The widely advertised 5-km ski piste expansion in Bansko Ski Zone is illegal

On November 13th 2007, representatives of the Save Pirin Coalition and European media documented the latest legal violations in the Bansko Ski Zone.
17/11/2007
Pictures from the illegal construction of chair-lifts and ski-road at Chalin Valog from November 13 2007 available here

The new piste, road and charlift in the Chalin Valog area above the town of Bansko are illegal, seventeen civil society organizations from the Let Nature Remain in Bulgaria Coalition warn. During the last week, Yulen Shareholding, the Bansko Ski Zone developer, widely advertised the latest expansions.

Instead of reculativating the old ski pistes in the Chalin Valog area, as required by the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment in 2001, Yulen Sharelolding expanded the ski facilities and built a new chairlift, logging a lot of old-growth forest.

Chalin Valog chairlift and pistes do not have an environmental permit, as shown in the list of permits for the Bansko Ski Zone, provided by the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water.

The relevant inspection authorities were informed about the launch of the illegal construction as early as April and May this year. Furthermore on May 15th and October 11th this year, concerned citizens and members of the Save Pirin Coalition held protests on the spot. Yet no sanction was undertaken.

Representatives of the DG Environment from the European Commission Andreas Demeter and Ladislav Miko also visited the region earlier this year. When questioned about the Chalin Valog chairlift and ski road in front of the EU officials, the Pirin National Park"s director, Georgi Grancharov responded that he does not know whether an environmental impact assessment was made but nevertheless it was listed in the investment program of the ski zone developer.

Bansko Ski Zone continues to be the the darkest demonstration of how laws can become meaningless, a National Parks - irreversibly damaged and citizens" voices – ignored in front of the eyes of the slack public institutions. More than 12 projects for new ski resorts threaten the Bulgarian national parks at present. The resorts of Panichishte, Super Borovets and Bodrost, because of which the territory of Rila Buffer was excluded from the Natura 2000 network of protected sites, are now being constructed.