A new national park was created in the Altai Territory

The Salair National Park was created in the Altai Territory. The initiative was launched within the framework of the Ecology national project. It is the second specially protected natural area (SPNA) of ​​federal significance in 2020.

The SPNA was established with the aim of preserving and restoring primary fir-aspen forests, as well as rare types of ecosystems: cedar forests, relict Siberian broad-leaved forests and ecosystems of the northern forest-steppe.

The project documentation was developed by the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, the Federal State Budgetary Institution Research and development center Ecology, together with the Regional Branch of the All-Russian Popular Front in the Altai Territory with the support of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Altai Territory.

The area of ​​the national park is 161,220.80 hectares, it is located between the borders of the Altai Territory, Novosibirsk and Kemerovo regions.

On the territory of the park, there are about 700 species of vascular plants. 29 species of plants, lichens and fungi are included in the Red Book of the Altai Territory, 9 of them are also listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, including the Siberian Kandyk, the large-flowered cypripedium, the Neottianthe cucullata, the military orchid, the Lobaria pulmonaria, the common stinkhorn, feather grass and Zalessky feather grass.

The fauna is represented by 231 species of vertebrates, of which 44 species are included in the Red Book of the Altai Territory, 12 species - in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. The territory of the National Park is extremely promising from the point of view of the development of ecological, educational, scientific tourism. There are unique geological and paleontological objects that can later be included in excursion, tourist and educational programs: Mount Glyden, Uksunayskaya cave, Zhenikhovskoye field of Silurian flora and fauna and others.

“The historical and cultural value of the created PA is also high. Historical sites of the 17th-18th centuries are of great interest: the places of the first Russian settlements in the region, the old abandoned Catherine tract, outposts and lighthouses of the eastern part of the Kolyvano-Kuznetsk defensive line, which may become elements of the future tourist infrastructure,” the press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources said.