Czech activists call for Strasky´s dimissal as Sumava park head

They told Environment Minister Tomas Chalupa (Civic Democrats, ODS) that Strasky has ordered the logging at variance with law.

"If the cutting of trees continued on Tuesday, we would meet outside the Government Office on Wednesday morning to ask Prime Minister [Petr Necas, ODS] to intervene," activist Jan Skalnik said.

Chalupa said he has called a discussion meeting for August 24 to set clear rules for the SNP economic management.

He said he will leave it up to the SNP management how to solve the situation in Sumava´s Na ztracenem locality where the tree blockade took place in the past weeks, attracting the media´s attention.

The environmentalists insist that the locality, one of the park´s most valuable, must be left to spontaneous development. The SNP management and local municipalities´ representatives say the beetle-hit trees must be cut and bark stripped from them in order to stop the bark-beetle calamity and prevent its further outbreak.

A round table discussion about the Na ztracenem locality, organised by Strasky on Chalupa´s request, will be held in Modrava, one of the municipalities involved, tonight.

Chalupa today emphasised again that Strasky has his confidence.

Strasky, in an interview on Czech Television, said he does not deny the activists´ right to express their opinion, but he is surprised that they demonstrated today, a few hours ahead of the round table meeting.

"I´m afraid this event will unfavourably influence the atmosphere, purpose and result of the negotiations this evening," he said.

During the weekend, the SNP managers and activists separately monitored the Na ztracenem locality and bark-beetle´s development. If it is confirmed that the beetle´s larvae have been killed by parasites, viruses and blight and that the beetles will no hatch and attack further trees, the management would stop barking the afflicted trees. Further steps are to be decided on today.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz