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canfab
Mar 12, 2007, 11:47 PM
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Registered: May 22, 2006
Posts: 2
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This should be of interest to anyone interested in preserving mountain wildernesses and wildlife.
The Spanish government is contemplating allowing the go ahead of the building of a ski resort in the Cordillera Cantábrica mountains of N.Spain. The area concerned is slap in the middle of the 2 existing populations of Iberian brown bear - only some 140 individuals of a distinct sub-species. The project would be funded by the EU, an organisation that is also responsible for the laws "protecting" the indigenous wildlife - specifically Natura 2000. The construction company and local government in question are proposing amending these laws to permit the building of lifts, carparks, hotels, restaurants etc. all at a relatively low-altitude where the use of artificial snow machines would be necessary. And all when even the Alps are not getting their usual snow cover! A petition;http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/418999897
is taking signatures to be sent to the Spanish minister for the environment. For Spanish speakers see; http://www.pdsg.es/index.php
Please give your support
(This post was edited by canfab on Mar 12, 2007, 11:58 PM)
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overlord
Mar 13, 2007, 2:14 AM
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Registered: Mar 25, 2002
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is the area protected by natura 2000??
anyway, i hope they wont build it. as it is, skiing will be forgotten in about 10 years
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canfab
Mar 13, 2007, 5:32 AM
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Registered: May 22, 2006
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Yes, it's supposedly protected by natura 2000 and the EU's habitats directive but promoters of this type of speculation have pushed for a change in the Spanish law to allow this kind of development if it will benefit a "poor", depopulated area. Talk about a white elephant!
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mrmcface
Mar 13, 2007, 5:44 AM
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Registered: Apr 24, 2006
Posts: 27
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Well unfortunately development like that normally gets the go-ahead anyway. Sometimes you just can't stop it. But with enough petitioning, you could use it to your benefit... Has anyone considered forcing a compromize? You could have a deal struck where the go-ahead on the ski hill can only happen if they follow a set of preservation guidelines... Maybe see if you can get them to use a percentage of the funds generated from the resort to go into preservation of the surrounding wildlife? Something like that may be your only hope when it comes to big business. Governments aren't willing to turn down projects like that too often, but they are always willing to set certain limitations on companies if it will help calm protests... And if you make that happen, sometimes it will cause companies to back out afterwords if the guidelines lower the projected profits.
Anyhow... Good luck.
Rob.
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