Environmental detective story – construction in Utrish

Press release - 18 January, 2010
On Jan 14th, 2010 Greenpeace Russia received a letter from the Presidential Property Management Department which declared directly that it weren’t related to the construction, hence to the destruction of a valuable nature reserve in Utrish.

Utrish

The Presidential Property Management Department declared that they "didn't keep and don't keep the construction of objects for the recreation activity and forest fire-prevention road on the territory of the state nature preserve "Bol'schoy Utrish" and recommended to address administration of the Krasnodar Region.

What is the most interesting in this situation is that the desired information can be found on the web-site of the Forestry Department of the Krasnodar Region. It is in a free access including officials of the Presidential Property Management Department.

The Forest plan approved by the Head of the Administration (the Governor) of the Krasnodar region contains information on the planned construction of "the sports and recreation complex" in "Bol'schoy Utrish" preserve. The initiator - the Main Directorate on the Capital Development of the Presidential Property Management Department - is indicated.   

Nobody ever affirmed that the Kremlin officials will personally cut the relic forest or lay tile in the swimming pool of a VIP-cottage. The Fund of regional non-commercial projects "Dar" builds the "fire-prevention" road from which "Utrish scandal" has begun. The territory for recreational purposes, where the notorious sports and recreation center is going to be build, is rented to it as well. However the Governor of the Krasnodar Region "affirms" that the initiator of all is the Presidential Property Management Department! Who should one believe?  

The project of future sports and recreation complex in Utrish exists as a supplement to information on the official web-site of the Krasnodar institution of the state power. It is found to be at the Environmental watch on the Northern Caucasus disposal.   

There is an agreement act in the project where its plenipotents are named. The Head of the Presidential Property Department of the Russian Federation V.I.Kozhin and his Deputy I.D.Malyushin are among them! It is interesting that I.D.Malyushin itself had signed the letter which Greenpeace received where it is affirmed that the Presidential Property Management Department wasn't related to the construction in Utrish…No explanation required.  

In this view one should particularly notice the last paragraph in the letter of the Department: "We call your attention to the fact that if further publications or statements in the mass media containing claims that the Presidential Property Management Department is keeping the construction of objects on recreation activity and forest fire-prevention road on the territory of the state nature preserve "Bol'shoy Utrish" are made", the Presidential Property Management Department of the Russian Federation will undertake all measures provided by the current legislation on protection of own business reputation and on bringing to account those who spread false and detractive information".

We hope that it isn't a threat towards public opinion but a real wish to unmask those who spread false and detractive facts. We are ready to render the highest possible assistance from our side. The sources of these facts on the grounds of the above-listed documents are:  

Forest plan of the Krasnodar Region

Decree of the Head (Governor) of the Krasnodar Region Administration, 31 March 2009 № 249 that approved the Forest plan

As Mikhail Kreindlin, the head of the protected natural territories project in Greenpeace Russia, said: "The Department's heads seem to think that the their thread will make the public organizations stop the struggle with the destruction of Utrish, however, they have forgotten that the law on responsibility of officials for the false information provision is applied to them as well. We hope that if the Russian Federation President structures aren't actually related to the plans on the construction in Utrish, they will certainly apply the available administrative resources for creation of a full preserve without taking out the most valuable territories where the sports and recreation complex is going to be placed".

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