone of an individual protected natural object to prepare a land readjustment plan and to perform land readjustment activities.
More common land readjustment activities that need to be agreed with are the division of immovables and the designation of the intended purpose for immovables. The position of the manager of the protected area is usually also required for the transfer, municipalisation and return of a state-owned land unit containing a protected natural object.
Depending on the conservation objective of the area and zone, the organisation of public events is restricted in the protected areas pursuant to § 30 (2) 6) and § 31 (2) 11) of the Nature Conservation Act. Restrictions may apply from a specific number of participants or to the place where the event is organised – in most cases there are no restrictions, or they are not so strict in places designated for organising events.
By public events, the Environmental Board means organised public events as well as private gatherings organised in nature, in which a larger number of people participate. The need for agreeing a public event arises from the target to ensure the reproduction peace of the species sensitive to disturbance, to minimise soil damage and excessive trampling, to ensure good order in the protected areas.
Pursuant to § 31 (2) 10) of the Nature Conservation Act, it is mostly restricted to drive vehicles outside roads and off-road vehicles (except, for example, during agricultural and forestry work) in the protected areas.
Proceeding from the protection rules, the Environmental Board may, in justified cases, issue permits for driving a vehicle outside roads and for driving off-road vehicles.
Predominantly, driving a floating vessel in protected areas is permitted under the same conditions as outside protected areas. However, moving by a floating vessel is completely prohibited in certain protected areas or zones of protected areas or the condition applies that driving a floating vessel is permitted only with the consent of the Environmental Board. Such areas are, for example, the water bodies of Matsalu National Park, the water bodies of the conservation zone of Tagalahe-Sutlepa in Silma Nature Reserve, the use of a watercraft with an engine requires consent in Vooremaa landscape conservation area on Saadjärve, in Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve on the Pede and Pedja Rivers, in Keeri-Karijärve Nature Reserve on Lake Keeri, in Kääpa Landscape Conservation Area on Lake Kaiu, a consent is required for the organisation of water hikes on the water bodies of Endla Nature Reserve. Restrictions on the use of watercraft may also apply in other protected areas.
While the consent of the Environmental Board (or refusal of consent) is mainly sent to an applicant, then no separate decision on issuing or refusing to issue a permit for movement is made and sent to an applicant when issuing permits for movement in the water area of the Tagalahe-Sutlepa conservation zone in Silma Nature Reserve.
Pursuant to the protection rule, it is allowed to stay in the water area of the Tagalahe-Sutlepa conservation zone in Silma Nature Reserve with the consent of the manager of the protected area from 1 April to 31 October, fishing is permitted from 1 July to 31 October. At the same time, up to 12 persons are allowed to stay without a watercraft or up to 12 watercrafts, whereas the number of people in one craft is not limited (except on watercourses where no stay limits are set and in Tahu Bay, where only transit from Haapsalu limited management zone to Saunja Bay through Tahu Bay is allowed up to 500 m from the coast of Herjava peninsula). The number of permits for movement are divided equally between recreational fishermen, professional fishermen and other people who stay in the water area.
The application for a permit for movement (which must include the first name and surname of the applicant, personal identification code, phone number and the date of stay in the area) has to reach the Environmental Board at least 3 working days before the requested date. Permits for movement are granted in the order of application, based on the exact time of receiving an application, which is in compliance with the requirements. The applicant can see the result no later than 3 working days after submitting the application from the table (the link opens by making a right mouse click on it and by opening the page in a new window), and who have been issued the permits for movement for that specific date.
Pursuant to § 7 (2) 1) of the protection rules, training of crowns of trees and bushes and cutting woody plants in protected parks is permitted only with the consent of the Environmental Board. The restriction has been imposed in order to preserve the historic plan, valuable design elements of forest stand and park and gardening of dendrological, cultural, ecological, aesthetical and recreational value. The requirement to get approval for cutting woody plants in parks also serves the purpose of protecting the biota (different species of birds and bats) related to old trees in parks.
The use of natural resources is mostly prohibited in strictly protected zones of national parks, protected areas and species protection sites – in conservation zones, but pursuant to § 30 (4) 3) and 8) of the Nature Conservation Act, the protection rules may permit gathering of reed and seaweed or berries, fungi and other by-products, whereas this activity may also be permitted only with the prior consent of the Environmental Board.
Such restriction is imposed by protection rules, in particular, on gathering products in large quantities rather than on limiting quantities for private consumption.
Pursuant to § 32 and 33 of the Nature Conservation Act, limited-conservation areas do not have protection rules, but destruction or harming of the habitats for the protection of which a limited-conservation area was formed, significantly disturbing the protected species, and all activities which are likely to endanger the favourable conservation status of the habitats and protected species are prohibited within a limited-conservation area.
Pursuant to § 33 (1) of the Nature Conservation Act, the possessor of an immovable located within the boundaries of a limited-conservation area will submit a notification to the manager of the limited-conservation area if the following activities are planned:
- Construction of a road
- Removal of a natural rock or soil
- Altering the water levels and shorelines of water bodies
- Use of biocides and plant protection products
- Cultivation and fertilisation of natural and semi-natural grasslands and polders
- Cutting of trees located within areas that have the characteristics of a wooded meadow
- Construction and reconstruction of land improvement systems
- Collection of reed.
Pursuant to § 14 (1) of the Nature Conservation Act, without the express consent of the manager of a protected natural object it is prohibited within a protected area, limited-conservation area, species protection site or protective zone of an individual protected natural object to additionally feed wild game. The consent is needed to ensure wild populations of game in protected areas and to avoid the potential impact of excessive concentration of certain species on other groups of biota (e.g. ground-nesting birds).
The previous list is not comprehensive, we recommend checking the exact terms and conditions of the current protection rules before taking action.
Upon receipt of an application for action in the protected area, the Environmental Board assesses the potential impact of the planned activities on the conservation objective and condition of the protected natural object. Upon approval of activities, the Environmental Board may set written requirements which, if complied with, ensure that the activity does not interfere with achieving the objective of protecting the natural object or damage the state of the protected natural object.
In order to obtain consent, please submit your application in sufficient time, as approval process may reveal the need to reorganise the activity (e.g. a public event).
Last updated: 30.11.2022
