2nd International Workshop on Conservation Biology

Nature Conservation Policy - from legislation to real effect in nature in Gorenjska

Not scheduled

UP FAMNIT, Koper, Slovenia

Speaker

Ms Andreja Škvarč (Nature Conservation Consultant, The Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature Conservation, Regional Unit Kranj)

Description

“Everyone is obliged in accordance with the law to protect natural heritage” is stated in Slovene constitution. Therefore, an important way of achieving nature conservation is establishing appropriate and effective spatial planning, which includes nature conservation policy at several stages. In this presentation, we have focused on the final administrative stage before project or spatial activity is implemented in the field. For implementing projects and spatial activities in areas with nature conservation status, investors need to acquire different types of consents and permits, depending on the type of activity, in order to assure nature conservation. The Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature Conservation participates in this process with giving expert opinions and assessments included in the relevant consents. In this presentation the analysis of all given opinions for spatial activities in Gorenjska region in years 2013 and 2014 was made. The spatial activities were grouped by types of activities and their frequency was counted. Spatial pattern of different groups of activities was observed with GIS. For each group the compliance with nature conservation policy was checked. There are many real cases which show gaps in implementation of the law at practical level. The majority of bending the rules is in the field of building different types of objects connected with the agriculture, water engineering and forest roads. Extremely short deadlines for preparing nature conservancy consent which includes expert opinion, predominantly legal interpretation of nature conservation policy and weak field control leads to non-achievement of the main goal of nature conservation stated in the law and constitution. The solution is in raising public awareness of nature conservation, strengthening the role of expert opinion and interpretation of law in the view of its main goal in final decisions, and strengthening the field inspection.