The Municipality of Ravenna wants to use the Pnrr to cut down 70 pine trees

Seventy-one pines which have been providing shade and greenery to the main avenue of Lido di Savio for more than half a century and which now the Municipality of Ravenna would like to demolish it to make room for the new maritime park, which in reality has little to do with "park". it mainly involves redoing the asphalt by removing the trees. This is the project that the citizens of the small seaside village in Romagna are fighting against, who have gathered in a committee to ask the administration to save the trees. The felling of the pine trees is part of the major project of Maritime Park  which involves all 9 Ravenna beaches:«the largest redevelopment intervention with tourist and environmental purposes in the history of Ravenna» to use the words of mayor Michele de Pascale.The total cost was 17 million, financed largely with Pnrr funds.It mainly involves redeveloping the streets, creating new car parks, new cycle paths  and new access routes to the beach.In short, making room for tourism that increasingly wants to be a protagonist of the local economy.

A project that has already encountered criticism from environmental associations, such as the WWF which in November filed an appeal last year at the TAR against the works in Porto Corsini and Marina Romea considered «with a very high environmental impact on areas which would instead provide the most extensive protections, being State Natural Reserves and the Po Delta Park» in particular «an almost 600 meter walkway on the It is the only growing dune on the entire Ravenna coast, subject, as is known, to subsidence and very strong erosion."

The appeal was rejected by the TAR, who declared it inadmissible, specifying that it had been presented too late:120 days after the publication of the final project.

From this point of view it seems that the Municipality was able to present the work plan to the citizens after the game was over, at least in Lido di Savio.Suffice it to say that the project was only discussed publicly on December 1st, while the council's resolution had already taken place on November 22nd.

«We noticed it in February when they started cutting down the first pine trees – explains Giulia Gamberini, spokesperson for the Save the pines of Lido di Savio group – no one had told us anything»

At that point the inhabitants of Lido di Savio joined together in a committee and began collecting signatures for a petition:«We have collected more than 2 thousand – continues Gamberini – not only of the residents of Lido but also of the tourists who come here every year and who immediately understood the importance of our initiative». Several events were also organized in the summer, one of which is on August 25th, the anniversary of the creation of the coat of arms of the city of Ravenna, which coincidentally has a large pine tree in the center.

The collection of signatures was presented to the Municipality, although for the moment the administration seems intent on following the established plan.It's mainly a security issue:«Those pine trees are unstable, dangerous and create continuous damage to the pavement – ​​explains the urban planning councilor Federica del Conte – the roots of the trees did not take root deeply and remained on the surface.For this reason, pine trees are very fragile and risk falling, especially if work is carried out.Suffice it to say that in one case, as soon as we removed the first layer of asphalt, one of the trees immediately fell to the ground."

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In a stretch of Viale Romagna the pine trees have already been cut down, ash trees have been installed in their place, which are easier to keep under control.The difference, however, stands out:on one side there are majestic shrubs several meters high, on the other small newly planted trees that will take years to reach a similar size.

"They will grow" they assure from the Municipality.In the meantime, however, citizens continue their battle against the project, the cost of which is more than 2 million, financed largely with the Pnrr:«The basis of European funds is requalification – attacks Giulia Gamberini – «and we don't see any requalification in cutting down such beautiful trees».

The demolition work, according to the timetable, could resume in October, after the summer break. However, on 16 October the petition will reach the council commission.The Municipality said it was willing to evaluate citizens' requests to firmly support the validity of its choices: «We have 7 thousand hectares of woods and pine forests and we are one of the Italian cities most above average in terms of the level of greenery per capita – concludes Councilor Del Conte – we care».

[by Fulvio Zappatore]