News

Vitosha is in danger - The oldest Nature Park on the Balkan Peninsula may become a ski resort

Aug. 18, 2009

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1. What the project provides for the Aleko ski area is:

According to the report on environmental assessment, submitted for public consultation during June 18 - July 2, 2009, the project of Specialized detailed structural plan (SPUP) of ski area includes:

• Planed area - 914.65 ha.

• All of the above area is state forests

• Area of ski slopes - from the current 19 ha - an increase up to 142.5 ha

• Construction of 8 new ski runs and a total of 18 lifts and drags

• Construction of new open water stream for the making of artificial snow - 70 000 cubic meters

Photo competition “Crazy around the lakes”

“Citizens for Rila”

Aug. 06, 2009

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Dear friends, photographers and all those of you who are fond of Rila.

If you care about Rila and if you’d like to show your talent, if you’d like to see your picture among the best ones that will be presented on the internet site of ForTheNature ([url">http://forthenature.org), as well as during a special theme exhibition in Sofia in autumn, then we invite you to take part in our photo competition “Crazy around the lakes”.

Postcards of coalition 'For The Nature'

Aug. 05, 2009

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Coalition "For The Nature" printed seven types of postcards. You can find them on the events, that the coalition organizes.

For more information send an e-mail to
[u">contact [at"> forthenature [dot"> org[/u">.

Summer School energy and climate

Jul 16, 2009

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Summer School energy and climate, Zeeland, the Netherlands
August 2-7, 2009

Action for Rila in Paris

Jul 13, 2009

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[url">http://www.france-rila.fr/Albumaction_paris.html

UNESCO Natural and Cultural Heritage committee will add Pirin Natural Park to its endangered list as of next year

Jun 29, 2009

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Sofia, 29 June 2009 – on its annual meeting at the end of the previous week UNESCO’s world natural and cultural heritage Convention gave Bulgaria one last chance to solve the problem regarding the destruction of Pirin National Park. This was announced from for the nature.org- a coalition consisting of 30 non-governmental organizations, whose representative attended the forum.

The investor in a new ski area in Nature Park Vitosha mocks legal regulations

Jun 28, 2009

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The coalition “Let the Nature remain in Bulgaria”, made up of 30 non-government and civic organizations, noticed an announcement on the web site of “Vitosha Ski” AD for the commencement of a public discussion of the report for the ecological evaluation of the specialized enhanced structural plan of tourism and ski area “Aleko” ([url">http://www.skivitosha.com – the announcement can be found at the bottom of the page).

Wind Energy Parks are beneficial only when outside the European ecological network Natura 2000

Jun 19, 2009

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The coalition of 30 non-governmental and civil organizations “For the Nature” stated at the debating forum “The Development of Wind Energy Parks - alongside with environmental protection” in Kavarna that the Wind Energy extraction is beneficial, but only when it takes place outside the European ecological network Natura 2000.

Political Parties discuss their future ecological policy

Jun 17, 2009

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The political parties in Bulgaria discussed their future ecological policy. Six of them participated in a debate on the topic of „The ecological policy of the next government“ which took place on June 16th 2009 at the New Bulgarian University. The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), The Blue Coalition and the political parties GERB, The Greens, LIDER and The Other Bulgaria introduced their engagements concerning biodiversity and the preservation of Bulgarian forests. No representative of NMSS participated in the discussion despite the fact they had accepted the invitation. As it turned out later, their only ecological policy expert was currently not in Sofia.

The Investment Incentive Act makes the building up of protected areas in Bulgaria easier

Jun 03, 2009

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Coalition „Let nature remain in Bulgaria“, constituting of 30 non-governmental and civil groups, appealed to President Georgi Parvanov to bring the carried changes in the Investment Incentive Act back for voting in the Bulgarian Parliament.

On May 22nd 2009, the Bulgarian parliament carried out the Act of Amendment to the Investment Incentive Act. According to the change in Article 2, an investment incentive is applied through „selling or offset establishing of limited real rights on terrains without auction or competition at market prices or lower, with set up technical passage infrastructure of public property“.

Cleaning Irakli

May 24, 2009

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More than 300 Volunteers from the Organization “To save Irakli” ([url">daspasimirakli.org, participated in the 3rd anniversary from the creation of the first ecological group).

More than 300 people in the age range between 6 months old to 50 years old, dedicated their weekend to give the beach the one thing it needs most at the beginning of the season -cleaning.

A LAST DANCE OF THE NATURA 2000 SUPPORTERS WITH THE BULGARIAN COUNCIL OF MINISTERS – A LOT OF MEDIA AND NO MINISTERS AT ALL

Apr. 30, 2009

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After more than a year of absence from the square in front of the Bulgarian Council of Ministers the citizens who support the Natura 2000 network in Bulgaria decided to knock on the doors of The Realm Of The Unrestricted Power and to remind that the problems surrounding the implementation of the European environmental network in Bulgaria are not only unsolved but become even worse. The event had to bring in the focus of the public attention the hearing that takes place today between the Petitions Committee by the European Parliament and citizens who have brought in petitions on the violations of the European environmental legislation in Bulgaria. Vera Petkanchin from Citizens for Rila, Andrey Kovachev from Balkani Wildlife Society and Nelly Arabadzhieva from Green Balkans have the mission to trigger accelerated procedures against these violations and against the insufficiency of the Natura 2000 network, that still does not include valuable zones like Rila Buffer and parts of Irkakli wild beach. The discussion will include also the scandalous cases like Kaliakra, Kamchiiiski pyasatsi and Strandzha.

The tree of Natura 2000 was planted in front of the Representative Office of the European Commission today

Apr. 29, 2009

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A tree was planted today by the enthusiastic citizens who supported the European Environmental network in 2007 by protesting in front of the Council of Ministers in Sofia, Bulgaria for nine months, using artistic meanings to remind the Bulgarian minsters that they have to work urgently on the approval of Natura 2000. The tree lived in a pot for almost two years waiting for the entire range of the network to be approved by the ministers but as this did not happen so far the concerns for it's comfort in the pot grew larger and the environmentalists decided to gift it as a mascot to the European Commission Representative office in Bulgaria.

FIS WORLD CUP LADIES' TO TAKE PLACE IN A SKI RESORT BUILT IN VIOLATION WITH THE LAW

Feb. 25, 2009

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February 25th – Sofia. The FIS World Cup Ladies’ starting in two days in
Bulgaria will take place in a resort developed in violation of many
Bulgarian and European environmental acts, local environmental
organizations report. Bansko ski resort, which will host the races between
February 27th and March 1st is built in Pirin National Park and UNESCO
site.

Save Bulgaria's Treasures!

Feb. 13, 2009

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View the website

Holiday homes, hotels, villas, ski resorts and ski runs are being built in many of Bulgaria"s national and nature parks. They are being built illegally, against existing national laws and regulations.

We need to send a clear message:

* To those destroying Bulgaria"s natural treasures: that this is not acceptable
* To relevant authorities: to implement existing laws and regulations
* To political decision makers: to take necessary steps to ensure real protection for the country"s natural riches

The decision of the government about the environmental network Natura 2000

Over six weeks late, the Bulgarian government has finally decided on the sites it will submit to the European Commission as part of the EU’s Natura 2000 network of specially protected areas. Almost half of the most important sites identified by scientists, including nearly the entire Black Sea coast, have been removed from the list due to "investors" interests.

Slippery slope ahead for ski resorts in Central and Eastern Europe

WWF Danube - Carpathian Programme in Bulgaria

Jan. 27, 2009

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[url">http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/europe/what_we_do/danube_carpathian/?154081/Slippery-slope-ahead-for-ski-resorts-in-CEE

13 Jan 2009

New research suggests that ambitious plans for dozens of new ski resorts in Central and Eastern Europe could be constructed on slippery financial slopes.

The potential financial uncertainty on the future viability of the resorts is also adding to concerns that some of Europe’s last wilderness areas will be damaged to little purpose.

The “Common Cause” Campaign for return of the captured state lands and forest was given a start

Nov. 20, 2008

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Rila news 1

Nov. 06, 2008

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Rila news is a result of international collaboration among the NGOs that together with Coalition
“Let Nature Remain in Bulgaria” carry out the campaign for protection of Rila National Park.

[url">http://www.france-rila.fr/RILA_NEWS.pdf

The Petitions Committee of the European Parliament saw with its eyes the destruction in Rila

Oct. 28, 2008

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Demonstration against swaps and illegal construction was held also in Plodiv

Oct. 22, 2008

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