Põhja-Kõrvemaa Nature Reserve

Põhja-Kõrvemaa Nature Reserve
Kõnnu Suursoo bog in winter
Location	Estonia
Nearest city	Tallinn
Coordinates	59°23′N 25°42′E / 59.383°N 25.700°E / 59.383; 25.700Coordinates: 59°23′N 25°42′E / 59.383°N 25.700°E / 59.383; 25.700
Area	130.9 km2 (32,346 acres)
Established	1991

Põhja-Kõrvemaa Nature Reserve (Estonian: Põhja-Kõrvemaa looduskaitseala) is a protected area in Harju County, Northern Estonia, some 50 km east of Tallinn. With an area of 130.9 km², it is the third largest nature reserve in Estonia. Dominated by forests and bogs, it aims to protect rare and endangered species, their habitats, and valuable natural landscapes.

Põhja-Kõrvemaa (meaning North Kõrvemaa) occupies the northern part of Kõrvemaa, which itself forms the northern part of Transitional Estonia, a large forested and sparsely populated area spanning in northeast-southwest direction through Estonia, from Lahemaa through Soomaa to Latvia.

Põhja-Kõrvemaa Nature Reserve was established in the end of 1991, a few months after Estonia regained its independence. Throughout the Soviet Era a large part of the nature reserve's current territory was used by Soviet Army for military training and as such was closed to the public. The proving grounds were established in 1947 and in 1953 expanded to 33 304 ha (333 km²), making it the biggest Soviet military polygon in Estonia. Still, the Soviet Army damaged only about 10% of the proving grounds' territory, leaving the rest intact. Due to unsuitability for agriculture (poor and/or badly drained soils) the whole region has always been very sparsely populated – in the beginning of the 1950s the population density was around 1 people per km² – but still a few hundred people were displaced together with the creation of proving ground.

Põhja-Kõrvemaa nature reserve was formed in the western part of the former Aegviidu polygon, which had been hidden behind the official name of Pavlov Forest District. In the 1990s, Estonian Defence Forces were interested to begin reusing some areas of the former polygon now situated on the nature reserve's territory. However, due to strong opposition by local people and conservationists, the idea was given up. In 2001, Estonian Defence Forces central proving ground was established in the eastern part of the former Soviet military polygon. The Valgejõgi River is the natural divide between the current proving ground and the nature reserve.