Bucharest-Ploiesti Hwy Hits Trees

Works at the Bucharest-Ploiesti highway might be delayed by almost two years because the procedure to obtain an approval to deforest part of a protected forest could take a long time.

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Construction works ceased two months ago because the highway’s route is supposed to pass through a forest that is included in the Natura 2000 project, the largest coherent network of protected areas in the world.

The Transports Ministry has not obtained the approval to deforest part of the forest situated in the Moara Vlasiei area.

“We have submitted the deforesting request with the Environment Ministry and in the next two weeks we expect to receive an answer on how to obtain it. One of the procedures implies conducting a survey on the action’s impact on the environment and could last up to a year. Afterwards the file is submitted for public debate, that lasts for 180 days and only afterwards can we obtain the deforesting approval,” said Stefan Szobotka, communication manager with the National Highways and National Roads Company, or CNADNR.

The official said another option includes a simplified procedure that would allow deforesting the respective area without receiving an environment approval.

Szobotka explained that the respective forest was included in the Natura 2000 network in October 2007, after the Transports Ministry finalized the project on building the highway.

Nagy Zoltan, head of the national agency for the protection of the environment said Tuesday that the highway construction works ceased at the margins of the respective forest.

He added that the forest is home to “a few species of small birds” but was unable to name them.

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