Page 201 - Koderman, Miha, and Vuk Tvrtko Opačić. Eds. 2020. Challenges of tourism development in protected areas of Croatia and Slovenia. Koper, Zagreb: University of Primorska Press, Croatian Geographical Society
P. 201
spatial planning of tourism in protected nature areas in slovenia ...
in order to prevent disturbance of wildlife on the part of visitors. Currently
there are six full-time wardens employed at the reserve, which was enabled
using EU funding.
The spatial plan was the appropriate legal basis for management to ob-
tain all required permissions and building permits for the reserve’s restora-
tion and construction of visitor facilities (trails, visitor centre, observation
posts); this was implemented and financed through public funds (EU, state,
municipality) and the European projects “Life”, “Life +”, “Interreg Slovenia
– Italy”, as well as the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Some projects were also financially supported by the Port of Koper. Spatial
and environmental planning has to be strictly in line with nature protec-
tion measures that are conditional on successful development, in the sense
of ecologically-oriented tourism activities as parts of an integral tourist
product (Balažič et al., 2011).
Environmental impact assessment
During the procedure of issuing a building permit for spatial interventions
it is necessary to elaborate an environmental impact assessment (EIA), and
an environmental report or a comprehensive environmental impact assess-
ment is required for any spatial intervention in a protected area. The result
of the environmental report usually authorises an intervention in the space
with minor corrections to the project; for example, the extension of the golf
course in Lipica (Smrekar and Kolar Planinšič, 2009).
Planned spatial interventions are very rarely rejected because of unac-
ceptable impacts on the environment. One such case was the plan to estab-
lish 33 wind power generators on Volovja reber below Snežnik Mountain
(in a Natura 2000 area), which was rejected because of its potential nega-
tive impact on birds. This led interested parties to find more suitable loca-
tions for wind power stations in Slovenia, taking into account a conserva-
tionist point of view at an early stage of spatial planning.
Strategic environmental assessments (SEA) or comprehensive envi-
ronmental impact assessments are an important European environmental
policy tool. It is based on transposition and implementation of the Strategic
Environmental Assessment Directive (Directive 2001/42/EC) for plans and
programmes. Strategic environmental assessments have been performed
for the current Regional Development Operational Programme and other
plans in Slovenia. In the case of spatial planning for Lipica, an SEA and en-
vironmental report with appropriate assessments according to the Habitats
199
in order to prevent disturbance of wildlife on the part of visitors. Currently
there are six full-time wardens employed at the reserve, which was enabled
using EU funding.
The spatial plan was the appropriate legal basis for management to ob-
tain all required permissions and building permits for the reserve’s restora-
tion and construction of visitor facilities (trails, visitor centre, observation
posts); this was implemented and financed through public funds (EU, state,
municipality) and the European projects “Life”, “Life +”, “Interreg Slovenia
– Italy”, as well as the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Some projects were also financially supported by the Port of Koper. Spatial
and environmental planning has to be strictly in line with nature protec-
tion measures that are conditional on successful development, in the sense
of ecologically-oriented tourism activities as parts of an integral tourist
product (Balažič et al., 2011).
Environmental impact assessment
During the procedure of issuing a building permit for spatial interventions
it is necessary to elaborate an environmental impact assessment (EIA), and
an environmental report or a comprehensive environmental impact assess-
ment is required for any spatial intervention in a protected area. The result
of the environmental report usually authorises an intervention in the space
with minor corrections to the project; for example, the extension of the golf
course in Lipica (Smrekar and Kolar Planinšič, 2009).
Planned spatial interventions are very rarely rejected because of unac-
ceptable impacts on the environment. One such case was the plan to estab-
lish 33 wind power generators on Volovja reber below Snežnik Mountain
(in a Natura 2000 area), which was rejected because of its potential nega-
tive impact on birds. This led interested parties to find more suitable loca-
tions for wind power stations in Slovenia, taking into account a conserva-
tionist point of view at an early stage of spatial planning.
Strategic environmental assessments (SEA) or comprehensive envi-
ronmental impact assessments are an important European environmental
policy tool. It is based on transposition and implementation of the Strategic
Environmental Assessment Directive (Directive 2001/42/EC) for plans and
programmes. Strategic environmental assessments have been performed
for the current Regional Development Operational Programme and other
plans in Slovenia. In the case of spatial planning for Lipica, an SEA and en-
vironmental report with appropriate assessments according to the Habitats
199
