Abruzzo has practically erased a nature reserve:the citizens don't agree

After a night blitz by the centre-right majority parties, the Abruzzo Regional Council gave the green light to an amendment which overturned the Borsacchio Reserve.The natural area, which extended over 1,100 hectares with its centuries-old woods, between Roseto degli Abruzzi and the hamlets of Cologna Spiaggia and Montepagano, has in fact been reduced by 98%, to less than 25 hectares.The territory of the Reserve is one of the last stretches of the Abruzzo coast that retains characteristics of environmental and landscape integrity.However, there is now a real risk that construction investors interested in building will show up and start deface even what remains of it.Following the approval of the amendment, protests were unleashed by opposition parties and environmentalist associations, who in particular targeted Marco Marsilio, governor of Abruzzo and former parliamentarian of the Brothers of Italy.A well-attended flash mob against the majority's coup was organized on the first day of the year inside the reserve by activists and volunteers, who are organizing a collection of signatures and they asked for a backtrack on the cut by appealing directly to the government.

The amendment that effectively canceled the nature reserve, presented at 2.30 am on December 29, was passed by the five councilors Emiliano Di Matteo and Mauro Febbo, of Forza Italia, Simona Cardinali and Federica Rompicapo, of the Lega , and Umberto D'Annuntiis, of Fratelli d'Italia.The opposition is on the barricades, criticizing not only the content of the amendment but also the manner in which it was approved.In fact, it was not anticipated at the informal meeting of group leaders held before the start of the work of the budget session.The majority claimed that they had addressed the issue to give voice to "hundreds of farmers and local economic operators".«We ask ourselves who these people are, when they were heard, when the hearings of the competent commissions in the regional council were held and why only these associations were heard and not all the other stakeholders – he declared Dante Caserta, Head of Institutional Relations WWF Italy -.All this is shameful, you can't listen to your 'friends' and change the laws to accommodate them."Caserta then highlighted the alleged «procedural violations» of this decision, as «the competent local authorities», i.e. the province and the Municipality, «which was not even informed of all this», had not been listened to.This was confirmed by the mayor of Roseto degli Abruzzi himself, Mario Nugnes, who spoke of a «wicked act", adding that he is waiting "to read the official documents and to see the relative plans, so as to be able to carefully evaluate them" and, if necessary, to reserve the right to comparisons "with the territory, the citizens and all the associations" in order to to act «in the interest of the Rosetan community, completely cut off by the redefinition of the boundaries of the Reserve».On Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 January in Roseto degli Abruzzi the associations will meet for gather signatures on one petition which asks the Region to quickly approve a new regional law to cancel the majority amendment.The organizations also ask the Region to immediately approve the Naturalistic Planning Plan, which has been awaited for about 20 years.

Now, only a small strip close to the sea remains of the Borsacchio Reserve.Here, after a mobilization launched on social media by the guides of the reserve, with just four hours' notice two days ago, around a hundred activists gathered gather For protest against the cut, waving banners with slogans such as "Marsilio, the reserve cannot be touched", "The reserve is life" and "+ green - cement".«We will start with a request, with one moratorium for the Council of Ministers to ask to challenge the law, which was made in violation of some legislative principles, such as involving the local authority.And if this doesn't go well we also have the path of administrative appeal», he explained during the flash mob Marco Borgatti, soul of the Guides of the Borsacchio reserve, who emphasized the consequences of the regulatory change, which will influence the loss of future employment but also of millions of euros of European funding for sustainable activities in the reserve and for breeders, farmers and tourism operators.Borgatti announced that, shortly, "a great demonstration" will be launched for the defense of the reserve.

[by Stefano Baudino]