A new ski area on Monte San Primo is expected to cost around five million euros. Environmentalists are anything but enthusiastic about the project; and resist it.
Bellagio – Around 50 years ago, the ski area on Monte San Primo was extremely popular with residents and tourists. But the area has already been closed to winter sports for a decade, and that is about to change – this is what the plans look like.
A formerly popular ski area is to be reopened – for five million euros
Winter sports are still very important in Italy today. However, it is no longer on Monte San Primo in the Italian city of Bellagio. Over the years there was less and less snow on the mountain. The reason was the rising temperatures and less snowfall, which caused the mountain to become “naked”. The city of Bellagio wants to revive the mountain’s ancient pride and build a new ski area.
How CNN reported, it was already clear last year that the city would be supported by the national and regional governments in financing the project. To attract tourists, artificial snowmaking, a large parking lot, toboggan runs and new lifts are to be built. The project is costing the region around five million euros.
But not everyone agrees with the ambitious plans: criticism came particularly from environmental and sports organizations. There is also a risk of extinction in some scenarios in ski areas in Germany.
New ski area on Monte San Primo – opposition to plans
How CNN writes, 33 groups are working together to ensure that the project is stopped after all. The World Wildlife Fund and the Italian Alpine Association, among others, joined forces under the name “Let’s save Monte Primo”. For the consortium, the five million euros can be put into more meaningful projects to attract more tourists, said Roberto Fumagalli, a spokesman for the group.
He demanded that the leaders of the business group consult with the project managers before the construction project is started: “We don’t want to wait to protest against the bulldozers. It would be more productive to sit down now.” Fumagalli’s group would prefer an expansion of the hiking trails to an artificial ski area.
In their efforts, the group even wrote to Hollywood star George Clooney, who regularly lives on Lake Como. “He hasn’t responded, but we hope he will,” Roberto Fumagalli said. An extremely expensive project in Austria is also being criticized. (rodi)
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