Where We Work

The Altai Conservancy supports programs, projects and initiatives that sustain, enhance, or expand Russia’s nationwide network of nature reserves, known as “zapovedniks.”  We give special importance to protecting the natural and cultural heritage of the Altai Mountains.

 

 

Map of Protected Lands in the Russian Federation

The Altai Mountains

 

The Altai Conservancy and the Altai Foundation have a special interest in the region of Siberia known as the Altai – located at the very centre of Central Asia and at the juncture of Russia, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan. “The Golden Mountains of Altai” is a World Heritage Site designated by UNESCO as a place of such outstanding value to humanity that it belongs to all the peoples of the world.  In particular, UNESCO noted that the Altai region represents an important centre of biodiversity of mountain plant and animal species.  One of the rarest of these, the mystical snow leopard, has declined to the point where fewer than 120 still exist in Russia.

 

 

Russia’s National Network of Zapovedniks

 

Products of the strictest scientific nature reserve system on earth, Russia’s one hundred zapovedniks are off-limits to all forms of economic and recreational use. They range in size from several thousand to several million acres and represent 80 percent of Russia’s biodiversity. Since the demise of the Soviet Union, however, state funding for nature reserves has been slashed by 90 percent, triggering an explosion of poaching, logging, and other invasive activities. Despite a government pledge to establish nine new zapovedniks by 2010, there have been no new reserves created since 2000, raising fears in Russia that the entire system may soon be retooled to incorporate the “multiple use” management models employed in America’s national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges.