Ex Lege Protected Areas


Protected sites and monuments of country-wide importance
 
According the the law about nature conservation there are two basic types of protected sites of country-wide importance. National parks, landscape protection areas and nature reserves are announced via a separate law. The so-called „ex lege” protected areas, are protected due to one single law. If the area matches the criteria set by the law, it stands under protection.
 
Protected areas announced by single laws
On the direction’s area of operation one national park, three landscape protection areas and six nature reserves have been given country-wide protection through single laws on an area of 46683,2 Hectares.
Name Register number Complete area

(ha)		 Strictly protected area (ha)
Fertő-Hanság National Park 238/NP/91 23730,9034 7659,4587
Pannonhalma Landscape Protection Area 253/TK/92 8271,5081 63,8697
Sopron Landscape Protection Area 40/TK/77 4890,9984 734,2594
Szigetköz Landscape Protection Area
187/TK/87		 9681,6974 1426,5741
Sopron Botanical Garden Nature Reserve
169/TT/78		 17,2064 0
Liget Stream Nature Reserve
302/TT/06		 27,3223 0
Ikva Stream Nature Reserve 304/TT/06 18,0385 0
Bécsi Hill Nature Reserve 303/TT/06 7,8512 0
Pannonhalma Arboretum Nature Reserve
81/TT/63		 25,6133 0
Nagycenk Linden Alley Nature Reserve
7/TT/42		 11,0929 0
Altogether:   46682,2319 9884,1619
On the direction’s present area of operation the first announcement of a protected site, Nagycenk (Széchenyi) Linden Alley, seventh in the country, happened in 1942. 20 years later there followed the arboretum of the Pannonhalma Abbey. Announcements of really big areas began at the end of the 70-ies with the Hanság Landscape Protection Area (1976), the Lake Fertő Landscape Protection Area (1977)and the Sopron Landscape Protection Area (1977). The Szigetköz Landscape Protection Area came into being in the year 1987. The national park was founded in 1991 with the name Lake Fertő National Park. To this area there joined the Hanság Landscape Protection Area in 1994, and the areas along the Répce River in 1999, creating the national park in its present form. The last time when new areas got under protection was in the year 2006 when 3 nature reserves were created near Sopron.
Ex lege protected areas

 
Marshes
Definition: a marsh is an area which is temporarily or continually under the influence of water or the soil of which is temporarily saturated with water. Upon a significant part of it there can be found marshland biomes or organisms, or its soil contains peat or is going to contain it (as stands in the Law of Nature Conservation).
A list of the ex lege protected marshes can be found in a ministerial prospect of the year 2001. (8005/2001. (MK 156.)). Of the marshes that were found since then single decrees were issued. The control and review of ex lege marshes is done continuously.
 
Saline lakes
Definition: a saline lake is a natural or near natural wetland, the bed of which is covered permanently or temporarily by surface water of at least 600 mg/Litre mineral content dominated by sodium ions. Upon is there can be found biomes characteristic for saline habitats (as stands in the Law of Nature Conservation).
The saline lakes found upon the direction’s area of operation are all situated on protected sites, so there is no ex lege protected saline lake on the area.
 
Caves
Definition: a cave is a natural cavity in the rock making up the earth crust with a longitudinal axis over 2 meters, and the size of which makes it possible for a person to intrude. (as stands in the Law of Nature Conservation).
On the operational area of the direction very few, only 16 caves can be found. The survey and documentation of the caves was done by the speleological and geological section of the Ministry of Environment and Water.
 
Springs
Definition: a spring is the natural emergence of subsurface water, if the runoff permanently exceeds 5 Litres/minute even if temporarily running dry (as stands in the Law of Nature Conservation).
The survey and refinement of ex lege springs is currently under process. On the basis of preliminary data on the area of the direction there are 27 ex lege protected springs of which 16 are located on protected sites (Sopron Landscape Protection Area and Fertő -Hanság National Park).
 
Kun-hills
Definition: a Kun-hill is an earthwork of cultural, historical and conservation importance which can be a characteristic part of the landscape due to its elevation. (as stands in the Law of Nature Conservation).
The Fertő-Hanság National Park Direction and the Office of Cultural Heritage prepared in cooperation the list of Kun-hills found on the area of operation, the ministerial list announcing the has not yet been issued. The survey of the Kun-hills is done continuously.
 
Earth castles
Definition: an earth castle is a linear or circular shaped earthwork constructed for protection and representing historical, cultural values (as stands in the Law of Nature Conservation).
The list of earth castles was prepared in cooperation of the Fertő-Hanság National Park Direction and the Office of Cultural Heritage the ministerial list announcing the has not yet been issued. The survey of earth castles is done continuously.

 
Protected sites and natural monuments of local importance
 
The review of protected sites and natural monuments ends probably at the end of the year. The task is done by experts of the Ministry of environment and Water and the national park direction together with the notaries of the affected settlements. Presently on the operational area of the direction there are 75 protected sites (on an area of altogether 496 ha) and 51 natural monuments of local importance.