The Velykomostivska community is selling approximately 211 hectares of land for agricultural use. However, there is an important nuance—these are plots of land on which the creation of the Kavy botanical reserve of local importance has already been planned.
According to the Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group (UNCG), land surveyors have prudently changed the designation of the territories at the request of the city council. In this way, the picturesque protected lands have become arable land on paper.
Three centuries without human influence
The land of the future reserve is a unique place with meadows, swamps, and natural and primeval forests. The local soil has not been cultivated for over 300 years, which has allowed wild plants to grow freely.
Among the representatives of the local flora are numerous species from the Red Book that need protection. The status of a botanical reserve was supposed to protect them from destruction.
Criminal intentions
Untouched lands have already been put up for sale on the Prozorro system. However, some members of the community did not wait for such formalities as the conclusion of contracts. They decided to prepare picturesque forests and meadows for agricultural cultivation ahead of time.
According to UNCG, forest trees have already been uprooted in some areas. This, in turn, has led to a violation of the protective strip regime.
Environmental activists are convinced that this is by no means an oversight or an unfortunate bureaucratic misunderstanding.
"This is not a mistake, but a deliberate action by the Velykomostivska OTG. In response to our appeal not to destroy nature and to comply with the law, they replied that they would not change their decision to destroy and plow everything," emphasize environmentalists.
In its weekly digest of crimes against the environment, EcoPolitic reported that the Sheptytskyi District Prosecutor's Office is currently investigating the Kavy reserve case. They are identifying the officials involved in illegal decisions regarding protected lands.
