Forestry Act amendment to pave the way for Ski Resorts upgrades



The amendments to the Forestry Act do not serve just one company, said Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture and Food Miroslav Naydenov earlier this week. The government discussed the bill to amend the act at its Wednesday’s meeting. According to the new bill it will be possible to build ski runs and lifts in mountain ranges without changing the designation of the territory.

Environmentalists expressed dissatisfaction with the amendment, saying it legalizes construction in natural parks, which are owned exclusively by the state. They say the amendment serves the interests of Vitosha Ski company, which manages the ski runs and lifts in the Vitosha mountain range. At the beginning of the winter tourist season the company had refused to open the facilities until the act is amended. The Forestry Act, which was adopted about six months ago, imposes very restrictive measures on the ski tourism development. Those changes would affect not only the Vitosha mountains, but also all the other mountain resorts. It will allow tourism to develop, create create jobs and revive nearby communities, said the minister. The new bill will allow construction in all resorts regulated by the Forestry Act and especially Borovets and Pamporovo.