20 January 2016, 15:09
National parks should be created in the territories of government residences in Prykarpattia and Kyiv region.
The Information Office learned from the Secretariat of the Committee on Environmental Policy, Nature Resources Utilization and Elimination of the Consequences of Chornobyl Catastrophe that the Committee is concerned over the situation with newly created sites of the natural reserve fund. There is a tendency when promulgated by the Decrees of the President of Ukraine sites of the natural reserve fund remain as such only on paper, despite the huge scientific and administrative work, which had been carried out at all levels for their promulgation.
In particular, as far back as in 2008 pursuant to the Decree of the President of Ukraine V. Yuschenko No. 1129/2008 “On the expansion of network and territories of national parks and other natural reserve sites" should have been created national parks Zalissia, Beloozerskyi, Syniohora (former hunting residences), Dniprovsko-Teterivskyi (residence of the society of hunters and fishermen Kedr) and others.
Committee Chairperson Mykola Tomenko said that as of today the above national parks have not been created, and the reason is not always in the financial and administrative problems, because considerable funds for maintenance of state residences are annually allocated in the State Budget of Ukraine. And the share of nature reserves in the country is several times lower compared with the countries of the European Union and does not meet current requirements and European standards.
Also, according to M. Tomenko, protraction in the completion of works on creation of national parks reduces the recreational, scientific and aesthetic value of some territories of Ukraine, and is a threat to preservation of the natural diversity of landscapes, the genetic pool of flora and fauna, maintenance of general ecological balance.
Chairperson of the Committee addressed the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, the State Forestry Agency, the State Affairs Departments and the Kyiv and Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administrations with a request to inform the Committee on the implementation of the process of these national parks creation.