Laws Referring to Nature Protection in Estonia.

Summary

Eugen Maddisoo

Source:
Looduskaitse/ Tegev toimetaja: Dr. G.Vilbaste. - Tallinn: Riigiparkide Valitsuse Kirjastus, 1937. - Köide I. - P. 48-49.

Towards the end of the year 1935 the universal Nature Protection law was promulgated in Estonia. Before the passing of this law Estonian nature was protected but indirectly by different laws that had in view special and practical aims, yet to a certain degree contrived to influence nature protection. Such were the Summer and Health Resort Law, Antiquities Protection Law, Forest Law, Law for Supporting the Building of Wooden Ship, Restrictive Law for the Trade in Rare Coniferous Trees, Game Law, and Fishing Law. All those laws, protecting nature each for its special purpose, were unable to carry out completely the task of nature protection consisting in preserving and protecting all the characteristic formations of nature without any particular practical intention. The lack of such a law caused the extirpation of numerous objects worthy of protection. Further losses that would have made future scientific investigations impossible threatened our nature. In order to avoid this, in the year 1935 the universal Nature Protection Law was passed. This law, retaining at the same time all the abovementioned special laws, carries out nature protection in Estonia quite independently.

Conformably to the Nature Protection Law, all districts, bodies of water, and single objects under protection are to be entered on a record. All occupations that might damage the recorded areas, bodies of water, and objects are prohibited. The owner of the areas, bodies of water, and objects under protection is bound to observe the nature protection rules under threat of penalty. Losses that the owner might sustain in connection with nature protection will be paid by the state. In the interest of nature protection private possessions can also be expropriated.

Nature protection is carried out by the Administration of the State Parks, the Nature Protection Council, the Nature Protection Inspector, and the Trusted Advisers on Nature Protection. At the head of the organisation is the Administration of the State Parks which also keeps the records. Proposals to take something under protection form one of the most important tasks falling within the sphere of powers of the Nature Protection Council. Proposals regarding areas and bodies of water are decided by the Government of the Republic, while those dealing with single objects need the confirmation of the State Secretary only. The actual executor and organizer of nature protection is the Nature Protection Inspector. His local collaborators are the Trusted Advisers.

The Nature Protection Law together with the special laws offer wide opportunities to carry out nature protection in Estonia.