The Bulgarian National Parks are managed in accordance with the Protected Areas Act (1998). The Act specifies that National Parks are managed with the following goals:

• Conserve biodiversity and protect wildlife,
• Develop educational and scientific activities,
• Promote rest and recreation, and
• Increase local community welfare without harming the natural habitat.

Park Directorates

The Ministry of the Environment and Waters manages the protected area systems. The Executive Agency for Environment is responsible for providing methodical guidance to the National Park Directorates for ecological monitoring and on matters of environmental quality.

Each National Park is managed by a regional body of the Ministry—a National Park Directorate. The Protected Areas Act specifies the major administrative functions of the Directorates. The Directorates:

• Coordinate the activities of organizations, institutions and users within the Parks;
• Issue permits for grazing, and for collecting herbs, forest fruits, mushrooms, etc. in the Parks;
• Issue permits for all types of maintenance and renovation activities in the Parks; and
• Interact and cooperate with local authorities, local communities, non-governmental organizations, the academic community, cultural and education institutions, businesses, and the media.

Each Directorate is headquartered outside their respective Park. Each Directorate uses a system of satellite Park section offices to administer different parts of Park territory. The Directorates and Park section offices employ local specialists, well-versed in each Park’s area and local communities. The Directorate teams are comprised of specialists from various fields, who undergo specialized training in protected area management and environmental protection. Teams consist of botanists, zoologists, foresters, public relations specialists, information technology, and financial management specialists.

Management Plans

For each Park the Bulgarian government uses a ten-year Management Plan, required by the Protected Areas Act. Each plan describes the existing conditions of the Park and its surrounding environs, including natural, social, and economic conditions. Using this information, each Management Plan provides direction for activities and investments specified for each Park.

The Management Plan also uses “zoning” as a major management tool—dividing park territory into management areas (or zones) depending on the conservation objectives of the Park. Zones boundaries are generally defined using natural features (mountain ridges, rivers, streams, vegetation zones, and in some cases, roads and trails). The zones vary in their designation and management objectives, so activities and recommendations can differ for each zone.

Implementing the Management Plan is the major responsibility of each National Park Directorate. Management Plans guide:

• Natural resource management, security, control, and law enforcement;
• Ecological monitoring;
• Operations and maintenance of tourist routes, paths, and additional services; and
• Public awareness, education tools, and activities with local communities.

An Annual Operation Plan sets priorities each year, and is used to describe activities and their budget.

Legislation

The activities within the National Parks are coordinated with all Bulgarian environmental legislation, as well as the major international conventions for biodiversity conservation that constitute an integral part of the country’s legislation. The legislative framework for Park management includes:

• The Environmental Protection Act (2002) provides a framework for the overall environmental legislation and is also a guiding document for the National Park Directorates.
• The Biological Diversity Act (2002), the Medicinal Plants Act (2000), the Hunting and Game Protection Act (2000), and the Fishing and Aqua-Cultures Act (2001) treat, in detail, important elements of the environment.
• The National Strategy for Biological Diversity Conservation, was the first for Europe and the second in the world. Combined with the National Action Plan for Biological Diversity Conservation, these are key documents for the State and guided donor activities and investments within the national parks.
• The Regulation for Assigning of Activities in Protected Areas that are Exclusive Property of the State and the Public Procurement Act. The Directorates hire local contractors to produce goods and deliver services.

Funding

Directorate activities and projects are funded by the Enterprise Fund for Environmental Activities Management, as well as by the National Trust Eco-Fund.

At present, a special Bulgaria Park Endowment Fund is being established—the first in Eastern Europe. It is designed as a permanent source of funding for capital expenses and projects related to the development and maintenance of the protected area system in the country. In addition, it will fund community sustainable tourism activities linked to the Parks.

The recurrent annual costs of each National Park Directorate are funded from the annual budget of the Ministry of Environment and Waters. Capital investments (construction, renovation, new infrastructure, and training and research) are funded by the Enterprise Fund for Environmental Activities Management.