AUKŠTAITIJA NATIONAL PARK VISITING RULES
I. GENERAL PROVISIONS
1. The State Park (hereinafter referred to as the Park) is a protected area, established for natural, cultural and recreational preservation in particularly complex and valuable areas where protection and management is linked to the division of zones in regards to their functionality and landscape management.
2. The Park Visiting Rules (hereinafter referred to as the Rules) establish the procedure for visiting the park for cognitive, recreational and other purposes.
3. Persons visiting the Park must observe the latest Lithuanian Republic regulations for Environmental Protection, Protected Areas, Immovable Cultural Heritage Protection, Wildlife, Protected Plants, Animal and Fungal Species and Communities, Forests, Noise Management, and other laws, Park regulations and protection regulations, local authority decisions related to visiting the Park, other legislation, and the requirements of these rules.
II. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF PARK VISITORS
4. Park visitors are entitled to:
4.1. to visit the park, except for exceptions stated in paragraph 7.1 of these Rules;
4.2. to construct tents and vehicles for short-term accommodation for recreational purposes, to set up campfires only in specially designated areas marked with informational signs (in camping sites), as foreseen in the relevant spatial planning Park documents;
4.3. to drive vehicles on state and local roads where traffic is allowed according to the procedure established by the Road Traffic Rules;
4.4. to park vehicles on specially constructed parking lots and roadside roads, provided that this does not obstruct traffic safety, there are no prohibited road signs, and the rights of others and the environment are not violated;
4.5. to fish; to hunt in accordance with the procedure approved by the Minister of Environment and other legal acts;
4.6. to pick berries, mushrooms, nuts, harvesting herbs in accordance with the procedures for the use of resources established by the laws of local flora and forestry and other legal requirements;
4.7. to navigate the water of the territorial Park by small water transport, in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Conditions for Boating by Water, approved by the Minister of the Environment;
5. Park visitors must:
5.1. protect the environment, natural and cultural heritage objects (values); conserve natural resources;
5.2. not violate the rights and interests of other users of natural resources;
5.3. make appropriate use of resting, camping or other temporary accommodation, and ensure it is not damaged upon leave;
5.4. sort waste only in the designated waste sorting containers, and comply with other waste management regulations approved by the local government;
5.5. pay flat-rate fees for authorised campsites, holiday resorts and points of interest to persons authorised by the institution serving them;
5.6. handle fire safely - create fires only in specially equipped fire places. Regularly supervise the fire and, after stoking, carefully fill the fireplace with earth or water until it stops smouldering;
5.7. in the event of a fire, immediately notify the fire service or the forest authority, the park authority or the local authority and, if possible, extinguish the fire until special services arrive;
5.8. report to the police, environmental protection agencies, the Park Directorate or the Department of Cultural Heritage any observed cases of natural or cultural heritage destruction, protected areas regime or other violations, depending on the nature of the violation;
5.9. fulfill the legitimate requirements of authorised environmental protection institutions and their officials, and not interfere with their environmental control duties.
6. The organisation of rallies, sports, cultural, wellness and other mass events involving more than 100 people in the park, except in urban, campus areas, shall be permitted only with the prior written consent of the Park authority and the site owner, manager or user.
III. ACTIVITIES PROHIBITED FOR PARK VISITORS
7. Park visitors are prohibited from:
7.1. violating the procedure for visiting the State Park Reserve established in Chapter IV of these Rules;
7.2. setting up campfires, pitching tents and parking motor vehicles for short-term accommodation in areas not designated with appropriate signage;
7.3. destroying and damaging objects of natural and cultural heritage (values);
7.4. damaging, obliterating, or moving recreational facilities, signposts, informational stands, landmarks, block posts and signs, lamp posts, fire-fighting equipment on their own accord;
7.5. cutting down, destroying, damaging trees or shrubs on their own accord;
7.6. catching, hunting, killing, or damaging wild animals, taking them with you, collecting bird eggs, destroying their dwellings (caves, droves, nests, etc.) or otherwise harming the animals’ environment;
7.7. collecting plants and mushrooms species included in the Red Book of the Republic of Lithuania, and destroying their habitats;
7.8. killing or hurting ants;
7.9. destroying, damaging, collecting or taking away the natural litter of the forest;
7.10. making noises, playing loud music, or otherwise interfering with recreation for other visitors to the Park, locals, and animals;
7.11. endangering the safety of others;
7.12. allowing dogs off-leash, except in accordance with the procedure established by the Regulations on Hunting in the Territory of the Republic of Lithuania, approved by the Minister of Environment, and bathing them in public places;
7.13. parking vehicles within 25 metres of the shore of a water body or the upper edge of a water body slope, with the exception of parking in designated and marked car parks, and driving into the water;
7.14. driving cars on the ice surface of water bodies (except for transport of special services in the exercise of official functions);
7.15. driving motor vehicles (including two-wheel, tricycle and quadricycle self-propelled vehicles) off-road, or otherwise operated, except for special purpose vehicles, agricultural and forestry machinery, in accordance with the procedure established by laws and other legal acts of the Republic of Lithuania;
7.16. polluting the environment, polluting water bodies;
7.17. burying into ground municipal and other waste;
7.18. burning grass, reeds, fallen tree leaves, municipal and other waste;
7.19. destroying, damaging slopes or otherwise promoting land erosion;
7.20. interfering with the construction of campsites, landscaping, marking and equipping of paths, and other management activities in the park, where such works are carried out in accordance with established and approved projects;
7.21. constructing and equipping facilities for recreation or sport on their own accord.
IV. VISITING THE PARK RESERVE
8. Visits to the Park Reserve shall be permitted only for research, educational or recreational purposes, in accordance with the procedure specified in Paragraphs 8-10 of these Rules.
9. Visits for research purposes are: natural materials and data collection and observation in accordance with approved park nature research programs. For these purposes, visits to the Reserve are permitted for specialists whose field of study is related to nature studies, according to and approved by Directorate research programs. The programs shall specify the objectives of the surveys, the scope of the data to be collected and the material to be collected, the intended methods of publication, the place, time and routes of the surveys and the procedure for reporting to the State Park Directorate.
10. Visits for educational purposes are: visits by students, pupils, participants of nature schools in the area of the park reserve during study trails for the purpose of observing and exploring nature (animals, plants or mushrooms are forbidden to be taken and taken away during such visits). Visits to the reserve areas for educational purposes are only allowed with group leaders, accompanied by a specialist from the State Park Directorate, within the hours and times set by the Directorate, and in accordance with approved training programs that include training objectives, location, time, route, as well as submission of observations and results to the State Park Directorate.
11. Visiting for sightseeing purposes means visiting groups of individuals or individuals in the area of the park reserve in order to discover the nature complexes and objects in the reserve (animals, plants or fungi are forbidden to take). Visits to the reserve areas for educational purposes are allowed only on trails and are to be accompanied by a specialist of the State Park Directorate during the hours set by the Directorate.
V. LIABILITY FOR BREACH OF THESE RULES
12. Control of Park visitation procedure shall be carried out by state officials of protected areas of the Republic of Lithuania.
13. Control in the Park shall also be carried out by state forest officials, state environmental control officials, state immovable cultural heritage protection officials and other officials.
14. Persons who violate the requirements of these Rules shall be liable in accordance with the procedure established by laws and other legal acts of the Republic of Lithuania.
15. Persons who have caused damage to protected areas or the valuables within them must compensate as much as possible (to restore the object or territory to its original state) and compensate for the direct and indirect damage caused. Where the same act affects the public interest and causes damage to the property of physical or nautical persons, the offenders must pay compensation for damage to public parks and to the property of said persons. Losses shall be determined in accordance with the methodology approved by the institution authorised by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.
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IN ACCORDANCE TO
Ignalina District Municipality Administration legislation
No. R2-747-3.29 written on 19th May 2009
Švenčionys District Municipality Administration legislation
No. 4.9/6-1S-498 written on 7th May 2009
Utena District Municipality Administration legislation
No. (3.21)-s-1306 written on 28th May 2009
