Lena Pillars Nature Park

There are some areas traditionally used by Evenki indigenous people. The validity of the boundaries of these areas is respected by the park administration. Traditional use of the land includes hay-making and hunting. Co-existence of traditional rights and use, and legal land ownership appears to be appropriately considered (IUCN, 2012). In 2015, the State Party reported a plan to create a Nature Park Committee consisting of representatives of each Evenki ancestral community and Nature Park administration. The committee will be responsible for dealing with any disputes around hunting, licenses, transportation routes, natural resources use and matters of traditional natural territory management (State Party of the Russian Federation, 2015). In 2022, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation created an interdepartmental working group for the development of unified approaches to the observance of the rights of small indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation to carry out traditional economic activities in specially protected areas (Ministry of natural resources and ecology, 2022) which includes one representative of the Lena Pillars Nature Park. The main tasks of the working group are the development of proposals on issues of mutual cooperation between federal, regional and international organizations, development of state budgetary institutions managing protected areas and indigenous people in relation to the realization of traditional economic activities, preparation of conceptual proposals for the protection or rights of small indigenous minorities as well as the protection of indigenous environments habitat.

At the time of inscription, the site was designated as a Nature Park at national level, governed by the Statute of the State Enterprise Nature Park “Lena Pillars” of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) (2006) and the Management plan of the Lena Pillars Nature Park (State Party of the Russian Federation, 2015). In 2018, the Nature Park was re-designated as a National Park with the total area of 1,217,941 ha (Government of the Russian Federation, 2018).

A Federal entity "National Park Lena Pillars" has been established to manage the national park, guided by a new Statute (Ministry of natural resources and ecology, 2019). Sinsky plot (Lena Pillars Nature Park) is managed by the Directorate of biological resources and specially protected natural areas of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The effectiveness of these structures and the level of coordination is unknown.

Integration into regional or national planning systems is not documented.

The boundaries of the World Heritage site are clearly defined. In 2015, a proposal for a minor boundary modification was submitted by the State Party of the Russian Federation and was subsequently approved by the World Heritage Committee (World Heritage Committee, 2015). Through this process the Sinsky plot of the Nature Park, located within the Sinyaya River catchment, was added to the World Heritage site and its total area was increased by ca. 9% to 1,387,000 ha (State Party of the Russian Federation, 2015; IUCN, 2015). This addressed the requests previously made by the World Heritage Committee with regards to the boundaries of the site. In 2018, the Nature Park was re-designated as a National Park with the total area of 1,217,941 ha (Government of the Russian Federation, 2018). However, it is unclear how exactly the area of the World Heritage site overlaps with this new protected area. Given that the total size of the World Heritage site is bigger than that of the newly created national park, some areas of the World Heritage site have not been included in the boundaries of the national park.

There are no overlapping international designations.

The addition of the Sinsky plot, located within the Sinyaya River catchment, to the World Heritage site in 2015 (State Party of the Russian Federation, 2015; IUCN, 2015) the requests previously made by the World Heritage Committee with regards to the boundaries of the site was fulfilled. It was requested by IUCN to the State Party to establish the remaining management bodies foreseen for the property to ensure the continued recognition and respect of traditional rights within the property, and not to permit mining and forestry activities outside the property, within the Sinyaya catchment, unless it is demonstrated that these would have no impact on the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, including its integrity. It was also requested to IUCN, in consultation with the State Party through the World Heritage Centre, to consider any necessary factual corrections to the Statement of Outstanding Universal Value of the property, to reflect the approval of this minor boundary modification. Little information has been given regarding the implementation.

Due to the potential threat that climate change and the related represent for the site, proper management plan regarding monitoring, mitigation and adaption is necessary. The Management Plan (2017-2020) does not however include any climate action.

At the time of inscription, the site was designated as a Nature Park at national level, governed by the Statute of the State Enterprise Nature Park “Lena Pillars” of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) (2006) and the Management plan of the Lena Pillars Nature Park (State Party of the Russian Federation, 2015). A new management plan for 2017-2021 was later developed (State Party of the Russian Federation, 2016). In 2018, the Nature Park was re-designated as a National Park with the total area of 1,217,941 ha (Government of the Russian Federation, 2018). However, it is unclear how exactly the area of the World Heritage site overlaps with this new protected area, as it appears that the Buotamsky plot became a National Park (Lena Pillars National Park), while the Sinsky plot remained in the status of Nature Park (Lena Pillars Nature Park). It is also unclear whether a new management plan has also been developed after 2021.

Enforcement of existing protection regime is overseen by the “special inspection” team which, according to the latest available information, consisted of 11 staff members: 6 government district police officers, 4 senior government inspectors and the head of inspection at the last point of reporting (State Party of the Russian Federation, 2015). Surveillance activities include patrolling by water in summer and patrolling on snow-mobiles in winter. In 2016, 110 control patrols were conducted (State Party of the Russian Federation, 2016). Since then, however no more recent update has been given.

The total annual budget at the time of inscription was considered adequate for basic conservation functions of the site. However, need for increased budget for tourism management and infrastructure noted, particularly if tourism numbers continue to increase (IUCN, 2012). It is still remains unclear what implications the re-designation of the nature park as a federal national park (Government of the Russian Federation, 2018) would have on the budget levels. Current levels of funding are unknown.

In 2012, ca. 40 staff were considered adequate, but need for more expert staff (i.e. at least one geologist and at least one geomorphologist) to be engaged in protection and management of geological values of the site was noted (IUCN, 2012). The most recent figures (2015) note 33 staff members in the Nature Park, including the director, 2 deputy directors, 5 specialists, 11 members of the inspection team and 13 technical service staff (State Party of the Russian Federation, 2015). It is unclear if the expert staff include any experts with geological background. On camp-sites, inadequate staffing with tourist-guides has been noted. In winter, the lack of a medical worker on the base is critical (Savvinova et al., 2020). The opportunity to receive medical assistance arises only in summer, when the ships “Demyan Bedny” and “Mikhail Svetlov” sail. The rest of the time, employees and tourists remain always at risk. To organize a first aid medical station (post) is deemed necessary, as well as improve social and living conditions for workers and build a winter residential building for all workers working at camp sites, as currently there seem to be a lack of warm housing (Savvinova et al., 2020).

There is both a visitor centre on the territory of the site and cooperation with local schools aimed at education and interpretation activities (IUCN, 2012). While the 2012-2016 management plan for the site foresees a number of environmental education programmes, it is still lacking a strong programme for awareness raising, focused on the geomorphological and geological features of the site (UNESCO, 2015). Lack in information security has been also noted (Savvinova et al., 2020).

In the Lena Pillars Natural Park, the following functional zones are distinguished: a) reservation conditions; b) recreational purposes; c) the zone of limited economic use, the area of regulated economic use. In recreational areas, recreation services are provided, work is conducted for the recreation development, and educational, ecological and extreme tourism (Savvinova et al., 2020). Tourism management and interpretation facilities were considered sufficient as tourism numbers are still considerably below carrying capacity (Totonova, 2018). However, the need for a more systematic sustainable and equitable tourism development strategy and the corresponding investments in the site's infrastructure and capacity was noted by IUCN (2012). A 2018 study found that among the main types of tourist services offered by the Natural Park, development of new tourist routes and a coordinated system of tariffs and tourist fees that can be applied in the conservation activities in the park were two focal areas for tourism development in the site (Totonova, 2018). The park has been closed for visitors as of June 2020 (Yakutia-Daily, 2020), the impacts on tourism levels and management of the 2020 COVID-pandemic will need to be evaluated.
Difficult (and expensive) transport accessibility to the Nature Park is a limiting factor to tourism development in the area (Savvinova et al., 2020; Kondakova, 2022), which, however, also limits the threats to the Site’s value represented by tourists visitation. Tourism business in the park is performed by local tourism companies that provide services and transportation from Yakutsk, the capital of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic. Transportation is season dependent and is performed in the summer season using water transport such as engine-powered large-scale ships, diesel-powered light boats, passenger boats, small barges and other various types of small motorboats. During the winter period, transportation is provided by cars using the frozen surface of the Lena River (Kondakova 2022). In analysis on the seasonal winter tourism development, several issues linked to a general lack of infrastructure have been identified (Savvinova et al., 2020) in terms of information security (poor marketing and advertising; no information brochures, maps and flyers except for a park map available only in Russian; insufficient signing, incomplete and insufficient information about events in the area), technical security (transport isolation, lack of specialized vehicles for road building and maintenance, lack of sustainable cellular communication; poor technical condition of the stairs and fences, railings leading to the scenic viewpoint), human resources and social issues (inadequate staffing with tourist-guides, not working during winter due to the lack of warm housing at the campsite, lack of medical worker during wintertime) and tourist service (scarcity of provided services). These issues represent potential security risks for visitors, and preclude a more balanced tourism visitation during the year. The analysis also provides recommendations and suggestions, such as organizing a sustainable development of small business in the service sector, updating the ecological trail, develop information products, also in English, improving services and maintenance as well as staff`s safety and living conditions (Savvinova et al., 2020).

Small scale traditional natural resource use by Evenki inhabitants of site was well-managed and sustainable in the past (State Party of the Russian Federation, 2010). The current status of sustainable use is unknown.

Lack of geological monitoring in line with inscription under Word Heritage criterion (viii) as part of overall monitoring programme of Nature Park was noted in 2012 (IUCN, 2012). There is no information to suggest that this issue has been adequately addressed, and therefore remains of some concern.

Lena Pillars Nature Park has been visited by a wide range of geological expeditions in the past, such as by the Siberian Research Studies Institute for Geology, Geo- physics and Mineral Resources (SNIIGGiMS, Novosibirsk) and the Moscow Paleontological Institute RAS. The nomination file includes a list of more than 100 relevant references of articles based on research at or around the site (State Party of the Russian Federation, 2010). It is planned to create a Science and Engineering Board under the supervision of the Nature Park directorate (State Party of the Russian Federation, 2015). Published research further characterizes corallite crusts as the specific form of karst morpholithogenesis in the site (Trofimova, 2017). However lack of current research makes it difficult to assess the current status.

There are only limited threats arising outside the site and affecting it directly, because of its remoteness. Upstream pollution of the Lena river has a potential to affect the immediate vicinity but not the site itself. Therefore, existing precautions appear sufficient.

No formal management effectiveness assessment of the site has been documented although management appears to be adequate to deal with the current threats to the site's integrity (IUCN, 2012). No more recent data on the matter has been identified, preventing a more precise assessment for this section.