Threat to survival of Spanish bears

[lisaS]

Hello all, just found this forum while actually searching digiscoping. Anyway, here's my first post - I know it's not in Britain but the world is getting smaller. Appreciate any support.

The Spanish government is contemplating allowing the go ahead of the building of a ski resort in the Cordillera Cantábrica mountains of N.Spain. The area concerned is slap in the middle of the 2 existing populations of Iberian brown bear - only some 140 individuals of a distinct sub-species. The project would be funded by the EU, an organisation that is also responsible for the laws "protecting" the indigenous wildlife - specifically Natura 2000. The (unknown) construction company and local government in question are proposing amending these laws to permit the building of lifts, carparks, hotels, restaurants etc. all at a relatively low-altitude where the use of artificial snow machines would be necessary.
An official petition; Plataforma en Defensa de San Glorio (in Spanish)
and an unofficial; http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/418999897 (in English)
are taking signatures to be sent to the Spanish minister for the environment.

[aeshna5]

Typical non-joined up thinking by the EU- funding one project- wildlife preservation + then with the other hand aiming to destroy the very same thing by funding these ill thought out projects.

My worry is for some of the magnificent wildlife sites in parts of eastern Europe that have recently joined the EU.

I'll certainly add my signature to this + hope it makes a difference.

[nightshade]

I would have thought that in the light of climate change
the building of a ski resort requiring massive carbon use
to produce snow was a total nonsense,better build an
eco-tourist attraction around the bears

[Seajay]

Originally Posted by nightshade

I would have thought that in the light of climate change
the building of a ski resort requiring massive carbon use
to produce snow was a total nonsense,better build an
eco-tourist attraction around the bears

Quite right Nightshade! We have 8,000 members lets have 8,000 signing the petition! Lets start making our presence felt for all wildlife!

[lisaS]

Exactly, nightshade. The crazy thing is there are already 2 ski stations serving the largest local populations of Santander and Oviedo. These serve for day trips (or at the most, weekends) when there's snow and for longer piste skiing holidays, people head for the higher Pyrenees or the Alps. This proposal is unnecessary, unsustainable speculation. Another crazy thing - the bear is used as a logo for province marketing!