Network of operators

The “Network of operratorw and Citizens for the Protection of Agrafa” is a collaboration of actors and citizens living and working in the wider area of Agrafa. Drawing on the scientific knowledge of its members and collaborators, it investigates and studies the elements of the planned interventions in the Agrafa mountain range in order to protect the natural stock of the area for the benefit of the inhabitants and future generations.

Declaration

The exploitation of the wind and water energy potential with structures disproportionate to the natural environment for which they are intended and without the calculation of their cumulative effects is described as “Industrial Renewable Energy Sources”(B.A.P.E.).

These have the effect of permanently altering and destroying the sensitive and unique environmental area of ​​Agrafa and South Pindos in general, which is against the largest portion of public opinion and against common sense.

In practice, it has been demonstrated that up until now, the promotion of B.A.P.E has been done without the prior adequate and authoritative briefing of local communities or against their free will.

The planned B.A.P.E construction across the mountain range and all the rivers in the region results in:

The concession of the use of public land and water for the benefit of all kinds of economic interests while at the same time depriving or restricting their use by citizens without real benefit to them, nor for the national economy or the environment.
The permanent alteration of the landscape, which is transformed into aesthetic and environmental abundance both from the constructions and from the accompanying works (huge roads, leveling of the ridges, etc.), the creation of an irreversible situation in the river and river basins.
The cancellation of any future prospects for the exploitation of mountainous volumes for activities that can stimulate the local economy with the direct benefit of the inhabitants, such as alternative, mild tourism and agrotourism (hiking-mountaineering), livestock farming with the free traditional form, the traditional hunting, fishing, etc.
The exposure of forest ecosystems to destructive hazards such as fires caused by wind turbines’ failures and failures, the damage caused by the non-recoverable deforestation, especially in the alpine region.
The further degradation of forest ecosystems with suffocating pressure on the last wildlife populations.

We ask:

The DIRECT amendment of the relevant legislation, which, as it stands today, promotes clear plans for the divestment of the land and the water wealth of our homeland but also destroys our natural environment for the benefit of private interests, ignoring the will of the local communities.
The adoption of a ministerial decision suspending the proposed projects in the licensing process as well as those under construction for the whole of the high environmental interest area of ​​Agrafa and south of Pindos in general. These interventions have been proven to damage the environment and the legitimate interests of local residents
The proclamation of the area of ​​Agrafa and southern Pindos in general as an area free from Industrial Renewable Energy Sources above the 800 meter forestry to become a pole of attraction for a large stream of tourists looking for areas of unparalleled natural beauty , which have not been altered by Industrial interventions.
The change of the special spatial framework that arbitrarily includes the Agrafa mountain area in a wind priority area.
Complete environmental studies by independent organizations. It is to be noted that studies drawn up by private individuals and taken into consideration for the issue of permits contain elements which cover only the purposes of the proposed works, which today do not correspond to the reality or have borrowed such data from areas other than those of the construction of the works , as this implies the risk of disruption of the ecosystem and the natural environment in the project areas.
Drawing up management plans for river basins and mountain streams, assessing the capacity of the regions to produce energy.
The promotion of small-scale RES in the mountainous area, exploiting, among other things, solar energy on the roofs of buildings, self-consumption and self-consumption of agro-livestock units or tourism units, with the generated energy not used to be diverted to PPC.
The construction of wind farms and other VARs with large-scale construction only in areas of the lowland area up to the 800 meter forest boundary along national and provincial roads and the exploitation of areas that are already anthropogenic, something that is successfully done in other countries .
Taking into account the energy produced by all existing large hydroelectric plants in order to achieve RES 20-20-20 targets, as is done across Europe, and thus abolishing all subsidies for the construction and production of RES Renewable Electricity.

The members of the network are: