Management of Caucasian Nature Reserve declares illegal construction of border guard station in its territory

Administration of the Caucasian Nature Reserve has not given permission for the construction of border guard station in the territory, and it will seek to transfer the buildings, which had been already erected. This was stated by Sergey Shevelev, Director of the Caucasian Nature Reserve.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reported that in the centre of the Caucasian Nature Reserve, border guard troops absorbed the territory and started illegal construction of the border guard station under the pretext of ensuring security at the "Sochi-2014" Olympics.

According to ecologists, the construction works are being conducted at the intersection of two rivers Tsakhvoa and Malaya Laba, where the migration routes of animals, deers, European bisons, wild boars, bears, and many others run. "The construction will lead to sharp declines in the populations of these species, including food potential for Caucasian leopards, and thus jeopardize the project for the return of the extinct carnivore in the Caucasus," states the message on the website of the World Wildlife Fund in Russia.

"We have not coordinated the construction and officially sent a paper signed by the Academic Council that we decisively oppose their presence in the place of their choice. In accordance with the plan of cooperation, they should coordinate the construction with us. Our materials are at the Military Prosecutor's Office of the Armavir Garrison, and we insist that the building should be demolished and removed to another place, coordinated with us," said Sergey Shevelev.

According to him, the construction works are being conducted in the depth of the Caucasian Nature Reserve at a distance of 35 kilometres from the border with Georgia, the RIA "Novosti" reports.

"Position for heater station was chosen in the course of flight over the land plot by helicopter committed together with the managers of the Caucasian Nature Reserve... The actions of officers from the Border Guard Department fully comply with the federal legislation, the agreement on cooperation and exchange of information between the Russian FSB and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation, and the plan of cooperation, signed by the Border Guard Department and the Caucasian Nature Reserve," stated the FSB Border Guard Department in the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia.

On May 28, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Russia and Greenpeace reported to the UNESCO on violation of the protection regime of the Caucasian Nature Reserve. "We ask your assistance in normalizing the situation. We hope that consideration of the problem will be carried out at the next session of the UNESCO," states the letter addressed by Igor Chestin, Director of the WWF-Russia, and Sergey Tsyplyokov, Director of the Russian Greenpeace, to Kishore Rao, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.