Nord Stream 2, Strelka KB Develop Kurgalsky Reserve Management Plan

Nord Stream 2 AG, the developer of a pipeline to supply Russian natural gas to the EU market through the Baltic Sea, has partnered with Strelka KB, an expert in spatial development strategies in Russia.

At Nord Stream 2’s request, Strelka will develop a Management Plan for the Kurgalsky nature reserve which will serve as an administrative tool for the sustainable implementation of conservation objectives of this protected area in the medium and long term.

In Russia, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline crosses a section of about 3.7 km in the southern part of the Kurgalsky nature reserve, which is protected under the Ramsar and Helsinki Conventions.

To this end, the company has agreed with the Committee of Natural Resources of the Leningrad Region to sponsor and coordinate the development of a Management Plan for Kurgalsky.

“The Kurgalsky project is the first transboundary project for Strelka KB, but not the first experience of working with green zones, including protected areas. The Management Plan development will be based on a comprehensive scientific analysis that will offer strategies for biodiversity enhancement. At an early stage our task is to define all risks and to pay particular attention to the possible threats to the biodiversity of the reserve. The main direction of the work on this project will be the establishment of a management model that would strike a balance between environmental protection and the development of recreational potential of the Kurgalsky reserve,” said Alexei Muratov, partner at Strelka KB.

The objective of the Management Plan is to establish a structured conservation framework for the reserve, in compliance with the existing regulations.

“Nord Stream 2 is committed to the highest standards of sustainable development. The partnership with Strelka KB will lead to a set of measures that would ensure achievement of a net gain on the biodiversity value of the Kurgalsky peninsula and enhance the conservation aims and effective management of the entire area,” said Dirk von Ameln, senior advisor to the CEO at Nord Stream 2.

The Kurgalsky Management Plan will be developed as part of the comprehensive Environmental and Community Initiatives Strategy(ECo-I) being implemented by Nord Stream 2 to ensure benefits for the environment and communities in the project area in Russia.

The Strategy is based on four pillars and adopts a holistic approach to compensation, biodiversity enhancement measures, community initiatives and sponsorship activities that Nord Steam 2 plans to undertake in and around the landfall in the Kingisepp district.

The Kurgalsky Management Plan will be developed taking into account a comprehensive ecological study that was conducted in 2017 in accordance with an established international methodology and covered the entire Kurgalsky peninsula, as well as other studies, such as tourist load and invasive species studies carried out over the summer of 2018.