The Park Directorate handles the routine management of the Rila National Park. The Directorate was established under the Ministry of the Environment and Waters. The Directorate complies with the Protected Areas Act, relevant national nature protection legislation, and international conventions to which Bulgaria is a signatory.

Park Directorate staff supervise and coordinate the activities of all Park resource users, including agencies, institutions, environmentalists, and others. The Directorate monitors wildlife within the Park’s territory, and its employees provide assistance to visitors—working to ensure their safety, and to prevent violations of Park restrictions and regulations.

Goals

The Park Directorate was established to:

·   Conserve and maintain biological diversity;
·  Protect wildlife;
·  Provide opportunities for scientific research and educational activities;
·  Develop tourism;
·  Provide opportunities for environmentally sound livelihood to the local population.

Funding

The Rila National Park Directorate is financed by the state budget, the Enterprise Fund for Environmental Activities Management, the National Trust EcoFund, by grants and subsidies from other financial institutions, and from donations earmarked for activities related to environmental protection, and the management and control of Rila National Park.

The Minister of the Environment and Waters uses the state budget allocations to support the Park Directorate and these are subject to approval on an annual basis. The funds provided by the Environmental Protection Activities Management Enterprise are earmarked to finance activities within the Park. The Directorate is also entitled to apply to Bulgarian and international organizations for grants pertinent to the implementation of programs as envisioned under the Management Plan.

Management Plan

In 2001, the Council of Ministers approved the Management Plan for Rila National Park. The Plan covers a period of 10 years, from 2001 till 2010 inclusive, and describes the value of the biological diversity within the Park territory, the identified concrete threats to it, while prescribing ways for its conservation. The Park Directorate—in partnership with government agencies; local authorities; nongovernmental organizations; and educational, cultural, and academic institutions—implements the Management Plan. The Directorate also draws up annual action plans, subject to approval by the Ministry of the Environment and Waters.

For more effective management, Park territory is subdivided into zones, with a set of regimes and norms, and a range of allowable and prohibited activities specifically formulated for each zone. The zones were defined to protect the natural and cultural heritage of Rila National Park.