Tallinn plans up to €5.5 million land buy for protected area

Tallinn plans to establish the Astangu-Mäeküla protected area in the city’s Haabersti district, with the purchase of private land expected to cost up to €5.5 million, ERR reports.

The proposal has been discussed for years. The state initially considered creating the protected area, but the plan stalled. Five years ago, 45 people proposed protecting the area, prompting the city to take up the work.

One of the proposal’s authors, Tõnis Bramanis, said the area includes one of Estonia’s most important bat swarming sites and is among Tallinn’s most biodiverse areas. He said it is also the best-preserved amphibian habitat known to them, as well as a habitat for reptiles and several bumblebee species. More than 40 butterfly species have been recorded there, he said, adding that the area is an important part of Tallinn’s green network.

The city initially proposed a protected area covering 157.7 hectares, but the city government reduced it to 148.7 hectares. Bramanis said he did not consider the smaller size a problem, and welcomed that the draft sets out options for acquiring properties and developing support measures for landowners.

Attorney Indrek Veso, whose clients include a landowner in the area, criticised the proposal. He said protecting such a large area was unjustified, particularly because the Nõmme-Mustamäe landscape protection area is nearby. He also questioned whether the values to be protected were sufficiently clear.

Veso said the designation would bring restrictions for landowners, including bans on logging and property development.

Tallinn Deputy Mayor Kristjan Järvan said talks with landowners had generally gone smoothly. About 50 owners are involved, he said, and while they hold differing views, none has categorically opposed the protected area.