Construction of new hydro power plants, opening new mines, geological researchеs or new pipeline infrastructure will be banned on the whole territory of the Shar Mountain National Park. In all the planned management zones of the national park, raising introduced and invasive plants and animals will be banned as well.
In the protected area of Shar Мountain, construction of houses and roads will be banned, use of motor vehicles will be banned, construction of new infrastructure will be banned, plants to be picked or fish farms to be built.
The Draft Plan for managing the Shar Mountain National Park, apart from the protection zones and the activities that will be allowed, the potentials and the possibilities for the area’s sustainable development will be determined. Over hundreds of activities in multiple areas are planned. The budget for the park’s financing, according to the draft version of the Management Pant, is one million EUR for the park’s operations and two million EUR for the implementation of the activities from the programs and the scientific researches.
Among the biggest threats for Shar Mountain’s nature and biodiversity is logging, waste disposal, the large frequency of motor vehicles in all the zones, the collecting of forest products, including the appearance of ferns as a result of negligence and growing over abandoned agricultural areas.
At the national pard, according to the new Management Plan, all activities that are endangering the natural values will be banned and all tourist and recreational activities will be permitted including the sustainable use of natural resources in a way that they are not endangering the livelihoods, the species and their natural balance.
No new hydro power plants will be allowed to be built throughout the national park nor new mines to be opened or any geological researches to be conducted nor a gas pipeline infrastructure to be set.
In the zone under strict protection, collection of fruits and plants will be banned, including bee raising, fishing and opening of fish farms, building facilities for grazing of animals including roads and other infrastructure.
In the most protected zone, no hydro power plants will be allowed to be built, nor any type of infrastructure for renewable sources of energy, houses, hotels ski-lifts, nor any type of motor vehicle will be able to transit or any camping will be allowed. Skiing and the ski-lifts including bicycle trails will be allowed in the protective areas.
According to the draft plan, in the zone with the strictest protection, grazing of animals will be allowed and the sustainment of the existing facilities, but the building of new facilities will not be allowed. The tracking and mountain climbing will be allowed, riding horses or any types of sports activities that will be allowed by the park’s manager. The placement of information boards will be allowed including lookout facilities made of natural materials.
According to Ana Cholovic’s Leshoska of Eco Consciousness, it is necessary for the hunting to be limited more precisely on the whole territory of the park and apart from the ban on the building of new hydropower plants, the maintenance of the existing facilities will have to be defined.
After the first public presentation, the draft document will be available for comment until the 12th of November, and then it will be finalized and submitted to the UNEP and the Ministry for the environment and physical planning.
