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A new nomination ‘The Virgin Komi Forests’ (significant modification of boundaries with regard to the property already on the List) has been submitted to the World Heritage Centre

"The Virgin Komi Forests", being the only nomination of the Russian Federation (significant modification of boundaries with regard to the property already on the List), has been submitted to the World Heritage Centre by February 1, 2014 (deadline by which complete nominations must be received each year).The new "Western Caucasus" nomination was not approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation and not submitted to the World Heritage Centre.

"The Virgin Komi Forests" presented as a new nomination makes provisions for two additional criteria of the outstanding universal value (viii and x), extensions to an existing World Heritage property to include two territories in its middle part, as well as excluding from the boundaries two plots in the Kozhim River valley, in the northern part of Yugyd Va National Park.

State of conservation of the property located in the Kozhim River valley has been under close attention of the World Heritage Committee and expert missions of UNESCO/ IUCN since 2009. Changes proposed by the new nomination will be specifically studied by IUCN experts in the course of 1.5-year evaluation cycle stipulated by the procedure regulations.

If the nomination is successfully checked for completeness in February 2014, after full year and a half cycle of evaluation it may be submitted for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session in summer 2015.

The nomination was prepared by Yugyd Va National Park and Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve.