In their letter to Topolanek, released to CTK, the senators criticise the Environment Ministry headed by Martin Bursik (Greens, SZ) for insufficiently fighting bark beetle in Sumava and thereby threatening the national park, situated in south and west Bohemia along the German and Austrian border. Sumava, covering 69,000 hectares, is the largest national park in the Czech Republic. However, the Latest news - 30-06-2008 ...
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Human rights body criticises Czechs over Romanies, cage beds ... Environment Ministry said it cannot see a reason why the government should deal with the Sumava issues. The ministry pointed out that no forests for logging are concerned and that the activities in the park were not at variance with its mission so far, Jarmila Krebsova, from the ministry's press section, said. Senator Tomas Jirsa (ODS), mayor of Hluboka nad Vltavou, south Bohemia, and other signatories of the letter addressed to Topolanek were of a different view. "Measures against bark beetle have been taken for 200 years. Now they stopped all of a sudden, this is simply monkey business," Jirka told CTK. Along with him, the letter was signed by some ODS, junior ruling Christian Democrat (KDU-CSL) and opposition Social Democrat (CSSD) senators, including KDU-CSL chairman Jiri Cunek, deputy PM and local development minister, Senate deputy chairman Petr Pithart, Culture Minister Vaclav Jehlicka (both KDU-CSL), lower house deputy head Jiri Sneberger (ODS) and senator Jirina Rippelova (CSSD). Jirsa said even more senators would have supported the letter if they had been present in the Senate on Wednesday when the letter was signed. Disputes whether logging of bark beetle-hit trees should be allowed in the park's "first zones" of the strictest protection or whether the forest should develop spontaneously without human intervention have divided experts, the public and politicians in the long run.
(Ceske Noviny)
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