State: PernikArea: 8502,73 ха
Ownership: state - 20%; municipality - 51%; private - 29%;
Description:
Noevtsi meadows are located in south-western Bulgaria, about 10 km south-west of the town of Breznik. Their territory is divided in two by the Giginska River – a tributary of the Konska River. The site covers almost the whole cupola hill of Cherna Gora and the Strazha mountain foothills to the north-west, between the villages Krivonos, Rebro, Sadovik, Begunovtsi, Kosharevo and Stanyovtsi. It includes several types of habitats, most valuable of which are the open grasslands of mesophyle grass formations with domination of Festuca pratensis, Poa sylvicola, etc.– wet meadows and pastures, surrounded by shrubs and broadleaved forests.
Birds:
Noevtsi meadows are of global importance for the conservation of the Corncrake Crex crex, which breeds there in numerous population.
Threats:
The area is very sensitive to the human activities related to traditional use of the meadows and pastures. The most serious threats are the large-scale conversion of grasslands into arable land, as well as abandonment of the grasslands due to reduction in cattle. The development of the infrastructure in the region will cause fragmentation of the grassland habitats.
Legal protection:
The area is not protected by the national nature conservation law. In 2005 it was designated also as Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
