Ski race organizers criticized for stealing snow

Pavel Baroch
13. 2. 2008 9:00
Moving snow from nature reserves breaches law
This is the way to get snow for professional world skiiers
This is the way to get snow for professional world skiiers | Foto: Ondřej Duda

Prague - The Nordic Ski World Cup in Vesec in northern Bohemia is causing lots of negative reactions even before it starts this coming weekend.

Its organizers were accused of breaking the law by moving big amounts of snow away from the Preserved Landscape Areas in Jizerské Mountain (Chráněná krajinná oblast - CHKO).

At the same time they annoyed many tourists and authorities because the snow was taken from public cross country trails as well.

The two kilometer trail near Liberec where the cross country skiing contest is to take place remained without snow a week before the race, leaving the organizers in a position where they decided to transport snow from surrounding areas.

Heavy machinery in action

They decided to use heavy machinery to transport snow from the Preserved Landscape Area and public areas in a higher altitude to ensure about 10 thousand cubic metres of snow that were needed.

"The Nature Preservation Act forbids all of the motor vehicles from entering nature reserves outside of the roads. The only exception is when the Czech government grants a special permission," says Vladimir Vrsecký from the Nature Reserve of Jizerské hory.

Vrsecký claims that the organizers did not even apply for the permission. The head of the CHKO Jiří Husek says that one member of the organizing team was even warned during a personal meeting with the authority that in case they start taking snow away from the CHKO, they would be breaking the law.

The Authority is at this moment about to start a legal procedure that is to decide about the fine organizing committee will have to pay. 

The organizers were not looking for snow only in nature reserves but also at public trails where they did not need any special permission.

Spoiling fun for holiday-makers

Their snow collection, however, spoils the fun for many of mountain visitors who cannot enjoy their ski vacation.

The Ministry of Environment criticized the organizers yesterday.

Bagr odhrabuje sníh z Jizerské lyžařské magistrály.
Bagr odhrabuje sníh z Jizerské lyžařské magistrály. | Foto: Ondřej Duda

"Winter sports are very popular and I do cross country skiing myself. But it is a sport that is very dependent on weather. You cannot solve the bad weather conditions by bringing thousands of liters of snow by heavy trucks from hundred kilometers away. The organizers of the World Cup prevented the public from enjoying this sport themselves," said Deputy Minister František Pelc. 

"Heavy machines are taking the snow away to bring it to a two kilometer trail in Vesec for dozens of professional skiers. And they leave a completely destroyed public trail behind that normally serves thousands of recreational skiers," complains Ondřej Duda who runs a Bed&Breakfast in Jizerské hory.

Duda said that on Friday and Saturday, the machines picked all the snow from about one kilometer part of the main ski trail.

Local authorities and the CHKO Authority received many complaints about the Ski Cup organizers. "Their behavior is immoral towards the recreational skiers," said Vladimír Vrsecký from the Jizerské hory CHKO Authority .
 

 

Právě se děje

Další zprávy