Gauja National Park (GNP) is located in the Vidzeme region and was established in 1973. It is the oldest national park in Latvia and the second oldest in the Baltics. Since 2004, GNP has been included in the Natura 2000 network of protected areas of European Union (EU) importance. According to the administrative division, GNP currently covers the territories of 4 municipalities – Cēsis, Saulkrasti, Sigulda and Valmiera. Habitats of EU importance occupy 18,580 ha, or more than 20% of the GNP territory. The largest areas of protected habitats are occupied by various protected forest habitats. Another highly significant group of habitats is caves and rock outcrops. The ones present in the GNP make up a significant share of the total area of these habitats in Latvia.
The GNP nature conservation plan (NC plan) was developed as part of the EU Cohesion Fund project “Creation of prerequisites for better biodiversity conservation and ecosystem protection in Latvia” (No. 5.4.2.1./16/I/001), implemented by the Nature Conservation Agency. During the development of the NC plan, consultations were held with specialists from various institutions, focus group discussions took place, and meetings were conducted with municipal representatives, landowners, and representatives of various interest groups (tourism operators, active sports representatives, forest owners, etc.). Throughout the planning process, interested parties were invited to submit their proposals regarding the planned management measures. Written and oral comments, proposals and information were received from local residents and visitors to the area. A survey of GNP residents and visitors has also been carried out.