Traditional Nature Management and Environmental Protection of the North (Part 2)

The subject of this research comprises legal norms pertaining to Indigenous peoples and traditional nature management. The study aims to formulate conclusions and proposals for improving legal regulation in this field, based on an analysis of federal and regional legislation. The research employed general scientific, specific, and specialized methods. The relevance of the study is underscored by the fact that preserving the traditional nature management of Indigenous peoples, and consequently their unique culture, requires not only enhancing legislation on Indigenous peoples but also implementing measures, including legal ones, aimed at environmental protection in the areas where traditional nature management is practiced. The study presents a number of theoretical and practical conclusions and proposals. To enhance the protection of the rights and interests of Indigenous peoples and the environment in territories of traditional nature management (TTNM), it is proposed to elaborate in more detail the legal regime of such territories in Federal Law «On Territories of Traditional Nature Management of Indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Far East of the Russian Federation» Specifically, the law should specify which types of economic activities are permitted there. Furthermore, the aforementioned law should stipulate the mandatory functional zones to be designated within TTNM boundaries. Given that TTNM can be located in areas with diverse natural characteristics and depending on the main type of traditional nature management practiced, it seems logical to categorize TTNM based on the stringency of their protection regimes. Concurrently, from the standpoint of safeguarding the right to traditional nature management and environmental protection, establishing a legislative priority for traditional nature management over other forms of economic activity appears highly effective. This priority is particularly crucial for types of traditional nature management such as reindeer and horse husbandry, which require vast territories for their practice.