Posted on December, 06 2016

Sofia/ Vienna – While WWF has been urging for international actions to save Pirin National Park in Bulgaria, heavy machines have entered this protected area. In November a flooded river ruined skiing infrastructure in Pirin. In order to protect a ski road next to the river, heavy machines have started modifying the riverbed, which may lead to more floods in the future.

Not allowed by law #1: Modification of riverbeds in national parks

A WWF visit to Pirin has discovered that excavators scrapped stones from the bottom of the river and removed trees from the riverbed piling them aside to build dikes. This has destroyed the natural character of the river - the riverbed is now exposed to a severe erosion and there is a danger of new floods.

“Modification of riverbeds is forbidden by law in the national parks of Bulgaria”, said Lyubomir Kostadinov, a lawyer at WWF-Bulgaria. Moreover, a special permit is needed for such construction even outside national parks, but it has not been issued in that particular case.
The ski road is unreasonably built next to the river, not fortified and it’s wider than the initial plan.

Not allowed by law #2: Work of heavy machines in national parks

Work of heavy machines is limited in protected areas and forbidden in national parks by law. But they have entered Pirin National Park leveling up mounds and making embankments exceeding a meter of height. So now we have another construction site in the national park.

“It is unacceptable for a protected Natura 2000 area and a World Heritage site to be invaded by heavy construction machines. Pirin Mountain has exceptional beauty and is one of the last remaining wild nature sites in Europe. These machines and activities are also damaging the landscape values of the park,” said Alexander Dountchev, Forest Expert at WWF-Bulgaria.

The ski road which is being repaired is not included in the current management plan of Pirin National Park and have never been authorized. Thus, the current re-building of the ski road is legally questionable.

Pirin National Park could be added to UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger

Pirin is a UNESCO World Heritage and a EU Natura 2000 site, home to brown bear, wolf and many threatened species, some of them endemic or unique for Europe. A proposed management plan for Pirin National Park will allow infrastructure construction on 12,5-times bigger territory compared to the current area. The plan that goes for approval to the Bulgarian government says that nearly 60 per cent of the territory of the park could be opened to logging. Currently, this is allowed on 0 per cent of Pirin territory.

National laws, European nature directives and international treaties are supposed to ensure that Pirin National Park is protected as its diverse area is an unusual ecological refuge for hundreds of rare species including flora and fauna typical only for the Balkan region. WWF leads an international campaign to save Pirin National Park.

Help us save Pirin and send a letter to the Bulgarian Prime Minister: https://makeyourmark.panda.org/pirin