The Petition “For The Nature” Continues

Text of the petition:

FOR THE NATURE

To
The National Assembly
The Council of Ministers
General Attorney
High Judicial Council


Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,


Our constitution says that the Republic of Bulgaria provides for the preservation of environment and the maintenance and diversity of living nature. I, as a citizen of the Republic of Bulgaria, address You – the representatives of the legislative, executive and judicial power, with the request to undertake all the actions and decisions depending on your authority, and to protect Bulgarian nature and guarantee the implementation of our Constitution.

I am disturbed by the fact that during the recent years in Bulgaria, the most valuable natural areas – the protected areas and future Natura 2000 sites, are being damaged through construction, logging, draining. I am most concerned by the over development and “covering with concrete” of the Black sea coast, the more and more planned ski reports in our mountains, placing of tens of thousands wind turbines on unsuitable places, becoming killers of birds, and threatening human health. I disagree with the attempts of some investors and state authorities to restore the extraction of uranium and introduce cyanide methods for ore extraction.

I wish for economic growth and development of Bulgaria, but without achieving this at the expense of nature and the interests of people.
All this makes me support the Campaign “For The Nature” and urge you to undertake at least the following actions:

1.Adopt amendments in the Protected Areas Act, the Spatial Planning Act and the State Property Act, as well as the Forest Act and the Black Sea Coat Act, which would guarantee stop of illegal construction within protected areas and Natura 2000 sites. Nature conservation organizations have good proposals in this respect (www.bluelink.net).
2.To repeal as invalid all purchase and replacement deals with land property, owned by the state and municipalities within protected areas, effected after 1998.
3.The National Assembly to reconfirm all designation orders for protected areas, issued under the revoked Nature Protection Act. To undertake actions to stop all purchase and replacement deals with property of the state, within the territory of the European Ecological Network Natura 2000.

4.To revise all construction permits within Natura 2000 sites, issued from 2003 to date, since most of them are made on the basis of wrong information, that natural artifacts are not affected.
5.To guarantee conservation of nature within the future Natura 2000 sites along the Black sea coast.
6.To stop logging within virgin forests within protected areas and Natura 2000 sites.
7.To issues a new order stopping the illegal construction within Strandzha Nature Park, with envisaged preliminary enforcement.
8.To not allow construction of new sport facilities and hotels within Rila, Pirin and Central Balkan National Parks.
9.To adopt in their overall proposal of the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds for a network of special protected areas for birds.
10.Stop clearing of riverine forests and extraction of inert materials from the river beds until the establishment of the Natura 2000 network.
11.To take measures, which would guarantee the conservation of at least half of Bulgarian rivers, so that they remain untouched by the construction of small Hydro Power Plants.
12.To ban the use of cyanides for the extraction of gold in Bulgaria.
13.To undertake effective actions for environmentally friendly closure of uranium extraction in Bulgaria, and stop all attempts for its recovery.
14.Undertake checks for corruption or unprofessional practices by the Attorney’s office and the court (especially the Supreme Administrative Court) on some emblematic cases on violation of nature protection legislation, leading to destruction, sale or exchange of state land sand forests within protected areas, namely:
Construction of a ski centre in Pirin National Park,
Construction of illegal houses and hotels within Strandzha, Golden Sands Nature Parks and Pyasachni Dyuni natural monument near the town of Nessebar.
Sales and replacement of lands within Vitosha, Strandzha, Zlatni Pyastasti Nature Parks and Kamchiski Pyastatsi protected area.

Please inform me for the actions undertaken by you by 30 November 2006.


Sincerely ...