Filenews 10 October 2025 - by Angelos Nikolaou
The green light for the construction and operation of a fire strip in the Machairas Forest, within the community of Vavatsinia, was given by the Department of Environment, after a positive preliminary assessment (screening) of the possible environmental impact of the project in protected areas of the Natura 2000 Network.
The proposed fire strip is considered of strategic importance by the Department of Forests for the prevention and response to a large-scale forest fire in the area, as it will act as a key link with the fire protection infrastructure in the locations "Dark" and "Moutti tou Kornos".
According to the Pre-Inspection Report of the Department of Environment, the project will be implemented in the "Comforter" area, within the Special Protection Area (SPA) "Zionia Area" and the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) "Machairas Forest", which are important habitats for endemic and protected species.
The construction includes: a) Widening of an existing forest road 600 meters long, from 6 to 10 meters b) Opening of a new fire strip 300 meters long and 10 meters wide.
The Report assesses the environmental impacts of the project as limited, reversible and controllable, mainly due to the small extent of the intervention and the limited duration of the works (about 2 months) and the provision that they will be carried out outside the breeding season of the birds (September – January).
During the implementation of the project, 67 young pine rough trees will be removed, while limited areas of two habitat types will be affected: 2.4 decares with shrubs and forest stands of Quercus alnifolia (latzia) and 2.3 decares with pine rough forests (Pinus brutia).
The impacts are considered insignificant in relation to the total area of the specific habitats present in the wider SAC.
The Special Protection Area "Tzioni Area" and the "Machairas Forest" SAC are home to important species of flora and fauna, including the Zanos falcon (Falco peregrinus), the scapular (Oenanthe cypriaca), the rough pine and the endemic shrub Quercus alnifolia. In total, the Gionia SPA is a refuge for a total of 84 species of birds, 57 of which nest there.
The SAC is also home to valuable natural habitats such as shrublands, Mediterranean pine forests, and riverside galleries, while rare species such as the snake Coluber cypriensis and the bat Rhinolophus hipposideros have been identified.
The Department of the Environment concludes that irreversible or significant effects on the integrity of Natura 2000 sites are not expected. Therefore, the project does not require further environmental assessment in accordance with Article 6(3) of the Habitats Directive.
This intervention is part of the fire protection management measures of the Forest Plan of the area and is part of the national planning for the prevention of forest fires. Movement in the fire strip will be controlled and during the months of March to October it will not be open to the public, therefore the presence of visitors in the area is not expected to increase, permanent conditions of dust dispersion and noise will be caused and the species and habitats of the area will be significantly affected.
During the construction stage, the works that will take place will include deforestation of the flora and earthworks to widen the existing fire strip and open the new one. In addition, due to the importance of the area and the location of the project, during the construction phase every effort will be made to limit the embankments and slopes that will be created.
