Rila Monastery Nature Park Management Plan - part - usaid

February 2004
Purpose of the Environmentally Sound Use Zone
This zone is thus established to ensure the proper, sustainable use of biotic and abiotic
resources. Human interference within the zone includes the regulated, ecologically
sound extraction and use of natural resources, as well as specialized tourism. The
regimes within this zone allow human interference for the purpose of environmental
protection: maintenance, regeneration and regulation of activities and measures in
forest and other ecosystems, populations, species biodiversity, etc. In this zone, the
restrictions to the human contact with nature are kept down to a minimum. Visitors
seeking seclusion away from the beaten trails can experience a direct contact with
nature and wildlife, without, however, being able to rely on information,
interpretation or other tourism services, or any established infrastructure. In this zone,
tourist safety is relatively lower than in the Tourism Zone, which provides all security
precautions and tourism services. The zone provides the opportunity for scientific
research, ecological monitoring, training and education, and interpretation.
Description, physical and geographic characteristics
Total area: 5,677.9 ha, distributed as follows:
- North-western section: the area between the Kalin and Varla sections of
the High Conservation Significance Zone – between the Rila Monastery-
Baucher-Ivan Vasov Chalet path in the east and the ridge from Voloveto
Peak (the southern Park boundary) to Malak Kalin Dam to the west, from
the south-west and the south to the Park boundary and from the north to
the boundary of the High Conservation Significant Zone at an elevationof
2,250-2,500m.
- Central section: the area between the two parts of Radovichko-
Mramoretski section of the High Conservation Significance Zone, partly
bordering the Rila Monastery Forest Reserve and the Intensive Use
Tourist Sub-Zone to the north and along the north borders with the
Sustainable Forestry Zone (the boundary runs along Krivo Bardo);
- Southern section: the forestless area between the southern boundary of
the Park, the Sustainable Forestry Zone and the Radovichko-Mramoretski
section of the High Conservation Significance Zone.
In its physical-geographic attributes, this zone does not differ from the rest in a
significant way: a varied terrain with altitude differentials, a variety of combinations
of ecological conditions, different types of forest, etc. The zone features locations
related to high-mountain summer grazing, herbs and medicinal plants extraction, etc.
Territorially, just like the High Conservation Significance Zone, this zone is neither
compact nor integral; rather, as can be seen on the map, it is divided into three Park
sections.
Regimes for the Environmentally Sound Use Zone
Any human acts and activities are strictly forbidden except those as per Paragraph
1.1.1 above, and the following:
Rila Monastery Nature Park
Management Plan-Draft
2004 - 2013
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