Virgin Komi Forests

• Management and institutional factors (changes to the boundaries of Yugyd Va National Park)
• Mining (gold mining inside the property)
• Tourism (need for a sustainable tourism management strategy)

N/A

On 1 December 2022, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/719/documents/, and on 20 March 2023, it submitted some additional information at the request of the World Heritage Centre, reporting the following:

• The boundaries of the Yugyd Va National Park (YVNP) and Pechora-Ilychsky State Nature Biosphere Reserve (PINR) components of the property have not changed;
• In 2021, the status of the buffer zone of the PINR (which is part of the property) was upgraded to the status of a protected zone of the Reserve;
• There is currently no evidence of the disappearance of species from the property;
• There has been no large-scale logging in the property or in its immediate vicinity;
• Restatement that no exploration or mining activities have been undertaken in the property. There are no activities in the area of the Chudnoe deposit;
• In 2019, the license for the use of subsoil on the territory of YVNP, granted to ‘Gold Minerals CJSC’ (now ‘Zoloty Inty JSC’), was suspended by order of the Federal Agency for Mineral Resources, but not terminated;
• Mining equipment has been removed from the area previously used for mining and the condition of this area is reported to be satisfactory;
• Direct access by tourists to the Manpupuner plateau via helicopter using the previously reported temporary helipad on the plateau has reduced use of the main trail. In the summer season of 2022, 547 people in 46 groups visited the Manpupuner plateau by helicopter;
• To monitor the impact of tourism on tundra ecosystems in the Manpupuner plateau area, the Nature Reserve conducts monitoring works every two years, most recently in 2021.

The insufficient information provided in response to the Committee’s previous requests with regard to mining activities, tourism management and management capacity (40 COM 7B.99, 42 COM 7B.78 and 44 COM 7B.108) makes it difficult to determine the progress or measures taken by the State Party. Whilst the reiterated confirmation that no exploration or extraction of minerals has been carried out within the property, and that the mining license held by Zoloto Inty JSC (formerly Gold Minerals CJSC) remains suspended is noted, it is important for the Committee to recall its position of that mining exploration and exploitation are incompatible with World Heritage status, and to urge the State Party again to unequivocally revoke the mining exploration and exploitation licenses granted inside the property.

Whilst it is noted that the boundary of YVNP has not been modified to allow for mining, the World Heritage Centre continues to receive reports on a proposed new draft law which would make it possible to change the boundaries of federally protected natural areas to accommodate economic activities such as mining. Recalling the State Party’s previous proposals to modify the boundaries for these purposes, it should confirm that no boundary modification to accommodate mining is envisaged, as previously requested by the Committee. Moreover, it should be recalled that the legal protection status is an integral part of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property and that the removal of the legal protection from parts of the property would constitute a clear case for inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger, in accordance to Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines.

The information on the upgraded of legal status of the buffer zone of PINR, which is part of the property, is noted but appears to contradict the information provided at the time of inscription, which mentioned that its protection status was the same as that of the Reserve itself. The State Party should be requested to clarify this point.

Information regarding visitor access to the Manpupuner plateau by helicopter is noted, including the resulting reduction in the use of footpaths leading to the plateau. Although visitation appears to remain within the carrying capacity of the property at this stage, the State Party should be encouraged to consider limiting the number of helicopter landings in the future, should demand continue to increase, to ensure the conservation of the property’s OUV. The State Party should be again encouraged to develop a sustainable tourism management strategy for the entire property, including clear indicators for monitoring the impacts associated with visitation access, and to report on its implementation in future reports.

No information was provided regarding the Committee request to report on the financial and human resources available for the implementation of the 2017-2031 Integrated Management Plan for the property. This information should be requested again alongside confirmation that the State Party has addressed previous concerns regarding budgetary constraints for the effective management of the property.