31 March, Vitebsk /Olga Bogacheva - BELTA/. Nine new заказники (nature reserves) will be established within the next 10 years in the Vitebsk region, the Vitebsk Regional Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection informed a BELTA correspondent.
The scheme for the rational placement of specially protected natural areas (SPNAs) of local significance in the Vitebsk region for 2014-2023 provides for the survey and transformation of a number of SPNAs within 10 years and the establishment of nine new заказники. In particular, it is planned to create two wetland заказники in the Polotsk district ("Potoki" with an area of 2.5 thousand hectares and "Shapovalsky mokh" 582 hectares), in the Rossony district - two wetland заказники ("Veliky mokh Yukhovichsky" 1.8 thousand hectares and "Zaborovsky mokh" about 2.4 thousand hectares) and one hydrological заказник ("Neshchardo" 6 thousand hectares). In the Braslav district - one hydrological заказник ("Sita" 470 hectares), in the Glubokoye district - a hydrological заказник ("Ginkovo" 110 hectares), in the Ushachi district - a hydrological заказник ("Vechelye" 1.5 thousand hectares) and a biological заказник ("Dolina reki Ushacha" 922 hectares).
According to the scheme, the planned area of SPNAs of local significance in the Vitebsk region will be about 72.6 thousand hectares, or 1.8% of the region's area, in ten years. It will include 70 заказники and 146 nature monuments.
Currently, the region hosts one reserve, two national parks, 22 заказники and 76 nature monuments of republican significance. Заказники and nature monuments of local significance occupy 1.1% of the region's territory. The total area of SPNAs of local and republican significance as of January 1, 2014, reaches 353 thousand hectares, or 8.8% of the region's area.-0-