Organization of Geoparks in Russia and Peculiarities of their Legal Regime

The paper examines the features of the international status of "UNESCO Global Geopark" that are important for the development of Russian legislation regulating Geoparks. The criteria for the status of a “UNESCO Global Geopark” that affect the national legal regime of the Geopark include the criterion for the presence of geological objects with a protected status on its territory. The author has analyzed the references to national legislation contained in the criteria for UNESCO Global Geoparks. The paper highlights the differences between the UNESCO Global Geopark, the World Heritage Site and the Biosphere Reserve, analyzes the cases of overlaps between the Geopark concept and the concept of a World Heritage site or a biosphere reserve. Also, the author shows that the term Geopark is extremely rarely used in federal legislation (single strategic planning documents) in the context of the need arising in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation to regulate the processes of creation and functioning of Geoparks. The author has proven the connection between the Russian legislation on Geoparks, regardless of the further fate of its development, with the legislation on specially protected natural areas.

The author determines four possible types of organization and functioning of geoparks in Russia: 1) a geopark as a tourist and recreational zone; 2) a geopark without a legal regime for a tourist and recreational zone and without a legal regime for a specially protected natural area; 3) a geopark with a legal regime of a specially protected natural area in the form of a state paleontological, mineralogical or geological reserve; 4) a geopark as an independent category of a specially protected natural area approved by regional regulatory legal acts. The author specifically describes the legal regime of each type of the Geopark. The author makes suggestions and recommendations for the development of federal and regional legislation on Geoparks in Russia.

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