Sarajevo will get new protected areas

(Patria) - The Cantonal Public Institution for Protected Natural Areas records 20,000 more visitors than in the same period last year.

Following the environmental landscaping of Stojčevac and Vrelo Bosne in accordance with ecological standards, new projects and facilities for visitors are planned, with the support of the KS Government.

The Vrelo Bosne Nature Monument will get a new, larger children's playground, as well as an Information-Educational Center for visitors, and the focus is also on the construction of a speleo museum at Bijambare, and the expansion of walking paths on Trebević.
KS Prime Minister Nihad Uk and the relevant Minister of Communal Economy, Infrastructure, Spatial Planning, Construction and Environmental Protection Bojan Bošnjak visited the institution today and discussed future activities with director Asad Jelešković.

"The KS Government's commitment to strengthening institutions in terms of personnel and finances can best be seen in the example of the Public Institution for Protected Areas, which has shown excellent results in a short period. Recording 20,000 more visitors, as well as significant financial progress, is a huge success not only for the management of this institution but also for the relevant Ministry and Minister Bošnjak," Prime Minister Uk emphasized on this occasion.

As specified, this public institution has fulfilled its financial plan by July 28 this year, in terms of achieving its own revenues, and has recorded 257,000 visitors.

"A lot has been invested in infrastructure in the past two years. In addition to the environmental landscaping of Stojčevac, in the area of the Vrelo Bosne Nature Monument, financed by the Canton of Sarajevo, the Municipality of Ilidža, and this public institution, we have installed public lighting and renovated the public toilet in the core of the Vrelo Bosne monument, arranged wooden furniture, renovated eight bridges, and another eight will be replaced by the end of the year. Along with regular maintenance work, I think we have done a lot to ensure that visitors to Vrelo Bosne can enjoy this area. Of the total number of visitors, 62 percent are foreign tourists," said director Jelešković.

He added that, thanks to the KS Government, this public institution has acquired a facility in Velika Aleja, which was purchased by the Canton, and that the project for its renovation into an Information-Educational Center for visitors is underway.

"By the end of the year or the beginning of next year, we intend to renovate, or rather build, a completely new children's playground at the existing location in the core of Vrelo Bosne, in order to improve the conditions for the stay of the youngest visitors. The focus is currently on Bijambare; by the end of the year, a public call will be issued for the construction of a speleo museum, which will feature exhibits with tools from the eight Bijambare caves, as well as art exhibitions. Work has also begun on extending the wooden pedestrian path at Bijambare. Furthermore, we intend to repair and arrange the pedestrian path from the parking lot near the Pino hotel to Vidikovac," he also announced.

Minister Bošnjak emphasized that there is excellent cooperation between the Cantonal Public Institution for Protected Natural Areas and the Faculties of Forestry, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Veterinary Medicine, and Agriculture in the implementation of projects for nature protection, forest protection, biodiversity, and the health status of game. The intention is to strengthen this cooperation and for this institution to become an even more significant scientific base, he stated.

"Record funds have been allocated for protected natural areas this year, and we see that they have been spent in the right way and are yielding results. We have a unique institution of its kind in the Federation, and the commitment of the Ministry, as well as mine as minister, is to expand the scope of protected areas in a functional and adequate manner.

We are preparing a project aimed at protecting five areas on Bjelašnica, and this will be the first step towards a broader protection of that mountain," emphasized Minister Bošnjak on this occasion.