A management plan is being prepared secretly, which will allow construction in Vitosha Mountain

The plan is re-done with money from EU funds, but in contradiction with the principles of transparency – the expert meetings take place away from town, and information is not presented beforehand.
The biggest problem with Vitosha Natural Park Management Plan is that, without specifically allowing construction, it does not introduce clear rules, and leaves the door wide open for new construction. According to the data that we have at the moment, the whole high and middle part of Vitosha from north and from west is being opened up for new construction in the so-called “Zone of chalets, buildings for shelter, administrative centers for management and maintenance of the park and the sports facilities” and “Zone for tourism with short-term rest near the city”.

The zones in question are extensive and include lots of forests and other natural habitats. The Vitosha stone rivers are also in the facilities and buildings zone. At first glance, a ban on construction is proposed for: “hotels, production, warehouse, infrastructure and villa buildings”. This opens the door for any other type of construction, not allowed so far. This is so, because the authors of the new draft plan have removed the ban on change of purpose of forest areas, which used to protect the park from construction under the present management plan.

It is an additional problem that due to lack of clear prohibition, decisions for new construction in the north and western part of Vitosha depend only on detailed site development plans, prepared by investors. This is inadmissible, because the parameters of the park management are dependent on the park management goals, and by law need to be clearly defined in its management plan, and not to be defined solely by the chief architect of Sofia Municipality in separate detailed site development plans. The lack of such parameters in the management plan of Vitosha Park unties the hands of not so good intentioned circles to build up the mountain, furthering their interests with ensuing site development plans on the ground that these activities do not contradict the management plan of the natural park.

A similar attempt was made in 2011, when, in detailed site development plans, a triple increase of the facilities in Aleko ski zone in the Park was planned, in violation of the current management plan of Vitosha.

We remind that in a sociological survey, requested by Sofia Municipality in 2013, 88.2% of the respondents declare their wish Vitosha to develop hiking tourism. According to the research of the National Center for Public Opinion Research from 2004, “the typical visitors of the park use it for hiking (33%) and for outing (63%), and around one tenth (11%) declare they practice ski sport.

The coalition “Let Nature Remain in Bulgaria” insists on publicity in the discussion of the so important for Vitosha management plan, as well as on clear guarantees that the oldest natural park in Bulgaria will be preserved and not sacrificed to the economic interests of a narrow circle of people.