For 100 million rubles in Bitsevsky forest will "beautify" all living things

Muscovites have begun collecting signatures under an appeal to Mayor Sobyanin.

Lyudmila Butuzova

While Mospriroda was plunging into hibernation, the Moscow city overhaul department did not doze. Contracts Nos. 32009392591 and 32009392592 for the total amount of 91,792,139.60 rubles were raffled off on the public procurement website, they went to the subordinate department - the structure of GAU MoszhilNIIproekt (State Autonomous Institution Moscow Research and Design Institute of Housing). The subject of the procurement is "the execution of works on the planning organization of urban areas with the analysis of the initial data and the identification of the problems of the existing state of the specially protected natural area "Natural and Historical Park "Bitsevsky Forest" (SPNA PIP "Bitsevsky Forest")". Translated from the bureaucratic language into an understandable Russian language, a natural territory that has the most important and fundamental ecological significance for all residents of Moscow and the Moscow region will be crushed by public utilities in such a way that there will be no place for living on it. At the same time, the protection, maintenance and use of the SPNA PIP "Bitsevsky Les", its future development, including recreation and improvement, are entrusted by the Moscow Government to the State Environmental Budgetary Institution "Mospriroda" and the Department of Nature Management and Environmental Protection. But for some reason, the contracts for Bitsevsky Les went to another - non-core - department and the staff environmentalists do not care that its "overhaul" can lead to an irreparable deterioration of the ecology of the entire region.

Bitsevsky forest is in great danger! Tin is already going on there, the municipal deputy of the Zyuzino district, researcher of the Institute of Market Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences Konstantin Yankauskas warns Muscovites:

“The mayor's office plans to invest billions of rubles in the 'improvement' of the Bitsevsky forest and other specially protected natural areas (SPNA), - he writes on his page in the FB. - It was not by chance that I put the word improvement in quotation marks. Landscaping a forest is like disinfecting the sea with bleach. The forest is a corner of wildlife, minimally affected by human presence. It is no coincidence that the Bitsevsky forest and other similar territories have been assigned the status of a protected area, which excludes almost any construction and landscaping. There should be places in the city where you can walk not on asphalt and tiles, listen to birdsong, feed squirrels and simply merge with the harmony of nature.

But temporary officials do not need this harmony - they merge with nature in the Alps, Courchevels and other Biarritz. And billions for this vacation are earned on tiled and curb landscaping, which they now want to carry out in the Bitsevsky forest. The plans for the forest are enormous - they are planning to improve "only" up to 100 hectares. These figures were announced to the municipal deputies by the Altas company, which is developing the concept of forest improvement. The money for the improvement, apparently, will amount to billions of rubles, since the mayor's office has already spent 91 million rubles on the development of this very concept. Almost 100 million rubles just for a paper project! For comparison, about the same amount is allocated per year for the yard improvement in Zyuzino - an area with a population of 130 thousand people.

As a prelude to rolling Bitsa into the asphalt and tiles in the forest, work is underway right now to arrange storm drains. Rainstorm in the forest! Look at the photo of how this "improvement" goes. And imagine that another 100 hectares will be “improved” in exactly the same way. This will be the most natural ecocide. It cannot be ruled out that the “improvement” will be followed by development plans - after all, a huge residential complex “Lesoparkovy” has already been erected right on the border of the forest. Projects for the construction of a road through the forest from this residential complex to Akademik Yangel Street, as well as the cable car, have already flashed in previous years and can be reanimated again.

Bitsevsky forest must be saved! There is a chance for this. Because there are successful examples of saving parks and squares, which give hope. Seven years ago, in Zyuzino, we managed to save 200 trees from cutting down in Zyuzinsky Park - also in the course of the improvement started during the mayoral elections. And in the park on Fruktovaya, my neighbors and I did not allow us to build a two-story commercial sports complex. The key to such victories is the massive joint work of caring citizens and independent deputies. Officials begin to comply with the laws and our rights only when we massively and persistently demand it. Seven years ago, we collected hundreds of signatures, went to hearings, organized public inspections in the park, invited journalists there, and even physically stopped barbaric works. In the same way, now it is necessary to protect the Bitsevsky forest".

The first and easiest step that Brazauskas proposes to take right now is to sign the petition.

The petition is addressed to Mayor Sergey Sobyanin. Muscovites have the right to demand that their mayor comply with the laws of the Russian Federation and the city of Moscow in the field of environmental protection and the preservation of historical natural areas. Proceeding from this, it is necessary to terminate contracts No. 32009392591 and 32009392592 for the wrecking "improvement" of the Bitsevsky forest and return control over its safety to specialized departments. Better yet, leave the nature and budget of Moscow alone. As you know, the city budget deficit for 2021 will be 510 billion rubles. Against the backdrop of a worsening economic and social situation, the initiative of the overhaul department to profit from nature and leave birds and squirrels without food is unforgivable for the Moscow authorities. This is the opinion of the Muscovites who signed the petition.