Rila Monastery Nature Park Management Plan - part - usaid

February 2004
Purpose of the Buffer Zone
The territory of the Buffer Zone is designated around the Nature Reserve for the
purpose of providing better protection while mitigating human impact. The Buffer
Zone is intended as a means of reducing the physical impact on ecosystems and
pollution in the areas surrounding the Reserve; to that end, certain activities are banned
in this zone. The zone provides conditions for short-term rest and relaxation, extraction
of timber through special woodcutting practices and construction, according to site
development plans connected with the Rila Monastery, and the functioning and
development of tourism.
Description, physical and geographic characteristics
The boundaries of the Buffer Zone are defined by Order # 307/10.04.1986. It is a belt
surrounding the outer perimeter of the Forest Reserve; inside the Reserve, it is a double
strip running parallel to the road bed between 0.3 and 2.0 kilometers in width, bisecting
the reserve into two sections: North and South, defined by the valley of the Rilska
River. According to the Order the Buffer Zone covers a total of 2,401.6 ha, of which
1,199.6 ha are of forest estate and 1,202 ha of farmlands.
In the peripheral areas, along the boundaries of the Reserve, the territory of the Buffer
Zone is no different physico-geographically from that of the Reserve. Along the
dividing line between the North and South sections, where the northern slopes of the
Kriva and Rilska river valleys meet the southern slopes, one can find ecological pockets
of a riverside type. There is a black-top road running in this part of the zone (from the
point of confluence of the Rilska and Iliyna Rivers up to Kirilova Polyana) as well as
two gravel roads running respectively from Kirilova Polyana to Yavora tourist
compound and to Ribni Lakes and on to the boundary of the reserve. The lower parts of
the Buffer Zone feature segments of beech forests, while all spruce or mixed common
fir-and-spruce or alder-and-spruce forests are characteristic of its upper parts. There are
no large rock outcroppings. The tributaries to the Rilska River further bisect the zone.
N.B.: Part of the Holy Sites Zone facilities is located in the Reserve’s Buffer Zone.
The different types of activities carried out in the territory of the Buffer Zone include
tourism, religious activities related to the Holy Places Zone, etc. All these functions
shall be carried out within the same territory. The prescribed regimes and norms for
the Buffer Zone pursuant to Order # 307/10.04.1986 have been taken into
consideration in planning the regimes and norms for the Tourism Zone (Sub-zone
with moderate visitor use), the High Conservation Significance Zone, and the Holy
Places Zone; no activities which contravene those are allowed, and there are also
requirements, restrictions and allowed activities pursuant to the monuments of
culture conservation regimes (Appendix to Protocol from 07.05.1992 of the
commission appointed with Order # RD-19-132/24.03.1992 of Ministry of Culture)
(Appendix 4).
Rila Monastery Nature Park
Management Plan-Draft
2004 - 2013
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