Romanian shepherd accused of building a road in protected mountain area
A Romanian shepherd illegally entered the mountain with an excavator in a Natura 2000 protected area in the Făgăraș Mountains, making a road hundreds of meters long to build a sheepfold. The Environmental Guard, the Gendarmerie, and the National Agency for Protected Natural Areas came for an inspection following complaints made by environmental activists.
When contacted by journalists, the shepherd reportedly claimed he did not know he was in a protected area. Moreover, he said that he received permission from a local mayor who, in turn, does not recall if he signed the construction permit for the road.
The place where the shepherd built his 500-meter road is approximately 1,800 meters high, near the Moldoveanu Peak.
“Whether he has a permit or not, of course, the landowner needs to be verified, and if the authorities have issued regulatory acts in this regard,” said Alex Vâjan, Director of the Argeș Environmental Guard, cited by Euronews Romania. Authorizations need to come from several state institutions, including local administration and agencies charged with protected natural areas.
However, Gabriel Heffner, president of the National Agency for Protected Natural Areas, said no authorization was issued by the ANANP Territorial Service in Argeș for the road.
Greenpeace Romania drew attention to the illegal road being built in the Făgăraș Mountains earlier this month.
“A local entrepreneur, who most likely wants to establish a sheepfold, operating with the tacit agreement of the mayor of Arefu, has begun constructing a road on the mountain ridge in a protected area where mountain peonies, edelweiss, and marmots are found,” the NGO said on Facebook.
“ANANP also confirmed that the area is not only in the Natura 2000 site but also in the Moldoveanu-Capra alpine reserve. After the documentation is completed, the Gendarmerie's report will be forwarded to the Argeș County Police Inspectorate and the Police in Curtea de Argeș for resolution of the case and accountability of those who carried out the work,” it added.
Alex Găvan, high altitude climber and environmentalist, also confirmed the situation in a post on social media. "Without any kind of documentation and authorizations, without complying with the law, a sheepfold owner with the tacit consent of the local administration [...], cut a road in the area of the Muşeteica peak, destroying the mountain over a length of approximately 500 meters," he said, noting that legal procedures are now being followed.
Local farmers were the ones who made the first complaints. “There was never a sheepfold there because it is very hard to access, you don't have wood nearby for fire and other needs, and there are no roads,” said Cornel Ion Turcu, a local farmer.
Confronted by journalists, Simion Nicolae, the shepherd, said he received permission from Arefu town hall. The mayor of Arefu, however, is uncertain if he gave the authorization. Nevertheless, he sees no problem in building a road there.
“Ceaușescu entered the mountain with a bulldozer and made the Transfăgărășan, and everyone uses it,” said mayor Stoican Gheorghe. He also says that he cannot locate the authorization, but that he will find it.
This is not the only road that cuts through Romania’s forests and other protected areas. Greenpeace's calculations show that the total area of forest exploitation roads reaches approximately 500,000 hectares. This is out of a national forest fund of 7 million hectares. In this area there are strictly protected species, from the edelweiss flower and the mountain peony to wild animals.
(Photo source: Greenpeace Romania on Facebook)
