Protection zones for national park still under discussion
The pressure to build on Parnassus has extended beyond to Livadi, which was a superb plateau with sheepfolds and a few tavernas just 15 years ago. Now it is going the way of Mesogeia in Attica, and has expanded to Agoriani, Polydrosso and Ano Souvala, the mountain villages on the other side. The problem is that there is no specific plan to organize demand and protect the environment on one of Greece’s most beautiful mountains, with its rich biodiversity and a glorious history. There is the National Park of Parnassus, the second oldest in Greece, founded in 1938. Its 35,000 square meters is totally protected, but it needs a protection zone set up around it. Unfortunately that has not yet been mapped out. In 1938 a huge, unfeasible peripheral zone was decided, but it has never been settled. In 1998 the forestry service submitted a proposal, which has got caught up in deliberations with Ministry of the Environment, Planning and Public Works. EU mandate Now the European Union has mandated a special environmental inquiry and is talking about numerous protection zones. The definition of those zones will likely spark a major battle of interests. In the firing line is the plateau of Kalania. Some have tried to have it declared outside the protection zone, which would condemn it to the same fate as Livadi in Arachova.
