Let's put ourselves in one man's shoes — Mart's. Mart is a nature-loving person, much like most Estonians. Let's imagine he lives in the countryside, surrounded by forests passed down from his ancestors. In 2004, as a young man, Mart received a letter from the Environmental Board: dear landowner, we have found a black stork's nest on your property. It's currently inactive, but since the black stork is a Category I protected species, we are placing the nesting site under protection anyway — there's a chance the bird might return.

From that moment on, selling felling rights for the forest was off the table. In fact, Mart wasn't even allowed to gather firewood for himself, clear storm-felled trees or go for a walk there, as movement restrictions were in place to protect this human-shy bird.

Now it's 2025. Mart's hair has begun to turn silver, he has become a father in the meantime and his son has grown up and moved out. But the bird never came back. The nest fell from the tree even before Mart's son started kindergarten. And yet, neither Mart nor his now-grown son are allowed to go berry-picking on their own land. Never mind that no one has seen this elusive bird in the area for 21 years.

Does that sound fair?

Of course, the restrictions weren't put in place for no reason, nor was the forest grove simply forgotten under protection for twenty years.

There is, in fact, a rationale behind it. The discovery of the nest in 2004 means that the black stork — a species highly sensitive to its habitat — once deemed this location suitable for nesting. That implies the necessary conditions still exist there in case a new pair of storks comes searching for a nesting site.

For the species to recover, it also needs available breeding and living spaces to occupy. Moreover, the black stork is considered an umbrella species in conservation terms — habitats suitable for it in old untouched forests are by default valuable environments for dozens of other species as well.

But does Mart see it that way?

Transparent nature conservation as a guarantee of protection

The black stork undoubtedly needs strong protection, which is why the Environmental Board has undertaken to update its conservation action plan. But no matter how strict or far-reaching the restrictions may be, they won't be effective if people don't understand, respect and follow the rules. Regulations can only work if they are also understandable, credible and perceived as justified and fair.

That's why the black stork conservation action plan now includes a discussion about whether long-unused nesting sites should remain under protection as nesting sites. If the real intent is to protect other old forest values under the black stork's name, then we should say so openly.

That way, Mart too can take pride in the rare species found on his land and see himself as a conservationist in his own right — because he knows exactly what is being protected on his property and that those values are genuinely present. In a society where opinions on nature conservation are becoming increasingly polarized, transparent and results-driven conservation methods are essential. They're the kind of capital needed to pursue conservation in cooperation with landowners, not over their heads.

The draft of the new black stork conservation plan has never proposed lifting protections in state forests. Naturally, all active nesting sites and suitable habitats for the stork will remain protected throughout Estonia, including on private land. What we are proposing is to consider, in specific cases, easing protections on private land where storks have not been seen for decades and where other natural values are minimal.

Let us bring back the black stork

This year, the black stork nested at 15 sites across Estonia. If we also count the nests occupied by solitary, unpaired black storks, there are currently about 30 active nesting sites nationwide. Over the past decade, storks have been observed at a total of 60 different sites. At the same time, more than 200 nesting locations have been placed under protection. The new action plan opens the door to inventorying and reassessing protections or easing restrictions at 22 sites, based on the actual natural values found there.

Simply placing as many sites as possible, including those unused for decades, under strict protection will not bring the black stork back to Estonia. Other pressure factors must be addressed as well, such as improving feeding grounds, and these are precisely the issues the new conservation action plan aims to tackle.

The new plan has not yet been adopted. Its public consultation period recently ended, during which anyone could submit suggestions. Right now, the feedback and proposals received are being analyzed, both internally and with external experts. The long-term goal is to have at least one hundred black stork pairs nesting in Estonia again, but we aim to achieve this in a way that makes every conservation measure understandable and justified, even to outside observers.

The new plan is still in development, led by the Environmental Board in cooperation with many stakeholders, including the Eagle Club (Kotkaklubi). Thank you to everyone who has contributed and shared their thoughts!

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