Russians Announce Intent to Establish National Park in Chukotka in 2011.

Igor Maydanov, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNRE) of the Russian Federation announced their intent to establish a national park in Chukotka in 2011. Mr. Maydanov made this announcement at the Bilateral Presidential Commission, Environment Working Group meeting in Washington DC on June 18, 2010. The national park will be comprised of several units totaling 1.8 million hectares (approximately 4.45 million acres), including the Beringia Nature-Ethnic Park (a regional park). MNRE has completed a number of expert appraisals including ecological appraisals. Amikhan Amirkhanov, MNRE Deputy Director for the Department of State Policy and Regulation in the Sphere of Preservation of the Environment and Ecological Safety, has said that 2 steps remain: government resolution and transfer of the area to the MNRE protected territories division, and that he expects these bureaucratic procedures may be concluded by the end of the year.