The Minister of Environment and Water Rositsa Karamfilova issued orders declaring two new protected areas “Tufesta ostritsa” in the land of the village of Gorno Varshilo, Septemvri municipality, Pazardzhik region and protected area “Dolno Cherkovishte” in the land of the village of Dolno Cherkovishte, Stambolovo municipality, Haskovo region.

The protected area “Tufesta ostritsa” has an area of 6,889 decares and was declared on proposal by the Regional Inspectorate for Environmental Protection - Pazardzhik in accordance with the Protected Areas Act in order to protect an endangered plant species - Tufesta ostritsa (Carex elata) and its habitat.

Activities are prohibited in the protected area that may lead to the destruction of specimens of the plant species and its habitat, such as: change of land use and permanent land use; construction except for maintenance, repair and reconstruction of existing facilities; ploughing; grazing, etc.

The protected area “Dolno Cherkovishte” covers 4691,116 decares and was declared on proposal by the Municipality of Stambolovo, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, the Nature Conservation Association “Biosphere”, and the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation, and supported by the Regional Environmental Protection Agency - Haskovo.

The protected area was declared with the aim of protecting the habitats of protected, rare and endangered plant and animal species. The plant species include White Snake Grass (Goniolimon collinum), Rumelianum (Trachelium rumelianum), Gentle Lop (Verbascum humile), Black Sea Buckeye (Fritillaria pontica), and others.

Animal species include rainforest lizard (Salamandra salamandra), large (brown) toad (Bufo bufo), spiny softshell turtle (Testudo graeca), spiny softshell turtle (Testudo hermanni), common bog turtle (Emys orbicularis) green lizard (Lacerta viridis), Egyptian vulture (Neophron precnopterus), Black vulture (Aegipius monachus), Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetus), Imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca), Short-toed hawk (Accipiter brevipes), Mediterranean falcon (Falco eleonorae) and others, as well as for the conservation of the characteristic and remarkable landscape.

Activities that may lead to the disturbance and destruction of the protected species, to the damage and destruction of their habitats, as well as of the natural features of the landscape are not allowed. In this regard, construction and other activities leading to alteration of the landscape are prohibited in the protected area, with the exception of: maintenance, repair and reconstruction of existing roads and other facilities, as well as construction of eco-trails and adjacent infrastructure elements, etc.

The promulgation of both orders in the State Gazette is forthcoming.