The Minister of Environment and Water Petar Dimitrov issued an order in declaration of a new protected area in the category of "protected area" on the basis of the Protected Areas Act (PAA), namely the protected area “Arvaliyka” with a terriroty of 932.581 hectares, in the village of Kushin, Municipality of Pleven, Pleven Region.

The protected area “Arvaliyka” was declared on proposal by the Bulgarian Society of Phytocenology (BSP), WWF - Bulgaria, the Wildlife Association “Balkans”, the Association of Parks in Bulgaria, the Foundation for Environment and Agriculture, the Eco Community Foundation, and the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation.

The main purpose of declaring the protected area is to preserve a characteristic landscape, representing a combination of pastures, forests and water bodies, which are habitats of protected species of plants and animals.

Subject to protection in the new protected area are the following species: Galanthus elwesii, Himantoglossum caprinum and protected animal species such as: Spiny turtle /Testudo graeca/, Spiny-tailed turtle /Testudo hermanni/, Short-legged lizard /Ablepharus kitaibeli/ , Striped lizard /Lacerta trilineata/, Crimean lizard /Podarcis taurica/, Blind lizard /Anguis fragilis/, Spotted snake /Elaphe sauromates/, Mouse snake /Elaphe longissima/, Archer snake /Coluber caspius/, Vipera ammodytes/, Large hawk /Accipiter gentilis/, common buzzard /Buteo buteo/, white-tailed buzzard /Buteo rufinus/, eagle snake /Circaetus gallicus/, field harrier /Circus cyaneus/, Evening Kestrel /Falco vespertinus/, Black Woodpecker /Dryocopus martius/, Black-breasted Meadowlark /Saxicola torquata/, Hawk-billed Warbler /Sylvia nisoria/, Greater White-throated Warbler (Sylvia communis), Lesser White-throated Warbler (S. curruca), Great Black-headed Nettle (S. atricapilla), Gray bunting (Miliaria calandra), Garden bunting /Emberiza hortulana/, Field lark (Alauda arvensis), Wood lark /Lullula arborea/, Red-breasted (Erithacus rubecula), Upupa epops/, Raven (Corvus corax), Weasel /Mustela nivalis/, European wild cat /Felis silvestris/ etc.

In the protected area are prohibited activities that may lead to disturbance and destruction of species subject to conservation, or to damage to the characteristic landscape, such as: construction (with the exception of maintenance, repair and reconstruction of existing sites and facilities); placement of movable objects; prospecting, exploration and extraction of underground resources, as well as extraction of aggregates; ploughing of properties and establishment of permanent plantations; alteration of the water regime of the territories occupied by waters and water bodies; introduction of plant and animal species non-native to the area; logging in forests.

The order in declaration of the new protected area has been promulgated in the State Gazette.