In relation to inquiries by interested parties, the deadline has been extended until 16.09.2022 for submission of opinions, proposals, recommendations, and comments on the proposed general, priority, specific, and detailed environmental protection objectives for the two protected areas located in the Kresna Gorge area (protected area for habitats BG0000366 “Kresna – Ilindentsi” and protected area for birds BG0002003 “Kresna”).

Pursuant to Contract No. D-30-14/07.04.2020, the specific and detailed nature protection objectives for the two protected areas have been developed and can be downloaded here: https://www.moew.government.bg/bg/priroda /projects/other-projects/ .

Pursuant to Recommendation 212 (2021) by the Standing Committee of the Berne Convention, the same were considered within a working group formed by Order of the Minister of Environment and Water, in which representatives of the scientific institutes of the Bulgarian Academy of Science (BAS), universities, the National Museum of Natural History, and non-governmental organizations, who had submitted the proposals for the protected areas. Permanent observers to the process were representatives of the European Commission and the Road Infrastructure Agency. All meetings were public and their video recordings are published on the website of the Ministry of Environment and Water at: https://www.moew.government.bg/bg/prescentur/aktualno/

With the Minutes from the meeting of 20.06.2022 the working group adopted a draft of the general, priority, specific, and detailed environmental protection objectives of protected areas BG0000366 “Kresna – Ilindentsi” and BG0002003 “Kresna”. Within the working group, changes have been made to the specific and detailed protection goals for the two protected areas, compared to those originally developed under Contract D-30-14/07.04.2020, and have also been supplemented with the general goals of the two protected areas, according to their announcement orders and priority goals (environmental protection priorities) on proposal by the National Museum of Natural History at the BAS and environmental protection NGOs.

The full text of the general, priority, specific, and detailed protection objectives for the two protected areas, adopted as a draft by the working group, as well as the minutes of the meeting from 20.06.2022 are available at: https:/ /www.moew.government.bg/bg/obstestveni-obsujdaniya-na-razraboteni-obsti-prioritetni-specifichni-i-podrobni-prirodozastitni-celi-na-nivo-zastitena-zona-za-zastitena-zona-bg0000366-kresna -ilindenci-i-zastitena-zona-bg0002003-kresna/