site.btaWWF Argues that Preservation of Mount Pirin National Park Requires Rejecting Draft New Management Plan

Sofia, January 29 (BTA) - Experts from the WWF argue that in order to preserve the Mount Pirin National Park, the draft new plan for its management should be rejected. The environmentalists say that the plan, which provides for major construction in the area, tries to hide ambitions for cutting down and selling centuries-old forests in the mountain.

Speaking at a BTA-hosted news conference on Monday, WWF's Katerina Rakovska said that many hotels in the nearby Bansko winter resort are closed in the summer and work only during the skiing season. Rakovska also spoke about decreasing population in the town and dropping property prices.

WWF released a report which recommends developing year-round tourism in Bansko.

A demand by the business to have a second gondola lift built in Bansko has been met by divided opinions, with environmentalists staging numerous rallies against the idea.