Environmental organisations Terra Cypria and BirdLife Cyprus have highlighted new 'irregular works' aimed at improving and widening the main forest roads in Akamas, carried out by the Department of Forests, based on their statement. 

According to the announcement, "over the past month, the Department of Forests has been implementing works to improve and widen the main forest roads of Ais Minas - Smigies and Smigies - Koutsagkas, within the Akamas National Forest Park (ANFP)." The environmental organisations express serious concerns and strong reservations about the procedures followed by the Department of Forests for implementing projects in such sensitive areas without adhering to established procedures. 

The organisations note that based on the Special Ecological Assessment Report (SEAR) for Phase A of the road network of the ANFP Akamas issued in March 2024, as well as the relevant Decision of the Ministerial Council dated March 19th, 2024, "the reassessment process is provided to continue for the next three months, for the infrastructure of the Management Facilities Nodes and the remaining projects and functions of the Sustainable Development Plan of the ANFP Akamas." 

Furthermore, it is envisaged that a "new proposal will be prepared and submitted to the Ministerial Council in June 2024, which, among other things, will include a final realistic schedule of works for the remaining projects of the ANFP Akamas, without unnecessary delays." 

According to the above, the main forest roads, where the Department of Forests is carrying out improvements and widening works, are included in the section of the main road network of the ANFP Akamas, which should be reassessed by June 2024, the organisations stated. "Instead, the Department of Forests seems to have already proceeded with works without any notification to the competent Ad-hoc Committee for the SEAR and primarily without the overall reassessment of the infrastructure of the ANFP Akamas, including both the main forest roads and the management facilities nodes," they noted. 

The two environmental organisations request immediate information to be provided to the competent Ad-hoc Committee for the SEAR, regarding the improvement and widening works of the main forest roads of Ais Minas - Smigies and Smigies - Koutsagkas within the ANFP Akamas. Finally, they call on the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment to ensure that no further improvement and/or widening works of forest roads within the ANFP Akamas will be carried out before the full assessment of the Sustainable Development Plan of the ANFP Akamas by the Ad-hoc Committee for the SEAR.