Radio România Internațional

Tag: forest

  • A lookback at the year 2023 in tourism

    A lookback at the year 2023 in tourism

    The year 2023 was an
    eventful year for Romanian tourism. We discovered interesting tourism
    destinations and projects that made it possible for an increasing inflow of
    tourists to come to Romania.


    In early January, we
    began with an atmosphere that was created so that all four senses can be
    relaxed through music, fragrances, setting and light. All that offered by the
    SPA centers countrywide. On the Romania Black Sea coast in Bucharest and in
    Prahova Valley, we found a wide range of healing therapy options. Also in
    January, we found out that balneal treatment has a long-standing tradition.
    Romania is one of the world’s first countries to have founded a balneology and
    climatology scientific society. Felix Spa, Calimanesti and Caciulata or Sovata
    were but a few of the resorts we visited. Then we discovered the cultural
    artistic itinerary labelled Traditional Craftsmen and traditional crafts from
    across Romania. The label was launched by Romania’s Entrepreneurship and
    Tourism Ministry. The project targeted the tourists who were interested in
    craftsmanship objects and in the traditional customs in the villages of northern Romania.



    The 47th edition of Romania’s Tourism Fair was
    held over February 23-26 in Bucharest. As part of the event, Romania’s most
    interesting offers and tourist assets were presented. Also attending the event
    were traditional craftsmen, who came up with real demonstration of the ancient
    crafts. Timis County, Bukovina, Fagaras fortress and Arad were the destinations
    written about, at that time.


    In early spring, we had a stopover in central Romania at
    the foot of Piatra Craiului mountain’s south-eastern slope, at an altitude of 1,244 meters. There we discovered Romania’s first
    tourist village, Sirnea. Then we headed towards the Danube Delta, a true nature
    paradise, stretching from around the place where river Danube flows into the
    Black Sea. A water birds’ habitat that found a vast reed area here, the
    Danube Delta is one of Romania’s greatest tourist assets. We presented flora
    and fauna observation tours, offers of safari photo and boat or kayak trips. We
    also spoke about traditions, history, culture and, not the least, about the
    large number of wine cellars in the area. We continued to be spoiled for choice
    through heritage, since we shifted the focus of our attention to Romania’s old
    nobility residences. What we were most impressed with, thanks to their
    refinement, were the Cantacuzino Estate in Floresti and the mansion of the
    Carps, a family of boyars based in Iasi County’s commune of Tibanesti.



    In Valcea County, we realized a wide range of tourism
    types was available to those who were interested. Moreover, Horezu is a brand
    for Valcea County, thanks to the ceramics the craftsmen manufacture there. Then
    we visited an area that enjoyed just as much recognition, due to its traditions
    but also due to its vast forests and unique natural phenomena. Year after year,
    Buzau County was extremely sought-after, among other things, by those who are into
    adventure tourism. There they can practice climbing, off-roading, rafting or
    hang-gliding. Furthermore, the food offer is very varied and includes several
    trade marks.


    We spent Easter in the Romanian village. In early April we
    learnt about the village of Rasinari, which had become Romania’s grand prize
    winner in the second edition of the international contest Best Tourism
    Villages, launched by the World Tourism Organization. We talked about rural
    trips, which could include visits at the medieval fortresses as well as
    participation in local festival and events.


    From here we stopped in the county of Brasov, central
    Romania, to learn more about one of the best well-preserved monuments nation
    wise. Many publications around the world wrote about this site, describing it
    as one of the world’s most beautiful fortresses. This is the fortress of
    Fagaras, whose construction was completed around the 17th century.
    It withstood over 26 sieges but was never conquered. At the end of April we
    proposed a city-break in north-western Romania, only a couple of kilometers far
    from the Hungarian border and a relatively equal distance from Vienna, Prague,
    or Bucharest, the city of Oradea. We’ve also learnt that Oradea is not only an
    appropriate city for city-break, but also the museum-city of Targu Jiu, or
    Cluj-Napoca, the birthplace of the internationally famed festival Untold.

    At the beginning of summer we told you that Romania is also
    known for its large old-growth forests, for the regions where we can find old
    traditions and craftsmen, who are still using ancient trades passed down from
    one generation to another. We also talked about eco-tourism and the
    associations trying to preserve natural resources and educate people in
    practicing responsible tourism. In the same period we took a virtual tour of
    over 50 museums in all of Romania’s rural area. In early autumn we talked about
    the green area of the wooden churches in Maramures after which we went to the
    ancient world of the Haţeg Land.
    We learnt about an area roamed by bisons, with medieval churches, old mansions
    and castles, numerous historical monuments of national interest and even
    fossils of dwarf dinosaurs, which are quite unique in the world. Then we took a
    trip to Via Transilvanica, Romania’s longest hiking trail linking various
    sites, which are part of the UNESCO World Heritage. From there we took you to
    wine cellars, which are keeping real treasures for wine connoisseurs. We learnt
    about special visiting programmes including trips around the vineyards
    accompanied by experts who can provide valuable information about the
    wine-making process and most importantly, the wine-tasting sessions.



    After the presentation of the adventure tourism and bicycle
    touring, at the end of the year we invited you to spend the winter holidays in
    Romania. We talked about Christmas fairs and the New Year’s Eve. 2024 seems to
    be a year also very rich in travel offers. So, stay with us in the New Year in
    order to learn more about Romania and its most beautiful tourist sites.



  • Romania’s virgin forests and their fate

    Romania’s virgin forests and their fate


    The virgin
    forests are the last forest ecosystems where nature has survived in its purest
    form, without being significantly affected by human intervention. Elsewhere around
    Europe, the virgin forests have become almost extinct, yet in Romania, there are
    roughly 250 thousand hectares. Since, 2015, the virgin forests have been
    protected by the law, as they have been included in the Virgin
    and Quasi-virgin Forests Catalogue. In the virgin forest, trees die of old age,
    they fall, they break or they wither rather fast, while the deadwood is
    left there, feeding the ecosystem for the generations to come. The virgin
    forest is home to trees of all ages, from the freshly sprouting seeds to the
    trees that have reached their physiological limit, quite like a community:
    children, parents and the elderly supporting each other, living a harmonious
    and healthy life. Or at least that is what we’ve read in a message posted by
    WWF Romania environment organization on its own site.


    Under
    the crowns of 500-year-old giant trees, living together are over 10, 000 species, ranging from unicellular organisms, mushrooms,
    plants, insects, to big mammals, such as the wild boar, the deer, the chamois,
    the wolf, the lynx, the brown bear. If the virgin forest disappears, with it, a
    thousand-year-old natural evolution cycle disappears too. The virgin forest is a
    living lesson preserved in nature’s genuine laboratories, but also part of Romanian
    local communities’ cultural identity.

    Radu Melu is a national manager of WWF Romania’s
    forest division. He spoke about the importance
    of the virgin forests.


    They are important
    in various respects. If we take biodiversity into account, these forests are important
    because in them we can find those categories of species that need peace and
    quiet, very old trees, large quantities of deadwood, actually all those categories
    of species that live better when man does not intervene in the forest. If we
    have a large landscape, a very large one, with cultivated forest and a forest
    from where wood is extracted, but also some quasi-virgin forest plots where we
    did not intervene, allowing nature to have its own evolution, then we can stand
    the chance to have the whole biodiversity spectrum in that particular area. So,
    it is the biodiversity that contributes something more. These forests come with
    something extra when compared to the cultivated forests. In a separate
    development, these forests have their evolution, in the absence of no human intervention. In
    effect, we see how nature would develop, we have the chance to see how nature
    thinks for its further evolution, if you will, considering climate change.
    As for climate change, we’ve had something like that before, our planet has faced
    these climate changes before and yet, in their wake, nature found its own ways
    of survival. For instance, the beech tree has not been a dominant species before
    the last glaciation. After the last glaciation, the beech tree has developed
    perfectly fine, it has become a dominant species in Europe. It is the solution
    nature found for afforestation and for vegetation to regenerate. Well, then,
    here we are again, asking questions, but we cannot ask nature in a cultivated forest
    or, if the case, with exotic species. We ask nature in such natural forests, in
    such forests whose evolution has never been perturbed by man and we find out,
    we see what direction it takes and we can also imitate the same thing, in the
    cultivated forests.


    In order to be protected by the law, Romania’s virgin
    forests need to be reintroduced in a dedicated catalogue. Such an undertaking is
    in no way simple, yet it is worth the while doing it. The catalogue of the virgin
    and the quasi-virgin forests is a project initiated and permanently supported
    by WWF. The project is operational and held in high esteem by the international
    authorities. Here is Radu Melu once again, this time speaking about
    this forestry protection official instrument


    The catalogue is in fact a base where all the
    forests were included, that have been identified as virgin or quasi-virgin
    forests on the territory of our country. In this catalogue, what we have in
    fact are those plots and sub-plots, as the forest in Romania is divided in these
    basic units known as forest plots, and can be thus identified very easily. They can
    be found there. The information is clear, about the forest district, about the area,
    the county those plots can be found, and they have been included in the
    National catalogue, with their surface area, with all the details, so once a
    new arrangement is being done, that is a new planning stipulating where, what and how
    much can be cut down, those particular surface areas are avoided. There, logging
    is no longer recommended, while the respective surface areas thus remain
    protected forever, since the law no longer allows for the planners to come and
    decide upon certain works, or on logging operations or any other intervention that
    could affect the natural evolution of those forests.


    The Environment, Waters and Forests Ministry updates this
    catalogue periodically. As we speak, a surface area of more than 71,000 hectares
    has been included, of virgin and quasi-virgin forests. The process is ongoing,
    yet more involvement is needed, on the part of the interested entities: forests
    and protected areas administrators, education or research institutions,
    non-governmental organizations.(EN)



  • Romania’s beautiful mountain scenery

    Romania’s beautiful mountain scenery


    Today we’re heading towards the Calimani Nature Park in northern
    Romania, an asset where tourists are welcomed with a very generous offer. In
    winter, the ski touring is practiced, while in the summer you can go hiking for
    fauna-watching purposes. Moreover, since 2013, the administration of the park has
    opened a modern visiting center where educational exhibitions are mounted,
    promoting the tourist assets of the region. It is also here that the products
    are presented, manufactured by local craftsmen. Then you can take up a theme
    pathway, especially arranged for a two-hour journey in the invisible world of
    the Saru Dornei Tinov. Liviu Hutanu is Calimani National Park’s tourism activities
    official.

    Liviu Hutanu:


    It is one of the Calimani Massif’s
    protected areas, encompassing the upper third part of the Calimani Mountains. It
    has been declared a protected area since 2000. Here we protect numerous species
    of plants and animals, their habitats. We have been trying, to the best of our
    abilities, and in addition to the preservation activities, to develop long-lasting
    tourism or ecotourism, to use a trendier term. It would be unfair for us to block
    access to so many natural assets. The purpose of a natural park is preservation,
    but also the promotion of tourism in a given area, yet that is being done without
    affecting the preservation part of our work.


    Ski touring through the snow can provide unforgettable
    experiences. In the company of a park ranger specializing in the observation and
    interpretation of nature, you’re highly likely to discover traces of wild
    animals, you will be initiated in the secrets of the life and habits of the beasts
    in the forest. The route will be selected taking into account the timeframe the
    tourists opted for and in keeping with the weather conditions, over
    December-May. It roughly takes a seven-hour hike to carry the program, which
    also includes a rest break and a traditional snack. The fee for that starts from
    120 Lei and varies, in keeping with the number of people participating.


    Liviu Hutanu:

    We have more than 120 kilometers of
    tourist routes. We also have two theme pathways: the theme pathway of the 12 Apostles
    and the one in the former Calimani Sulphur exploitation. We have a marathon
    route, Via Maria Terezia, of which one third stretches
    along the protected area. Camping sites have been arranged, in the strategic
    points, near springs, we also have three tourist shelters. Actually, the
    tourist infrastructure has been properly taken care of and appropriately marked,
    especially for backpacking hikers. Therefore, we promote the non-polluting and
    environment-friendly activities..


    But what are the most important tourist objectives in
    the Calimani Nature Park?

    Liviu
    Hutanu:


    The most-often visited
    such asset, which is also the most beautiful one, which is also included on our
    logo, is the 12 Apostles Nature Reserve. Here you can find a cluster of rocks,
    of various shapes which, in time, have been given all sorts of names, stirring
    visitors’ imagination. We have, among others, The Marshall, Nefertiti, the Lion.
    Of these rocks, the one standing out and which is the most photographed, is
    named The Old Man. It is a big rock, 30, 40 meters tall, which, if viewed from
    three different angles, has the face of an old man. Most of the times it has
    been compared to the Sphynx in the Bucegi Mountains. It is a natural asset, but
    we also have an anthropic tourist asset. It is the Sulphur pit. It was opened
    in 1976. Thanks to the excavations there, since the Calimani Mountains are
    volcanic mountains, a cross-cut section could be created, of a volcanic cone. We
    can thus have the chance to see how the inside of a volcano looks like. It is
    something almost unique in Europe.


    Every hiking activity should begin from an information
    point. Here is Calimani Nature Park’s tourism activities official, Liviu Hutanu,
    speaking about that.


    Available for tourists is the Calimani
    National Park Visiting Centre as well as the other information points, with our
    park rangers being always there. The visiting center is one of the main attractions
    of the Dorna Country eco-tourism destination. The ecotourism destination
    certification was granted four years ago by the Tourism Ministry. The center
    has been thought out in a bid to enhance the destination’s attractiveness, but
    also with a view to increasing the park’s capacity to secure an accessible communication
    with the visitors. The latter are being kept abreast of the hiking routes, tourist
    assets, or the restrictions that are in place in a national park. Here tourists
    can find an educational exhibition focusing on the assets of the park, there is
    also a corner of the items hand-crafted by the locals. In the courtyard, a
    theme hiking route has been arranged, along which the area’s craftsmanship
    activities are presented. The Saru Dornei Tinov Reserve can be found close by.


    For the near future, the Calimani National Park Administration
    has been carrying a couple of projects which are ongoing. Liviu Hutanu once again.


    We intend to set up a research center
    in the former Sulphur exploitation. We also want the center to be a Salvamont,
    Mountain Rescue Service basecamp. We also want several children’s playgrounds
    to be set up there, for the holiday camps we have in the region. On the
    territory f the park, as we speak, we have only one mountain biking trail and
    we intend to create two more such trails. We welcome all to come visit us, from
    the bottom of our hearts. Those who would like to visit us need to know the
    Calimani Mountains are not very steep, the trails are relatively easy to take
    and even accessible for families with children. The scenery is unaltered and we
    have hundreds of hectares of primary forests. We brag about the fact that you
    can walk around the park for three, maybe four days without meeting other human
    beings. So, for all those who want to live a wildlife experience, which is at
    once accessible, the Calimani Nature park is one of the best options for them.


    The invitation has been launched, In the hopes that we have
    talked you into visiting the Calimani Nature Park, next time we’re waiting for
    you with a new tourist destination.

    (EN)


  • Romania’s national riches

    Romania’s national riches


    The Romanian forests for many centuries now, have been a safe and most welcoming haven for the brown bears. According to World
    Wild Fund Romania, around 18,000 specimens can still be found in Europe; more
    than 8,000 of them live in the Carpathian Mountains, while 6,000 can still be
    found on today’s territory of Romania. It is the largest brown bear population
    in Europe. World Wild Fund Romania’s Livia Cimpoeru is the organization’s PR
    expert, specializing in large carnivores. Livia Cimpoeru:


    The bear is one of Romania’s natural
    riches. That is something we cannot ignore and I think everyone agrees to the fact
    that these natural riches need to be protected, because they can become extinct
    and we somehow must take the responsibility for our actions, as what we consume
    or what we do affects the well-being and the viability of such natural
    resources.


    The transport infrastructure, the urban one or the one
    in the rural regions, has developed sensibly in recent years. The natural
    resources, such as the mushrooms or the forest fruit have been overexploited:
    no wonder then that the omnivore bear has been drawn to the areas where food was
    easy to grab, that is to the areas populated by humans. Accordingly, some of
    the bears become a threat to the community; many people think they should be
    killed. But that is preposterous… according to Livia Cimpoeru.
    World Wild Fund Romania’s philosophy to that effect says that
    striking a balance between man and animal is perfectly possible. Livia Cimpoeru:


    Such a balance could be provided only
    when we are capable of understanding, as a nation, as a people inhabiting this
    territory which has been blessed thanks to its extraordinary biodiversity, we
    are the only ones, let me just say that once again, we are the only ones who
    can protect such riches. As long as we lay the blame entirely on the bear or
    the wolf or on other animals, for the human being-fauna conflict, we’re not
    getting anywhere. The bear is a wild animal, he cannot tell the good from the
    bad, so he cannot take decisions, he cannot initiate all sorts of policies and
    suchlike. WE are the thinking species, the ones capable of being intelligent in
    tackling such, how shall I put it, inconveniences or conflicts, so that solutions
    can be found. Our activities have an obvious impact on the bears and the
    overwhelming majority of the man-bear conflict are caused by the man.


    The European Union’s Habitats Directive protects the
    bears, which are included on the list of protected animals that cannot be
    hunted down for pleasure purposes or for trophy hunting, as they say. However,
    in some of the Union’s countries, Romania included, hunting aficionados resort
    to the Directive’s Article 16 which stipulates several waivers regarding the
    hunting of a limited number of specimens, mainly of those that are dangerous to
    humans.


    Arthur, arguably the king of bears in Romania, has
    recently been shot. The news of the killing of an animal whose dimensions and demeanor were
    impressive has become viral across the planet. According to many people, in
    Romania, the faulty way in which the national authorities protect those mammals
    at the farther end of the trophic chain has yet again resurfaced as a problem
    that still needs to be solved. Actually, Arthur may have been shot down during
    a trophy-hunting party. A waiver was allegedly issued, for the killing of a
    different specimen that did a lot of damage to human households. Such practices
    must become past history…but what needs to be done for that? World Wide Fund
    Romania’s Livia Cimpoeru:


    We, ever since 2009 and all throughout
    the following years, have called for an improvement in the legislation whereby
    such waivers are issued for the relocation and the harvesting (it is the technical
    word used when bears are shot) ʺas ever since such waiver executive orders have
    been issued, beginning 2017, if I’m not mistaken, orders did not specify what
    would become of the bear carcasses, who was in involved in the process of
    harvesting or relocation, what the destination was or who the end beneficiary was, of those shot animals. In
    2019, we officially demanded that, in the action of harvesting no people
    should be involved other than the technical staff, so that suspicions of
    harvesting being a trophy hunting in disguise may not exist. And then again, we
    also demanded that those problem-specimens be branded and actively monitor so
    that no suspicion whatsoever may exist, related to the extraction of the
    troubleshooter specimen. And Arthur is a blatant case in point. Again, we don’t
    understand why, for so many years now, rapid intervention teams have not been
    set up, for those areas where the bear population is obviously significant, As
    we speak, we do not have a real monitoring of the bear population in Romania,
    based on scientific research, we do not even have a monitoring of the habituated
    bear population, which, in our jargon, designates the bears that, because of
    human negligence, have associated the human beings with their source of food,
    and in time, they repeatedly worked their way through to the areas inhabited by
    humans.

    Meanwhile, against the backdrop of the Arthur scandal,
    the Environment Ministry in Bucharest has made public the fact that the
    legislation has been changed, focusing on the shooting of bears posing a threat
    for the communities. According to the previous legislation, a 60-day grace
    period was officially allowed, from the issuing of the papers endorsing the
    harvesting to its implementation. Moreover, the legislation did not clearly
    stipulate who was officially allowed to shoot the animal. According to the
    recently-changed legislation, no more than 15 days are allowed for the
    extraction of the dangerous specimens, while that can only be done by the
    technical staff of the association for which the waiver was issued. However,
    Livia Cimpoeru says, the decision is welcome, but insufficient. Livia Cimpoeru:

    Apart from such measures, which are
    merely face-saving, I daresay, hastily taken to cool down the public opinion,
    other measures need to be taken so that, longer term, we can have a harmonious co-habitation with the bear. And
    by that I also mean the implementation action, the financial support for
    farmers or households in the bear-populated areas, so that those people could
    afford buying electric fences, watchdogs, capable of protecting their
    livestock, their households and suchlike. The pack of measures was made public
    last year by the former minister Costel Alexe, and we were extremely happy when
    he announced the ministry would launch a financing program for such prevention
    measures, but that never happened and we don’t understand why.


    Also according to World Wild Fund Romania, the
    Ministry of the Environment has sufficient data they could start from, in a bid
    to elaborate maps of the risk areas that can be made available to specialists,
    local administrations and the lay public, so that these entities can have a
    clear image of the areas with the most serious problems. World Wild Fund Romania is also part of an international
    project Euro Large Carnivores, a project with European funding, whereby the
    co-habitation can be improved, between human beings and animals, through cross-border cooperation and communication.


  • March 6, 2020 UPDATE

    March 6, 2020 UPDATE

    VIRUS 9 people have been infected with
    the new coronavirus in Romania so far; out of these 3 have already been cured.
    22 people have been quarantined in Romania so far, while 12 thousand others
    have been isolated at home. 3 Romanians have tested positive for the virus in the
    Italian regions of Lombardy, Treviso and Emilia-Romagna. Romanian interim Prime
    Minister Ludovic Orban on Friday resumed his appeal for the Romanians who are
    living in countries affected by the virus to avoid any unnecessary trips. These
    people will not be banned from entering the country during the Easter holidays
    but they are going to be quarantined either at home or in hospitals, the
    minister has also said. Health ministers from the EU countries on Friday
    underlined in Brussels the importance of cooperation and information exchange
    between the bloc countries to limit the spread of this epidemic. Attending the
    meeting, the Romanian health minister Victor Costache said the authorities in
    Bucharest remain vigilant on a possible escalation of the outbreak in Europe by
    keeping in touch with the other member states, as well as with European and
    international institutions. The coronavirus has so far made it to over 80
    countries around the world; 100 thousand people have been infected world wide, and
    the death toll stands at more than 34 hundred.












    CAMPAIGN A large-scale afforestation campaign entitled ‘A Forest as
    Big as a Country’ kicked off in southern Romania on Friday. 13 thousand
    afforestation sites have been opened all over Romania. ‘We need to
    significantly increase Romania’s forest surface and this campaign is a very
    good start, the country’s president Klaus Iohannis has said. The president has
    added that all the surveys conducted recently proved that the most efficient
    measure against global warming is afforestation. In a letter on 12th
    of February the European Commission urged Romania to apply the EU regulation,
    which bans the sale of products obtained from illegal logging. Last year, three
    environmental NGOs filed complaints with the European Commission related to the
    destruction of tens of thousand of hectares of forests in Romania. According to
    the Silva Trade Union, six forest rangers have been killed and 650 others have
    been attacked by illegal loggers in the past years.











    GOVERNMENT Next
    week, the leadership of the Romanian Parliament will set the date for the
    investiture of the cabinet proposed by the Liberal Prime Minister Designate
    Florin Citu. The joint session can be scheduled for next Friday at the latest.
    The proposed ministers have been heard this week, and nine of them have
    received positive opinions. 233 votes are needed for the new government to be
    endorsed,. We recall that the first Liberal Government, headed by the leader of
    the National Liberal Party Ludovic Orban, was dismissed by means of a
    no-confidence motion.






    DEFENCE Romania’s
    Defense Minister Nicolae-Ionel Ciuca attended in Zagreb, on Wednesday and
    Thursday, the informal meeting of the EU defense ministers. The participants
    analyzed the security situation in Europe’s neighborhood, with focus on Syria,
    and held an exchange of opinions on the EU’s security and defense priorities.
    Also, they discussed the development and implementation of the Strategic
    Compass and the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). Minister Ciuca
    reconfirmed Romania’s support for the EU commitments in the Balkans, in the
    south-central region of the Mediterranean but also on the African continent,
    with regard to efforts of maintaining security and stability. Also, he signed
    together with his counterparts from Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania, the Netherlands
    and Poland, a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation under PESCO, for the
    setting up of rapid response and mutual assistance teams in case of cyber
    attacks.




    (translated
    by bill)



  • Forest protection measures

    Forest protection measures

    Translated in 20 languages and broadcast in almost 120 countries around the world, the Wild Carpathia documentary produced by the Travel Channel invited nature lovers, a few years ago, to the gorgeous, although lesser known forests in the Carpathian Mountains. Romania has dozens of hectares of virgin forests, a habitat for bears, wolves and lynxes.



    Perhaps the most striking part of the documentary was an interview with Charles, Prince of Wales, an outspoken supporter of this part of Romania, untouched by civilisation. Over the years, Britain’s crown prince has repeatedly called for preserving the Romanian forests and for putting an end to the illegal logging that mutilated vast expanses of forest.



    The problem is that, in spite of the many alarms sounded from abroad, the solution rests with the Romanian officials alone. And unfortunately, some parts of the country seem to have been abandoned by the authorities. This is precisely why the European Commission has given Romania 30 days to put an end to illegal logging, threatening to initiate an infringement procedure unless things change within this deadline. The Liberal environment minister Costel Alexe told a press conference that the European Commission has been warning Romania ever since 2016:



    Costel Alexe: “Back in 2016 Romania was questioned as to why it did nothing to make sure the forest remains forest rather than a treasure to be grabbed by bandits. More than 3 years have passed since then, during which the European Commission has shown patience to all those in charge with this sector and this country. The European Commission has been waiting for 3 years for illegal logging in Romania to be ended. And do you know what I think? That Europe cared more about Romania’s forests than the previous Romanian governments did.”



    Last year, 3 environmental NGOs filed a complaint with the European Commission with respect to the destruction of tens of thousands of hectares of old and virgin forests. They argue that the authorities issue logging permits in protected, Natura 2000 sites, without assessing the impact of logging in those areas. Here is Catalina Radulescu, a lawyer for an NGO called Agent Green:



    Catalina Radulescu: “We are not speaking about one-off cases; the entire legislation and practice in Romania breaches the European legislation. Forests are managed under 10-year forest management plans, which must be approved only after adequate strategic environment assessment has been conducted, focusing of course, first and foremost, on biodiversity in the protected areas. And a ministry order must be passed before these plans can be implemented.”



    Some protected areas that have been subject to illegal logging look like battlefields after a war. And according to the Silva trade union federation, six forest rangers have been killed in the past few years, 2 of them last year alone, while 650 others were assaulted, beaten or shot at when they caught illegal loggers in the act.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • The Strambu Baiut primeval forests

    The Strambu Baiut primeval forests

    The forested area in Maramures County, northern Romania, is 290,000 hectares, accounting for 46% of the total surface area. In the old times, however, this was a region covered with thick, barely accessible forests that formed a natural fortress.



    The locals had developed a science of when and how to down trees, with a number of rituals performed before going into the forest. They used to believe that the wood from trees growing on the sunny side of the mountains was better, so when it came to building churches, houses or wind mills, they would pick the trees that had grown in sunlight in the middle of the forest. The trees were cut down in the first 2 months of the year, in periods with a full moon, so that the wood would be dry and protected from woodworms.



    The forest cover of Maramures is now dwindling. Environmental associations estimate that there are 250,000 hectares of old-growth forests in the Romanian Carpathians, accounting for only 3% of the total forest area. One such primeval forest is located in Strambu Baiut, in the Tibles Mountains. Thousands of different flora and fauna species, day and night birds coexist here in a delicate balance. The old treetops shelter over 10,000 species, ranging from unicellular organisms, fungi, plants, and insects, to large mammals, including boars, deer, chamoix, bears, lynxes and wolves. The local authorities want the region promoted as a tourist site, says Calin Ardelean, a project manager with Worldwide Wildlife Fund Romania:



    Calin Ardelean: “The primeval forests in Strambu Baiut, spreading around 3,000 hectares, are natural forests. This means that for hundreds of years they have been growing up naturally, with no human intervention whatsoever. There has been no wood harvesting, no thinning out of diseased or undesired trees, and so on. All processes take place here just as they did a thousand years ago, and this is the most important thing about this place, the fact that this is truly a living lab. We can conduct activities here that would be highly relevant in the context of climate change, research that could highlight the behavior of these natural ecosystems with respect to the climate changes caused by man.



    Strambu Baiut used to be a mining region, with gold extracted around the Lapus river sprigs ever since 1315. Since 1989, mining operations in the area have gradually declined, and the locals have started to look for jobs elsewhere. Last autumn the authorities launched a project aimed at preserving biodiversity and at promoting the local resources and values, to the benefit of the Lapus Mountains community. The goal is to switch from gold and silver mining to tourism development, in an attempt to secure incomes for the local community in the medium and long run, Calin Ardelean explains:



    Calin Ardelean: “We are trying to capitalise on all these and to turn forests into the gold of the local communities here. These old-growth forests are the golden forests of Maramures, the new gold of this region. WWF Romania has initiated the planning for local development in the Strambu Baiut area and Poiana Botizi village, which are very close to the protected area. We have run some studies on the environment services that can be provided in the protected area. We were surprised to find out that revenues from the direct exploitation of the resources there, that is of the wood and water, would reach around 250,000 euros, but on the other hand, if, as we intend to do, we focused on revenues from cultural services, such as tourism, scientific research, entertainment, education, the revenues would be around 10 million euros per year. Our goal is to put together the infrastructure needed for visiting this region, so as to help increase the number of tourists to some 10,000 people per year, by implementing this management plan.



    Tourism is one of the most common environment services used in order to capitalise on the protected area, environmentalists say. Promotion campaigns have already been initiated, and the implementation of the management plan is pending.



    The first step will be to ensure small-scale infrastructure in the protected area, e.g. theme routes, information boards, picnic areas, camping areas etc. The next step has to do with the larger-scale infrastructure, including accommodation facilities, museums, visitor centres. Groups of up to 20 tourists will be organised, accompanied by local guides, to make sure that nature is not tampered with, Calin Ardelean also says:



    Calin Ardelean: “These old-growth forests in Strambu Baiut area are mixed forests. There are many old trees, trees reaching their natural life span of 400-500 years, trees that have collapsed and died and make up the soil for the new generations. So in autumn and spring these forests are spectacular in terms of colours. In early spring beech trees are a strong vivid green, and in autumn they are golden yellow. The landscape is quite diverse, and the routes are designed so as to cross very different areas, precisely because these forests are not at all uniform, visually speaking. There are surprises at every step.



    More than one-quarter of Europes UNESCO-listed beech forests are located in Romania. Alongside other old-growth forests in Romania, the ones in Strambu-Baiut and Grosii Tiblesului were included in 2017 in the UNESCO world heritage list, ensuring tighter protection rules.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • November 29, 2019 UPDATE

    November 29, 2019 UPDATE

    REVOLUTION CASE In Romania, hearings in the trial in which the former president of Romania Ion Iliescu is charged with crimes against humanity, for his involvement in the December 1989 revolution, has been postponed for February 21, 2020, for procedural flaws. Apparently some subpoenas were returned on grounds that either the recipient was dead, or not found at the address. In the first hearing of the case at the High Court of Cassation and Justice on Friday, 3,516 people were subpoenaed, and around 600 of them appeared in Court. Former president Ion Iliescu was represented by his lawyer. The indictment was sent to judges in April. According to prosecutors, against the backdrop of the poor relations between Romania and the USSR after Prague, 1968, and as a result of the general state of public unrest, a dissident group formed, which sought to remove the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu from power, but to maintain Romania under Soviet influence. Prosecutors say this group was made up of civilians and military figures, all marginalised in some way by Ceausescu. Prosecutors also claim the group surrounding Ion Iliescu acted to take over political and military power in December 1989.



    NATO President Klaus Iohannis will take part on Tuesday and Wednesday in the NATO Leaders Meeting in London. According to the Presidency, the meeting takes place in the context of NATOs 70th anniversary. The agenda includes a working session in which the participants will discuss the Alliances priorities in the current international security context. The heads of state and government will also adopt decisions aimed at modernising and strengthening NATOs role in fighting current challenges and threats to Euro-Atlantic security. During the talks, President Iohannis will highlight Romanias contribution to the Alliance and will emphasise the need to bolster its determent and defence posture on the eastern flank and at the Black Sea. On Wednesday the Supreme Defence Council defined Romanias objectives for the NATO meeting.



    UNEMPLOYMENT The unemployment rate in the European Union in October was 6.3%, similar to the previous month and down from 6.7% in the corresponding month of 2018, the European Statistics Office (Eurostat) announced on Friday. This is the lowest unemployment rate in the EU since Eurostat has published monthly reports, namely January 2000. Romania is below the EU average, with a 4% unemployment rate last month, down from 4.1% in September 2019. The highest figures were reported in Greece (16.7% in August) and Spain (14.2%). At the opposite pole, the Czech Republic reported 2.2%, Germany 3.1% and Poland 3.2%.



    EUROPEAN COUNCIL At Fridays handover ceremony, the incoming president of the European Council, Charles Michel, of Belgium, said he wanted Europe to be “confident, self-assured and assertive, and “global leader of the Green Economy. According to AFP, one of the major immediate challenges will be to reach a consensus on the Unions long term climate goals by the next Summit of the European Council in mid-December. In turn, the outgoing president Donald Tusk said “Europe is the best place on Earth, at least as long as it remains a continent of freedom and rule of law, which is inhabited by a community aware of its history and culture. His message was that the common goal of the European leaders should be the unity of the EU. Charles Michel will serve as European Council President for 2 and a half years, and may only be re-elected once.



    PROTEST Hundreds protested on Friday in front of the Environment Ministry in Vienna, against illegal logging in Romania. Representatives of Agent Green, the organisation behind the protest, marched the streets of the Austrian capital city with a banner reading Save Romanian Primary Forest. They say that a number of Austrian companies illegally cut down millions of trees in Romania, and they must be held to account.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • The protection of forests in the Carpathian region

    The protection of forests in the Carpathian region

    The Carpathian Mountains, which stretch over 8 countries and 1,500 km, are Europes second largest mountain chain after the Alps. These mountains have a unique natural richness of a high biological value being home to numerous endangered species and the largest virgin forests in Europe. It is estimated that there are 300,000 hectares of quasi-virgin forests in these mountains, which is only a small part of the woods that once covered Europe. These include over 10,000 hectares of beech forests in eastern Slovakia and western Ukraine, which are part of UNESCOs heritage list, as well as some of the few still intact forests in Europe to be found in the southern part of the Romanian Carpathians. Over 24,000 hectares of beech forests from Romania have this year been added to UNESCOs World Heritage Sites.



    However, the Carpathians continue to be at threat as a result of human intervention, including the fragmentation of habitats, the disappearance of various species of plants and animals and the destruction of mountain rivers. For this reason, 14 years ago, the Carpathian countries decided to join efforts for the sustainable protection and development of the Carpathians by laying the foundations of the Carpathian Convention.



    In mid-October, Hungary hosted the fifth conference of this convention, which was also attended by Alina Szasz, public manager with the Brasov County Council:



    “Romania ratified the Carpathian Convention in 2006. This is an agreement between the countries crossed by the Carpathians, namely Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Poland and Romania, and its aim is to view the Carpathians as a single entity, without rivalries and borders. The Convention aims to ensure the management of cultural and natural resources and the creation of new jobs, always taking into account the people living in these regions. The Convention itself consists of 8 working groups: the sustainable preservation of biodiversity, regional development, agriculture and rural development, durable forestry management, industry, transport, infrastructure, sustainable tourism, culture and traditions and adjustment to climate change. Besides these 8 working groups, the Convention runs four additional protocols, namely for the sustainable usage and preservation of biodiversity, for sustainable forestry management, for sustainable tourism and transportation. The meetings, which take place every three years, discuss each protocol and article of the convention, as well as the positive aspects and the efforts made so far and that needs to be done in the future. Every country presents its efforts in the respective areas.”



    Starting this year, Romania will be hosting the Centre of Cooperation Platform for Sustainable Tourism within the Carpathian Convention, the first at national level and the third regional one, after the ones in Ukraine and Poland. A series of activities making use of the huge potential of the Carpathians will unfold here. All involved actors in the tourist sector will also try to identify the best ways of cooperation, particularly those who carry out their activity in mountainous areas. Alina Szasz explains:



    “We have presented in Lillafuered, Hungary, a programme that we have designed for the 2017-2020 timeframe. The programme has five major goals, including the management of a database that is constantly uploaded with the projects that have been developed or implemented in the Carpathians, as well as the existing financing sources. This way, all Territorial Administrative Units and NGOs in Romania, or those from across the Carpathian chain, have access to information about the projects that have been carried out in these mountainous regions, precisely to avoid running the same projects again and also to set examples of best practice. Apart from these five main goals, we have chosen 15 of the 27 activities included in the country action plan and 9 of the 24 activities included in the joint action plan of the signatory countries. These two action plans (the country plan and the joint plan of the signatory countries) are actually at the core of the sustainable tourism strategy. This strategy provides the framework and the actions that should be implemented across the Carpathian chain. Every country should establish what exactly it wants to achieve and what it really needs, depending on its level of development. Thus, we want to achieve a harmonious development.”



    The green watchdog WWF Romania has contributed various projects to the implementation of the Carpathian Convention, says Cristian Pap, WWF regional coordinator for protected areas:



    “We have implemented a project in the whole Carpathian eco-region, and have debated the issue of the sustainable use of natural resources. It refers to forests, all sorts of species of plants and animals, and waters. We are now carrying out a project to ensure the sustainable development of infrastructure at the Carpathians level. Our strategic partners in the project are the Environment Ministry and the Transport Ministry and we want to have, for instance, properly built highways, which pay attention to wildlife corridors and do not disrupt the movement of large animals to areas with a rich biodiversity. We refer to ecoducts and to those measures aimed at reducing the impact of highways or roads on the movement of big carnivores. In another move, huge steps have been taken to identify and protect primeval forests. We have also taken action in the field of climate change. Two weeks ago, in Hungary, for instance, a new form of the Convention was adopted, and it includes a new article that recognises how vulnerable the Carpathians are to climate change. According to this article, the signatories should implement actions meant to cushion the effects of climate change, for instance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The sides should also take measures of adaptation to climate change, whose effects are becoming visible.”



    Representatives of the seven countries who attended the meeting hosted by Hungary have arrived at the conclusion that cooperation is further needed to cope with the new challenges in the Carpathian region. The sixth Conference of the Parties of the Carpathian Convention is due in Poland, in 2020.