Welcome to the EUROPARC Network: National Park Shar Mountain

EUROPARC is pleased to welcome National Park Shar Mountain in North-Macedonia as a new member of our network of Protected Areas. Located in one of the most remarkable mountain regions of Southeast Europe, the park is renowned for its spectacular landscapes, rich biodiversity, and strong links to traditional land-use practices.

Since its proclamation, National Park Shar Mountain has been working steadily to strengthen nature conservation while engaging local communities and managing growing visitor pressure. Below, the park shares its key priorities, achievements, and future ambitions.

Conservation Priorities: Protecting Habitats and Reducing Pressures

The main conservation priorities of National Park Shar Mountain focus on:

• Protecting valuable habitats and species
• Promoting sustainable forest and pasture management
• Reducing human pressures on sensitive mountain ecosystems

Like many large mountain Protected Areas, the park faces ongoing challenges. These include scattered waste, illegal dumping sites, unauthorized logging, and illegal constructions. Addressing these pressures is a core part of the park’s daily work.

Over the past four years, significant progress has been made. Ranger patrols have been established, cooperation with inspection bodies and local authorities has improved, and targeted actions for prevention and monitoring are now in place. Together, these efforts support the gradual restoration of affected areas.

Restoring Forests and Building Ecological Resilience

One of the park’s most important achievements is its work on forest habitat restoration.

Through targeted restoration measures, preventive management, and strengthened field monitoring, degraded forest areas are beginning to recover. These actions are improving forest structure and increasing ecological resilience, helping ecosystems better withstand future pressures.

Although challenges remain, these steps represent meaningful progress toward long-term and effective conservation in the Shar Mountain region.

Working with Local Communities and Traditional Livelihoods

The Shar Mountain region is closely connected to local communities, including farmers and shepherds who depend on traditional land use.

National Park Shar Mountain actively engages local people through:

• Consultations and dialogue
• Joint field activities
• Awareness-raising initiatives on sustainable land management

The park recognises that issues such as illegal waste disposal, unauthorized logging, and unregulated construction are long-standing and complex. Therefore, its approach combines education, cooperation, and enforcement, aiming to build shared responsibility and encourage gradual behavioural change.

By working closely with residents, the park seeks to balance nature conservation with social and economic realities.

Managing Visitors and Supporting Sustainable Tourism

Visitor management is a key challenge in mountain Protected Areas. In National Park Shar Mountain, one of the most pressing issues has been unregulated motor vehicle use, particularly off-road driving.

To address this, the park is:

• Defining permitted vehicle routes
• Improving signage and on-site information
• Increasing ranger supervision
• Running awareness campaigns on responsible behaviour

At the same time, the park actively supports sustainable tourism, including hiking, guided nature experiences, and environmentally responsible local tourism services. This approach helps protect fragile habitats while allowing visitors to enjoy the park safely and responsibly.

Monitoring, Research, and Cooperation for Better Management

Effective conservation relies on strong data and cooperation. In National Park Shar Mountain, monitoring and research play a central role in management decisions.

Information collected through ranger patrols, forest and biodiversity monitoring, and mapping of illegal activities has directly influenced enforcement priorities and planning. In addition, regular dialogue with municipalities, inspection services, NGOs, research institutions, and local stakeholders has strengthened coordination and compliance.

These collaborative efforts support adaptive management and contribute to steadily improving conservation outcomes across the park.

A Strong Addition to the EUROPARC Network

National Park Shar Mountain brings valuable experience, commitment, and perspective to the EUROPARC network. Its focus on habitat protection, community engagement, sustainable tourism, and cross-sector cooperation reflects shared European values for Protected Area management. Furthermore, Shar Mountain is engaged in transboundary cooperation work, which is why we, at EUROPARC, are warmly welcoming the Protected Area to join us for the one and only Transboundary Parks Programme.

We warmly welcome National Park Shar Mountain and look forward to continued collaboration in support of nature conservation and people across Europe.