Prosperity or destruction? What awaits the national park «Losiny Ostrov» under the jurisdiction of Moscow

IRINA MISHINA

«Moose Island» — the largest forest area in Moscow and the largest among the forests located within the city limits. It has the status of a national park, a specially protected area of federal significance. The total area of «Moose Island» in 2001 was 116.215 km². The forest occupies 96.04 km², of which 27% are located within Moscow. The rest is occupied by reservoirs. The fauna of the «Moose Island» includes more than 280 species of vertebrates, more than 160 species of birds, 38 species of mammals.

Is construction going to the national park?

«Unlike other protected areas, Losiny Ostrov is an integral massif, with swamps, meadows, and a real forest. This is a forest monolith, which did not include an urbanist. That is why many objects of the animal and plant world, included in the „The Red Book.“ The „Moose Island“ is inhabited, for example, by a population of snakes, viviparous lizards, and many mammals. This is the only nesting place of the buzzard hawk listed in „The Red Book“, the last pair of a rare wasp—eating bird lives here, as well as a forest owl. We risk losing all this,» says Boris Samoilov, Candidate of Biological Sciences, author of the «Red Book» of Moscow.

Ecologists' forecasts about the future of the Losiny Ostrov National Park after its transition to the jurisdiction of Moscow are pessimistic. Mikhail Kreindlin, a member of the Expert Council on Conservation, answering a question from Kommersant, generally suggested that after the transition to the jurisdiction of Moscow, instead of the protected forest, Losiny Ostrov will become «an ordinary city park with paved bike paths and lighting, it will no longer have natural value.» "Scandalous Moscow landscaping, as well as road construction, will rush to Losiny Ostrov,» suggests Anton Khlynov, a member of the commission on environmental well—being at the OP. «What they are doing with Losin Island is akin to what the Bolsheviks did after 1917, blowing up churches. It will be unrealistic to restore the destroyed biological wealth,» says Boris Samoilov, Candidate of Biological Sciences.

Environmentalists have enough prerequisites for unrest. In January of this year, there were reports that in the national park «Losiny Ostrov» they began to cut down trees on an area of 4 hectares for the construction of a construction site. Local residents drew attention to this, however, neither they nor the deputies of the Moscow City Duma and the State Duma who responded to information about possible violations, as well as members of the Public Chamber, were able to find out the goals and customers of the clearing of the territory. As Anton Khlynov, a member of the Commission on Environmental well-being at the OP, said, the work was carried out on the territory of a former wasteland, but now these lands belong to the Federal State Budgetary Institution «Losiny Ostrov National Park» in accordance with the data of the Unified State Register of Real Estate. As you know, any such work requires a state environmental assessment…

Prior to that, a section of the north-eastern chord was built on the territory of Losiny Ostrov and through it, while a section of the national park territory under this highway was unlawfully excluded, even before its construction began in 2020. The main negative from this is the weak noise protection from the highway, the lack of eco—sound. After all, wild animals living in Moose Island do not like noise and cannot migrate along the highway. Or not, they can, but at the risk of their lives. In addition, the construction of the Fairy Forest residential complex is currently underway in the buffer zone of the national park, directly adjacent to the forest area. This is illegal, since nothing can be built at all in a 150-meter strip from the border of the national park. There is also a risk of development of nearby territories. But that's not all. In January of this year from art. MCC «Belokamennaya», which is located at the north-eastern chord, in Moose Island, a 20-meter-wide highway is attached to the Fairy Forest residential complex.

A clever law

Obviously, the felling of trees in the national park and the laying of roads required some justification. And it was found. On July 10, a federal law was published, which the State Duma adopted rapidly — in the second and then immediately in the third reading, deputies approved the bills «On the status of the capital of the Russian Federation» and «On specially protected natural territories» authored by United Russia's Peter Tolstoy, Irina Belykh, Svetlana Razvorotneva and Tatiana Butskaya. Surprisingly, all four are natives of the capital…

Theoretically, the laws look just pro—Moscow — they transfer to the metropolitan authorities the authority to use part of the Losiny Ostrov National Park (within the borders of Moscow) for… «ensuring the safety and development of the national park.» The park itself is not named, but it is obviously implied that there is no other object corresponding to the description in the city. Judging by the text of the new law (it is called cleverly — «Amendments to the law on the Status of Moscow»), the city authorities of the capital now «decide on reconstruction, major repairs… in part of the territory of the national park located within the borders of Moscow, necessary for the implementation of citywide tasks of municipal, transport, social infrastructure facilities.» Well, in general, everything that we feared…

Not so long ago, at a meeting with residents of the Eastern Administrative District, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin literally stated:

«There are no plans to build on the territory of Losiny Ostrov, this is speculation. We have a lot of parks in Moscow, a lot of protected areas where we do not build, but put in order, equip.» And more: «Let's see how to rehabilitate the national park, put it in order, especially the territories adjacent to the houses.»

The theme of the scandalous Moscow landscaping is unobtrusively read between the lines…

However, there is also hope for common sense.

«At a minimum, it [„Moose Island“] will need to be freed from garbage, make protected areas, allocate territories for more active visits by citizens, and so on. In a word, to find a reasonable balance between the preservation of a favorable habitat for animals and the needs of people,» Sergei Sobyanin wrote on his personal blog.

«There is not a single example where the Moscow authorities would act for the benefit of nature in the capital's protected areas and forests. Take Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo, Ostankino Park — everywhere there are paths, curbs, asphalt, lanterns, playgrounds, snack bars. Everywhere, instead of living wildlife, there is the development of budgets. For example: „landscaping“ Ostankino Park cost 2 billion 100 million rubles, and 2.2 billion rubles were invested in the improvement of Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo. Cosmic sums, especially at the present time, when the situation requires completely different spending,» said Boris Samoilov, Candidate of Biological Sciences, expert on Moscow's protected areas, author of the «Red Book» of Moscow.

With a high degree of probability, it can be assumed that the scandalous Moscow landscaping, as well as the construction of roads, will rush to Losiny Ostrov. Although construction is already underway in the security zone and in the immediate vicinity of it: a chord has been built, a road to the residential complex has been built A fabulous forest, and now a federal law that allows Moscow to untie its hands even more…

Locals write on the forums:

«If you could see how the forest area of MOOSE ISLAND is mutilated! Houses are already being built there. How many trees have been cut down and are still being cut down! Moose have been gone for a long time! Why do the bureaucrats believe that nature can be destroyed for the sake of their profit? It is not enough for them that factories, factories and other enterprises are being closed and wiped off the face of the earth all over Moscow, and high-rise termite mounds are being built in their place,» Alexandra Potapova reports.

«Don't drag the sofa into the woods!»

The damage to the wildlife of the «Moose Island» has actually already been done.

«After laying roads and building a residential complex in the immediate vicinity of Losiny Ostrov, it is no longer possible to return the animal and plant world. A road has been paved through the „Moose Island“, and every morning it is covered in blood: shrews, weasels, chicks go to the warm asphalt to warm up, and passing cars crush them all. An asphalt road through a protected area destroys wildlife for kilometers around. Drains with petroleum products drain from the roadway, destroying aquatic flora and fauna. In addition, paved roads mechanically crush the territory of protected areas, animals — hares, hedgehogs, moose — cannot move along them, migrate. Laying paved roads in protected areas is the death of flora and fauna,» said Boris Samoilov, Candidate of Biological Sciences, author of the «Red Book» of Moscow.

But the Law on Landscaping just provides for the laying of trails, paths, laying tiles in woodlands… At one of the last hearings in Someone said to the Public Chamber: «Don't drag the sofa into the forest!».

«Where there is no man, forests do not get sick and there are few fires. These artificial paths that people will walk on will scare away animals and birds that are used to living in the ecosystem. Electric light will kill birds that can't stand it. We can kill the forest with good intentions. However, Sobyanin has now taken a year to study the situation and consult. It would be good to involve real environmentalists in the discussion,» said Vladimir Morozov, chairman of the Public Council of the Federal Forestry Agency.

LCD, chord, asphalt… All this has been mentioned recently in connection with one of the largest national parks of the country — its national treasure «Moose Island». To destroy, to cut down — simply. According to scientists, it will take 100-150 years to grow the forest again. Will our descendants forgive us?