Vallant.si Foundation

Petition for Protection of Slovenia's Nature 

Situation in Slovenia's nature, especially in hill and mountain forests has reached such alarming and dramatic level, that immediate action is needed to protect it. If you want to know more about it's beauty, problems and why we decided to start campaign and the petition check our Video & Audio podcasts, Photos and read our blog at http://vallant.biz/blog/wildlifecast.

Please, sign this petition to help us protect Slovenia's nature!

Signers appeal at:

• President of the Republic of Slovenia Dr. Danilo Türk,
• Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia Mr Borut Pahor,
• President of National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia Mr Pavle Gantar,
• parliamentary partys  of National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia,
• Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning of the Republic of Slovenia Mr Karl Erjavec,
• Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food of the Republic of Slovenia Mr Milan Pogačnik,

• Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Slovenia Mr Katarina Kresal,

• General director of  Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia Dr Silvo Žlebir,

• Mairs of Slovenian Communities,
• Slovenia Hunting Association,
• Slovenia Forest Service,
• Slovenian popular and important personalities,
• Slovenian media, public and civil society,
• European Parliament
• President of Committee for Environment, Public Health and Food Safety of European Parliament Mr Miroslava Ouzkýa,
• Commissioners for Environment of European Commission Mr Stavros Dimas,
• Executive Director of European Environment Agency Ms Prof. Jacqueline McGlade,

that, they put their effort in that:

• function of ombudsman for environment is established in Republic of Slovenia;
• legally permitted feeling and transporting of logs in Slovenia's woods is only in winter months, when the land is frozen and covered with snow so their is minimal impact and damage on the land, environment and wild animals;
• there is only sustainable development and management of forests in Slovenia and that amounts of logging is immediately reduced, because at the moment it's achieving unbelievable amounts, because the demand and price of wood has never been so high;
• its's forbidden to use wood for central heating and energy production, or at least state doesn't encourages and subsides use of wood for central heating and energy production;
• there is immediately a ban on selling and use of mineral oils for lubrication of chainsaws or, at least, there is legal and tax stimulation for trade and use of bio-degradable oils for lubrication of chainsaws and all indisputably ecological friendly equipment and machines for logging and transport of logs;
• their is immediate ban on using of automated forest machines for logging and transport of logs in Slovenia, because use of them causes ecological and environmental damage;
• their is legal regulation of choosing and using of logging and log transport equipment in a way that doesn't causes environmental and ecological damage and pollution;
• responsible bodies and agencies start to constantly and regularly supervise condition in Slovenia's nature and take suitable steps against all infringers;
• state finally speeds up and completes previous procedures of determining of protected areas and natural parks, that they drag for too long, and that it adds to this areas also those, which were excluded and new ones;
• state increases areas, as is for instance primeval forest or those, which are near to natural state or which can be reverted to primeval state and than left to natural development without the influence of man. These areas should be spread more often as islands, which positively influence natural development and biological diversity in their surroundings;
• state begins encouraging, fiscally and with subventions, purchase of areas with intention of permanent reinstating in primeval state, left only to natural development without influence of human;
• they are immediately started and subsidized projects of re-population of extinct species, predators in certain areas, as for e.g. lynx, wolf and bear on Pohorje. That natural balance is established again and damage caused by too big population of certain species, for e.g. dear, is reduced. When possible repopulated spices, predators are caught and transported from areas, where they are causing problems because of their numerosity, which is undoubtedly better solution then killing them;
• at all ecological problems, preparing of legislature, determining of protected areas, determining numbers of hunted animals, etc., there must be authorized cooperation of state bodies, responsible institutions, experts, local community, civil society, environmental organizations and public, that optimal and compromise solutions are reached;
• where damage and conflicts with wild animals (as are for e.g. bear, wolf and lynx) are occurring, state authorizes and subsides following protective nonviolent measures, rules of conduct and protective means:
  • rules of conduct at encounter with wild animals; 
  • defensive pepper spray for endangered inhabitants;
  • suitable protective electric fences for residence areas, pastures and fields;
  • preventing that wild animals get their food from humans, with inaccessible garbage bins, abolition of feeding places and all other possibilities of contact and resulting conflict between wild animals and humans;
  • nonviolent chase of problem animals from settled areas, without killing them, with use of pepper spray, noise or rubber bullets, in utmost case the animal is temporarily sedated and transported to other area, etc.; 
• development and subsidizing of new ski resorts and lines under 1500m, eco unfriendly economy and tourism in nature is stopped, that instead of this development of eco friendly economy and tourism is encouraged;

Signers commit them self that:

• we'll strive, on peaceful and nonviolent manner, for above listed points and will try to involve our surroundings, relatives, friends and acquaintances;
• we won't cause noise, disturb wild animals and leave garbage in nature;
• we won't drive with motorcycles, quads, ATVs and snowmobiles around nature, marked hiking tracks, chutes and forest rodes, where traffic with them is prohibited;
• we'll confront, document (with photography and video) and report to authorities all above listed violations and violators, where ever we find them;
• we'll take care, that we produce as little garbage as possible, we'll sort and dispose it separately, so it gets recycled as much as possible;
• we'll take care during all our activities, purchases, heating and energy consumptions, etc., that we choose services and products, which have minimal emissions of CO₂, greenhouse gases, ozone, and their influence on environment and climate is little as possible.