Rāzna National Park () is a

national park A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...

in the

Latgale Latgale (; ; ; ; ; ; Belarusian Latin alphabet, Belarusian Latin: ''Łathalija''; ), also known as Latgalia or Latgallia, is one of the Historical Latvian Lands. It is the easternmost region of the country and lies north of the Daugava River. Wh ...

region of

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

. The park was established on 1 January 2007 in the Latgale Highlands of eastern Latvia to safeguard Lake Rāzna and its surrounding landscapes. Covering 532 km², it is the youngest and second largest of Latvia’s four national parks, spanning parts of the Rezekne,

Ludza Ludza (; , , , , ''Ludza'') is a town in the Latgale region of eastern Latvia. Ludza is the oldest town in Latvia and this is commemorated by a key in its coat of arms. Ludza is the administrative centre of Ludza Municipality that is located near ...

and

Krāslava Krāslava (; , , , , ) is a town and the administrative centre of Krāslava Municipality. The town lies on the Daugava, upstream and to the east of the city of Daugavpils. Most of the town is situated on the right coast of the Daugava. As defined ...

districts across the Kaunata and Mākoņkalns municipalities. The park encompasses a resident population of roughly 5,000 people, most of whom live on privately owned land within its boundaries. The park's

topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the landforms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...

reflects its glacial origins, featuring rolling hills, moraine ridges and over twenty lakes. Lake Rāzna itself is the country's second largest by surface area (57.6 km²) and largest by volume (0.405 km³), feeding the headwaters of the Rēzekne River. Surrounding habitats form a mosaic of mixed deciduous and coniferous forest,

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

s and agricultural land, all set within a hilly relief shaped by ice-age processes some 16,000 years ago. Management within Rāzna National Park is divided into four zones: a core

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

(roughly 6 % of the area), a national park zone where low-intensity

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...

and

farming Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

are permitted, a landscape protection zone preserving traditional land-use patterns, and a minimal-regulation zone that allows natural evolution of human-influenced areas. The park forms part of an EU-designated

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

, hosting more than 340 bird species—including great bittern (''Botaurus stellaris'') and several

grebe Grebes () are aquatic diving birds in the order (biology), order Podicipediformes (). Grebes are widely distributed freshwater birds, with some species also found in sea, marine habitats during Bird migration, migration and winter. Most grebes f ...

s—as well as mammals such as

Eurasian beaver The Eurasian beaver (''Castor fiber'') or European beaver is a species of beaver widespread across Eurasia, with a rapidly increasing population of at least 1.5 million in 2020. The Eurasian beaver was hunted to near-extinction for both its fur ...

(''Castor fiber''),

Eurasian otter The Eurasian otter (''Lutra lutra''), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, European river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia and the Maghreb. The most widely distributed member o ...

(''Lutra lutra'') and

grey wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...

(''Canis lupus'').

Public perception and governance

Although Rāzna National Park was created to safeguard habitats of European importance, a number of land-owners and municipal officials have expressed concern that routine land-management practices—such as mowing, controlled burning or even cutting a few trees—can trigger cumbersome permit procedures or fines. Misunderstandings about what is and is not allowed have given rise to a widespread belief in "prohibitions that don't exist", which in turn discourages some traditional management techniques vital for maintaining semi-natural

meadow A meadow ( ) is an open habitat or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non- woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as they maintain an open character. Meadows can occur naturally under favourable con ...

s and

s. Ivars Pavasars (2014) describes this as a clash of "two realities" in Latvian protected-area governance: the official, science-driven framework of

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectiv ...

on one hand, and the everyday concerns of rural inhabitants on the other. He finds that top-down decision-making, limited public involvement and a general mistrust of state institutions can hamper both compliance with conservation objectives and the long-term viability of traditional land uses that benefit biodiversity. In response, the Nature Protection Agency has begun pilot initiatives—such as training local volunteer rangers and hosting outreach meetings—to improve dialogue and build trust. Continued efforts to clarify permit requirements and involve local stakeholders in management planning will be essential to reconcile scientific conservation goals with the practical needs of park residents.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Razna National Park National parks of Latvia Protected areas established in 2007 2007 establishments in Latvia

Public perception and governance

See also

References