Specially Protected Nature Areas
Pskov region
Specially Protected Nature Areas
The network of specially protected nature areas (PNA) of the Pskov region embraces 42 nature objects and territories, their area is more than 7% of the total area of the region. The network of PNAs includes a wetland of international importance "Pskovsko-Chudskaya lakeside lowland", three federal protected areas (the Sebezhsky National Park, the Polistovsky State Nature Reserve, and the Remdovsky State Nature Reserve), 11 state nature zoological reserves of regional importance, 15 nature monuments of regional importance, 2 health resorts of regional importance (the sanatoriums "Cherekha" and "Blue Lakes") and 10 PNAs of local importance.
All these natural territories are unique, irreplaceable and are subject to protect in their natural status.
The Ramsar site of International Importance "Pskovsko-Chudskaya Lowland"
The wetland of international importance. Formed in 1994 in accordance with the principles and criteria of the Ramsar Convention for the study and preservation of unique natural complexes in the area of the Pskovsko-Chudskoye (Peipsi) Lake. It includes a lakeside lowland, coastal water areas along the eastern shore of the Pskov Lake, the Velikaya River Delta with 40 semi-submerged islands, and borders Estonia. The total area is 92.4 thousand hectares, including 22.2 thousand hectares of water area of the Pskovsko-Chudskoye Lake.
The Polistovsky Nature Reserve
The reserve was founded in 1994 and occupies almost a quarter of the largest in Europe Polistovo-Lovatskaya system of upland bogs.
The basis for the creation of the reserve was the results of scientific researches, started back in 1909, completely changing the attitude to the bogs as useless pieces of land. The upland bogs of the Polistovo-Lovatskaya system are a powerful regulator of the climate in the North-West of Russia, a stabilizer of water level in rivers, the largest freshwater filter in Europe, it counteracts the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (preventing global climate change), contributes to the conservation of Europe's biological diversity and populations of rare species, especially birds. 15% of nesting birds in the reserve are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.
The Sebezhsky National Park
The National Park was created by a decree of the Government of the Russian Federation in January 1996. The area is 50021 hectares. The goal is to preserve natural complexes and objects that have a special ecological, historical and aesthetic value, and create conditions for the development of organized recreation. In the south, the reserve has a common border with Belarus, in the west - with Latvia. In the territory of the park there are 49 settlements, including the city of Sebezh.
