2005 - Communicating the Pan-European Ecological Network - ECNC

The Act on Sustainable Development 1997 (as amended) lays down the principles of the national strategyand provides the legal basis for implementing the principles of sustainable development. This Act containsspecial articles concerning ecological networks, i.e. ecological considerations at spatial planning anddevelopmental planning.The Act on Protection of Natural Objects 2001 (as amended) is one of the main legal instruments concerningnature conservation. This Act determines the nature of protection and the procedure for the protectionof territories (landscapes), single objects of nature (geomorphologic features), plant, fungi and animalspecies. It determines the rights and responsibilities of landowners, land users and other persons in regardto protected natural objects and regulates the introduction and reintroduction of protected species. Bysetting the general framework for designating protected areas, and for working out their protection rules,territorial zoning and management plans, the Act provides a strong legal support for preservation of coreareas of the ecological network.The Act on Protection of Marine and Freshwater Coasts, Shores and Banks (1995) stipulates the principlesfor using and protecting the Estonian coast and shoreline. The Act is very important for preserving ecologicalcorridors along the coastline, lake-shores and river banks.Spatial planning, including settlements, industry and their infrastructure, which exert an impact on a considerableshare of natural areas, is organised by the Act on Planning and Building 1999 (as amended). TheAct provides the legal background for designing an ecological network as a part of the county spatial planningprocess. The county plan has legal power in Estonia. The county spatial plan is considered to be themain development plan, which sets the legal framework for land use and other activities. The design of thegreen network is carried out at county level (planners use the term “green network” instead of “ecologicalnetwork”).The Act on Wildlife Protection (1998) sets a legal basis for the protection and preservation of migratoryroutes. All activities, such as, construction and planning of roads, communication lines or rebuildingshould take into consideration the existing migratory routes of wildlife.The other laws and regulations which could indirectly support ecological network principles, include theAct on Forestry (1998, amended in 1999), the Act on Hunting Management (1994), the Act on LandImprovement (1994), the Act on Water (1994, amended 1996), the Act on Fisheries (1995, amended in1996, 1998, 2000).Several environmental policies, for example, the Estonian National Environmental Strategy and theEstonian Environmental Action Plan, are oriented towards the development of ecological networks inEstonia. The Estonian National Environmental Strategy, approved in 1997, sets a goal to ensure the preservationof viable populations of local plant and animal species, natural and semi-natural communitiesand landscapes typical of Estonia (EME, 1997). The long-term strategy “Estonia – vision 2010” contains achapter on “green networks” and a schematic map of an Estonian green network.The National Agri-Environmental Program supports the development and preservation of ecological networksat local (farm, agricultural enterprise) level. Currently, the project on “Development of an Agri-environmentalScheme for Estonia” is on-going (Sepp, 1999).The National Agri-Environmental program is intended:To maintain and protect valuable natural, semi-natural wildlife habitats, landscapes and their elements,which are associated with small biotopes such as ponds, hedges, stone heaps, stone walls, etc.;To maintain, protect and improve the visual appearance of the farm by maintaining, protecting and improvingall farm and field boundaries, including hedges and stone walls;To maintain and encourage extensive crop production methods on all cultivated land by: 1) leaving at leasta 3 metre wide unsprayed and “headland” on all cultivated fields (this must be increased to 10 metres if73