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<\/p>\nPart of Osogovo Mountain is proclaimed for protected area (category V protected area) with the decision by the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia from 17.11.2020. Osogovo Mountain as very first Protected Landscape (category V protected area) presents a crown jewel in MES\u2019s 14-year work, owing to the support of many partners and donors, domestic and foreign experts, and the cooperation with the Nature Conservatopn Programme in North Macedonia and the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (MoEPP).<\/p>\n
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\u201eOsogovo\u2019s values have finally been recognised and become our national treasure. This is only an initial step towards the area\u2019s actual protection. We would like to congratulate to the future managing entity, National Forests Public Enterprise, hoping that it will work hard to maintain and conserve the natural values of Osogovo Mountains. We believe that the local population will have something to take pride in and pass on to the future generations,\u201c states Despina Kitanova from MES, who has been involved in the process for Osogovo\u2019s protection ever since 2006.<\/p>\n
Namely, MES commenced the initiative to study Osogovo Mountains and place them on the map of protected areas in 2006, with the support of the Frankfurt Zoological Society from Germany. There followed projects supported by ProNatura (Switzerland), EuroNatur and the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) (Germany), and implemented through transboundary cooperation with the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation (BBF). Osogovo\u2019s unique landscapes were assessed by Professor Ljupcho Melovski, Ph.D., long-term President of MES, who defined the \u2018protected landscape\u2019 category of protection.<\/p>\n
We are hopeful that this Government decision will spur the proclamation of other protected areas in the country waiting protection in the law and on the ground, while their values are under various pressure.<\/p>\n
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