The Minister of Environment and Water Asen Lichev announced five century-old trees protected in the territorial scope of RIEW-Stara Zagora and RIEW-Blagoevgrad.

By order of the Minister, the common chestnut (Castanea sativa) in the yard of the church “St. Martyr George” in the village of Enina, Kazanlak municipality, Stara Zagora region, was declared protected. The chestnut is 184 years old, with a height of 25m and a trunk circumference of 3.57m.

The other four century-old trees declared protected are within the territorial scope of RIEW-Blagoevgrad. A 270-year-old eastern plane tree (Platanus orientalis) with a height of 21m and a trunk circumference of 5.73m in the village of Dolna Gradeshnitsa, Kresna municipality, Blagoevgrad district, was declared protected. Three quercus coccifera trees in the village of Kalimantsi, Sandanski municipality, Blagoevgrad district, have also been placed under protection. The first is 220 years old, with a height of 7.5m and a trunk circumference of 1.29m, the second - 240 years old, with a height of 6m and a trunk circumference of 1.39m. The last quercus coccifera declared protected constitutes of two trunks with common roots, it is 175 years old and 7.2m high.

The order of the Minister prohibits the uprooting, felling, pruning, breaking of branches, injury to the stem and any other action that would lead to the destruction, damage or deterioration of the physical condition of the trees. They will be added to the registers according to the requirements of the Biodiversity Act and marked as century-old trees.

Timely and organized protection of century-old trees in urban areas is one of the priorities of the MOEW, which aims to raise public awareness and institutional care for the protection of urban green environment.