There will be no construction on the part of Ćemovsko Polje where a fire recently "cleaned out" the trees for at least another decade, if the position of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is respected, that there is no construction on the burned territory until biodiversity is restored.
Experts told "Vijesti" that this would take at least ten years.
This position, however, does not have to be respected in practice, since the law does not provide for such a possibility for “urban forests”.
Two years ago, the parliament adopted an act that was supposed to put an end to the "investment" fires, but it never came into effect in practice: according to the procedure, after adoption, the law must be signed by the president of the state, and since everything happened immediately after the second round of the 2023 presidential elections and the replacement of the head of state, this intention of the parliament remained a dead letter...
"The issues that are the subject of your interest are prescribed by the Forest Law. As we have previously informed the public, a zero biodiversity status will be required for any impact assessment on burned lands, until the vegetation and wildlife on the burned lands are restored and returned to their previous state, wherever possible. Where biodiversity is not restored, the Agency will not issue approvals for environmental impact assessment projects," the institution it heads told "Vijesti". Milan Gazdić.
For days, the fire elements have been "swallowing" the Ćemovsko polje in Podgorica, the forests on Lovćen, but also in the hinterland of Luštica, Nikšić, Bijelo Polje, and Plužine, and according to the assessments of firefighters on the ground, these are arson fires.
A large part of the public believes that the deliberate setting of fires is not accidental, but that a rapid start of construction can be expected at some of these locations.
This is supported by infamous examples from an earlier period - for example, on the slopes of Spas Hill above Budva, after a fire more than 15 years ago, villas began to "sprout". Now the area is threatened by a landslide...
A LAW WHICH DOES NOT EXIST IN BUSINESS ZONES
"Any activity that prevents the restoration of a burned forest is prohibited for a period of 30 years from the date of the fire," read a provision that was supposed to protect nature, but which never took root in the state's legal system.
The initiator of the amendments to the Forest Law was a member of the Right of Montenegro party Marko Milacic, who then requested, and his colleagues supported, a ban on changing the use of burned forest land for a period of 30 years from the date of the fire.
The current Forest Law from 2024 states that the change of use of forests to construction or other land can only be implemented if it is planned in a state planning document or a spatial and urban plan of local self-government units.
"The change of purpose referred to in paragraph 1 of this article on burned forest areas may be carried out at least twenty years after the time of the forest fire," the current regulation states.
The part of Ćemovsko polje that was affected by the fire, the Capital City explains, will be treated with the Local Study of the “Central Business District” location, the preparation of which was ordered by the Government in June last year.
They specify that this is an area along the main road Podgorica-Bar. They also state that the development of a Detailed Urban Plan for the "Central Activities Zone" is planned, and that this area, according to the Spatial and Urban Plan of Podgorica, is treated largely as an IP zone (industry and production)...
"In recent days, we have unfortunately witnessed a large number of fires in the territory of Podgorica, and the largest was in Ćemovsko polje. What is clear is that the cause is the human factor and that the fires are most often set ablaze... We would like to point out that preserving the green fund and increasing green areas is high on the city administration's priority list, and unfortunate events like this oblige us even more to work on preserving nature, both through strengthening mechanization, maintaining public areas, and through education and identifying the perpetrators of these acts. At the specific location of Ćemovsko polje, a large area was burned, and experts will assess the situation and determine to what extent we will be able to work on revitalizing and restoring this terrain," the Capital City responded to "Vijesti".
“NO DATA, NO RESPONSIBILITY”
Professor at the Faculty of Science and Mathematics, University of Montenegro Vladimir Pešić He told "Vijesti" that fires have multiple effects on the biodiversity of the affected areas.
"It takes up to 10 years for communities to recover, which depends on many factors, including the climate zone, but also the dominant types of vegetation and other communities," said Professor Pešić.
The problem for Montenegro, he warns, is the fact that there is no monitoring of species, even in protected areas.
"The state has no data, which suits it. No data - no responsibility. We have no general idea of what is disappearing or what remains," said Professor Pešić.
Vujisić: Early fire detection system needed
Environmental activist and one of the initiators of the Čuvaj.me platform Vuk Vujisic says that a camera system for early fire detection needs to be installed on Ćemovsko polje.
"In all possible positions, especially on hills or repeaters where there is already a network and power supply. It is imperative to increase the speed of prosecuting those responsible for fires. We have had many announcements and proposals for laws that would provide better fire protection, but they have not been implemented or voted on and entered into legal circulation. There was a proposal to ban construction on burned areas, which was supposed to contribute to reducing investor fires, but due to the political crisis and the failure to sign the law, it is not in legal circulation according to the information I have," Vujisić emphasized.
He specified that in another part of Ćemovsko polje, as part of the "Watch Out, Let It Watch Over You" campaign, together with the Capital City, and with the support of the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, a system of cameras with sensors will be established.
"Which, together with the actions of the Municipal Police, will prevent illegal dumping of waste and tires and thus contribute to reducing the risk of fire, if this system comes to life... The plan is to install cameras on Srpštanska Gora and Lješkopoljska Gorica as part of the same campaign," said Vujisić.
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