The coming winter season traditionally draws new environmental protests, no matter how harmless can be some of the maintenance activities in the winter resorts. The first for the season protest downtown Sofia has already been scheduled for the next week, yet before any snowfall.

The demonstration announced by the Let Nature Remain in Bulgaria Coalition comes as a response to the permit issued by the environmental ministry for the change of an old lift in the ski zone above the town of Bansko. 57 white firs and spruces should fall victims to the replaced lift. According to data of the environmental ministry the trench is estimated to be 31 m3 or 0.0004 percent of the overall forest reserve of Pirin. The investor now must afforest a three times larger area at a spot, coordinated with the Pirin National Park Directorate. So far with the numbers - and there have always been quarrels between the environmentalists and the ski resorts. The 2003 modernization of the Bansko ski zone seemed to be the catalyst of the endless arguments. Over 70 km of new tracks, modern lifts and a gondola lift turned Bansko into the most modern winter center in Eastern Europe and thousands of tourists were attracted to the spot. That caused the concern of the environmentalists, who were right to say that the mountain would be polluted for good.

However, their fight has been focused against ski fans and the main problem lies with the corrupted local and/or central authority that has been issuing in an uncontrolled manner construction permits since 2003 without taking into consideration the infrastructure of the small Pirin town. The impact of the tourist invasion hasn’t been foreseen as well. The investment one has seen its revenge recently, as the cozy atmosphere of Bansko is on its way to disappear, along with the will of any tourists to spend their winter holiday there. Thus locals have less and less work.

At the same time we witness a total lack of state policy on the development of the winter resorts in Bulgaria. Skiing and environmental protection should go together, the way it is in the Alps for instance. Experience can be gained and we can only hope that the forthcoming environmental protest can give the start of a meaningful public debate on the future of ski tourism in Bulgaria.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev