Letter from North Corfu Mayor to Government requesting that Erimitis be declared a reforestable area
Erimitis
20 Aug 2020
/ 14:12
CORFU. North Corfu Mayor Giorgos Mahimaris sent a letter to the responsible Ministries, Regional Governor Rodi Kratsa, relevant services and Corfu MPs requesting that Erimitis be declared a reforestable area.
Amongst other things the Mayor says in his letter:
"The area of Erimitis in North Corfu belongs to and has been included in the Ministry of Culture's list of protected areas of special natural beauty.
Despite this, part of the area was made available in the Memorandum for a euphemistically termed investment without taking into account, on the one hand, its characterisation as an area of special natural beauty and, on the other, the strong opposition of the people of Corfu.
Regarding the protection of the environment and this specific forest area of special natural beauty we wish to cite:
1. Article 117, paragraph 3 of the Constitution, which declares that public or private forests and forest areas which have been destroyed or are being destroyed by fire or in any other way have been deforested or are being deforested do not lose the designation they had before they were destroyed and are mandatorily declared reforestable and cannot be made available for anything else.
2. In other relevant articles and provisions it is stated that every deforested public or private forest area is mandatorily declared reforestable based on objective confirmation of the constitutional requirements."
In conclusion, the letter requests:
"1. That the Erimitis area in North Corfu, which was destroyed by fire on 16 August 2020, be declared reforestable.
2. Photo image of the same forest area with a topographic sign from the Forestry Commission.
The reason for declaring the above area as reforestable is in order to maintain its designation as forest area and the restoration by natural or technical means of the trees and vegetation which were destroyed by the fire and to prevent it from being made available for any other use.
The restoration of the area will be with the same types of trees and vegetation which existed and it must be forbidden to corrupt the area with other types of trees and vegetation which are unnatural for the location.
In conclusion, regarding the cause of the fire, teams from the Fire Department and the Justice Department, in whom we have complete confidence, are investigating the matter in depth."
"The area of Erimitis in North Corfu belongs to and has been included in the Ministry of Culture's list of protected areas of special natural beauty.
Despite this, part of the area was made available in the Memorandum for a euphemistically termed investment without taking into account, on the one hand, its characterisation as an area of special natural beauty and, on the other, the strong opposition of the people of Corfu.
Regarding the protection of the environment and this specific forest area of special natural beauty we wish to cite:
1. Article 117, paragraph 3 of the Constitution, which declares that public or private forests and forest areas which have been destroyed or are being destroyed by fire or in any other way have been deforested or are being deforested do not lose the designation they had before they were destroyed and are mandatorily declared reforestable and cannot be made available for anything else.
2. In other relevant articles and provisions it is stated that every deforested public or private forest area is mandatorily declared reforestable based on objective confirmation of the constitutional requirements."
In conclusion, the letter requests:
"1. That the Erimitis area in North Corfu, which was destroyed by fire on 16 August 2020, be declared reforestable.
2. Photo image of the same forest area with a topographic sign from the Forestry Commission.
The reason for declaring the above area as reforestable is in order to maintain its designation as forest area and the restoration by natural or technical means of the trees and vegetation which were destroyed by the fire and to prevent it from being made available for any other use.
The restoration of the area will be with the same types of trees and vegetation which existed and it must be forbidden to corrupt the area with other types of trees and vegetation which are unnatural for the location.
In conclusion, regarding the cause of the fire, teams from the Fire Department and the Justice Department, in whom we have complete confidence, are investigating the matter in depth."
