State of National Park System in Russia Federation:

Focusing on the Special Nature Conservation Area Law (N33-FZ)

Abstract

This paper will clarify the status of national parks and the characteristics of their systems through an analysis of the Special Nature Conservation Area Law (N33-FZ), which forms the basis for the nature protection system in the Russian Federation. The changes of their systems since the 2000s are as follows. According to a 2013 amendment to the law, the management and operation of national parks is now the responsibility of the independent administrative agencies. National parks have private lands, indigenous peoples, and other residents, and articles have been added to take their rights into consideration, and they are divided into six zoning categories that reflect these rights. In recent years, several specific prohibitions have been added to the national park articles, likely reflecting increased use pressure. On the other hand, the system was revised to be more conducive to use, allowing land to be leased to individuals or corporations.