SmartBirds
Pictures – Dimitar Gradinarov BSPB
A protest against the investment proposal was held in front of the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water (RIEW) in Haskovo. The decisive votes in the Environmental Expert Council came from the representative of Krumovgrad Municipality and the mayors of the affected villages, who voted against the project. The Director of RIEW–Haskovo is expected to endorse the Council’s decision.
The Environmental Expert Council at the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water (RIEW) – Haskovo did not approve the implementation of an investment proposal for the construction of a wind farm within the Krumovitsa Protected Zone. After more than three hours of deliberations, the Council voted against the project by 11 votes to 7.
The representatives of Krumovgrad Municipality, the mayors of the villages whose territories are affected by the proposed development, and the representative of the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) on the Council all voted against the plan to install 26 wind turbines, each with a total height of 249 metres.
Among the main arguments presented were that the existing grazing land in the area is already insufficient to meet the needs of local livestock farmers and should not be further reduced for the construction of a wind farm. They also argued that the installation of the turbines would irreversibly alter the landscape and undermine the region’s potential for developing nature-based tourism. During the discussions, the mayors also recalled the strong opposition expressed by local residents during the public consultations, as well as through a petition signed by 500 people from the affected communities.
Our colleague Dr Volen Arkumarev also voted against the proposal. As a member of the Environmental Expert Council, he once again presented the BSPB’s formal objection to the project, including 20 scientific publications by Bulgarian and international researchers published in peer-reviewed international journals, as well as GPS tracking data from tagged vultures demonstrating that the birds regularly use the area designated for the proposed wind farm.
Before the Council meeting, a protest gathered in front of the RIEW–Haskovo building, bringing together people opposing the destruction of the Krumovitsa Protected Zone, which is a key area for vulture populations and many other protected bird species. More than 5,000 citizens have already expressed their opposition to the project by signing a petition organised by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds.
The final decision now rests with the Director of RIEW Haskovo, who, based on the recommendation of the Expert Environmental Council, may either refuse or approve the implementation of the project.
