The Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property has accepted the request to include the upper reaches of the Ćehotina River in the territory of Pljevlja in planned protected areas, announced the non-governmental organization Eko-tim.
They remind that this request, submitted by the Eco-team, the Center for the Protection and Study of Birds, Dinarides Parks, Da zaživi selo, EnvPro, Legalis and the Montenegrin Society of Ecologists, was part of the public discussion process on the draft Spatial Plan of Montenegro until 2040.
"This information was confirmed in the report from the public hearing on the draft Spatial Plan, which, together with the report on the strategic environmental impact assessment, was submitted by the competent Ministry to the Environmental Protection Agency for approval," the statement reads.
The Eco-team says that this result represents a significant step in preserving the biodiversity and natural resources of Pljevlja, and that it is a unique opportunity for the development of abandoned villages that gravitate towards the upper reaches of the Ćehotina River.
"We call on the Municipality of Pljevlja to continue the procedure for establishing the nature park "Upper reaches of the Ćehotina River", in accordance with the Law on Nature Protection. The adoption of the Spatial Plan of Montenegro will create all the necessary preconditions for the formalization of protection. We also commend the efforts of the Municipality of Bijelo Polje, which is implementing the procedure for protecting part of the Ćehotina River on its territory. These two processes are complementary and enable the integral protection of the Ćehotina River, ensuring the preservation of water quality in Otilović Lake, which is crucial for the water supply of the population," said Milija Čabarkapa, Executive Director of Eco-team.
He said that nature protection in the area does not exclude sustainable development, but that the proposed zones enable sustainable use of resources, development of agriculture, tourism and infrastructure, in accordance with current legislation.
"I would like to remind you that the proposed area of the 'Upper reaches of the Ćehotina River' Nature Park covers 1.323 hectares, of which over 90% is located in the III protection zone. This zone enables sustainable use of resources in accordance with the Law on Nature Protection, including the development of settlements, infrastructure and agriculture. This means that protection will not limit but will stimulate the development of the local economy. Additionally, as much as 99% of this area is state-owned, which eliminates potential conflicts with private property. Of the total area, only 10 privately owned cadastral plots are located in the III zone and are in no way burdened with additional restrictions compared to existing legal provisions. Additionally, the proposed administrative boundaries of the Nature Park and the protection zone do not encroach on areas recognized as mineral deposits, such as Otilovići, Maoča and Mataruga. In this way, the protection of this area does not conflict with potential coal exploitation and other development plans," said Čabarkapa.
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