Protected areas

Protected natural values are those that have been proclaimed and entered in the Register of protected natural resources and refer to protected areas, protected vegetable, fungi and animal species and on protected minerals and fossils.

Protected areas are classified into nine categories:

• The strict nature reserve is an area of land and/or sea with unchanged or slightly changed overall nature.
• The national park is a spacious, largely unchanged area of exceptional and multiple natural values.
• The special reserve a land and/or sea area of particular importance because of its uniqueness, rarity or representativeness.
• The park of nature is a large natural or partly cultivated land and/or sea area with ecological features of international and national importance.
• The regional park is a large natural or partly cultivated land and/or sea area with ecological features of international, national or regional importance.
• The monument of nature is a sigle part or a group of animate or inanimate nature.
• The significant landscape is a natural or cultivated area of great landscape value and biodiversity or cultural-historical value.
• The park forest is a natural or planted forest of major landscape value, designated for relaxation and recreation.
• The monument of park architecture is an artificially shaped area (park, botanical garden, arboretum, city park, alley).

Protected areas cover about 9% of the total area of the Istria county and Natura Histrica protects 6% of the region total area. In the area of Istria county, apart the PI Natura Histrica there are other three public institutions operating and managing various protected areas and other protected natural resources:

• PI National park Brijuni
• PI Park of nature Učka
• PI Kamenjak

List of protected areas managed by PI Natura Histrica: