page_title: Protected areas of Estonia
section_title: Protected areas
hierarchical_section_title: Protected areas of Estonia / Protected areas
caption_attribution_description: English: View from watchtower to Männikjärve Bog, Endla Nature Reserve, Estonia Deutsch: Blick von der Aussichtswarte auf Männikjärve Moor, Endla Naturschutzgebiet, Estland Español: Vista de una torre de vigilancia al pantano Männikjärve, reserva natural Endla en Estonia. Italiano: Vista da una torre di guardia sull'acquitrino Männikjärve, riserva naturale Endla in Estonia. Nederlands: Zicht vanaf een uitkijktoren op het Männikjärve moeras in het Endla Natuurreservaat in Estland. Русский: Вид со сторожевой башни на болото Мянникъярве в государственном заповеднике Эндла, Эстония.
context_page_description: Protected areas of Estonia are regulated by the Nature Conservation Act, which was passed by the Estonian parliament on April 21, 2004 and entered into force May 10, 2004.
context_section_description: According to the law, protected areas are areas maintained in a state unaltered by human activity or used subject to special requirements where the natural environment is preserved, protected, restored, researched or introduced. The following are protected areas:
  National parks
  Nature conservation areas
  Landscape conservation areas
  As stated in §10.1: An area shall be placed under protection as a protected area or a special conservation area by a regulation of the Government of the Republic.
  In addition, the law declares following special protection areas, which are designated for the conservation of habitats, for the preservation of which the impact of planned activities is estimated and activities liable to damage the favourable conservation status of the habitats are prohibited:
  Strict nature reserve (§ 29)
  Special management zone (§ 30)
  Limited management zone (§ 31)
  In the time of the Estonian SSR, there were only five protected areas categorized as zapovedniks ("scientific nature reserve"): Vilsandi, Viidumäe, Endla, Nigula and Matsalu.
caption: Endla Nature Reserve
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