At the 21st meeting of the County Assembly of the Karlovac County, held on 29 March 2016 in Karlovac, the wider area of the Barać Caves was declared permanently protected in the category of protected landscape.
The protected landscape encompasses an area of 5.19 km2 in the Municipality of Rakovica, with the exception of the Natura 2000 Ecological Network. It stretches through three villages: Nova Kršlja, Stara Kršlja and Grabovac Drežnički. Owing to its geographical position, climatic conditions and human influence, this area is rich in geospeological, geomorphological, paleontological, biological and landscape values.
The aim of the protection is to preserve the geomorphological and geospeleological values of the karst area, the mosaic-like landscape of natural and semi-natural habitats and the biodiversity connected with it.
Valuation of the area determined that various relief types were developed on the territory of the Protected Landscape of Barać Caves, with karst relief predominating. Under ground, there are cave structures with dripstones, Pleistocene fossilised remains and endemic cave fauna and archaeological finds. The entire area includes rare and endangered habitat types and the endangered and strictly protected species related to them.
Well-preserved nature is one of the important resources of our country and one of our greatest assets, which is why it is our responsibility to protect this valuable resource and place it in the function of sustainable development.
