Stepin lug is considered the largest forest in Belgrade, and is known as Tito's Grove. It is located in the Kumodraž settlement, on the territory of the Zvezdara and Voždovac municipalities. It was named after Duke Stepa Stepanović, whose birthplace is located on the edge of the forest, on top of Stražarska kosa hill.
The Institute for Nature Protection proposed in November 2024 that Stepa lug be given the status of a protected area. It was proposed that Stepa's lye be in the third level of protection. According to Article 35 of the Law on Nature Protection, the construction of buildings in areas of the third level of protection is prohibited.
Unknown investor
However, the government has not yet decided on their proposal, so three private houses are currently being built in Stepina lugo. Members of the Ekomorph association informed the public and authorities about this.
They say that an unknown investor cut down about 50 ares of forest near Stepa's house, built a road leading to the hill, and in that area there are walls of three private houses on two floors, and only the roof is missing. Everything, they say, was completed in three months.
About this, they sent a letter to the Institute for Nature Protection, the Building Inspection, the Municipal Inspection, as well as the Srbijaforests, which officially manage Stepa's lye, with the request that, in short order, in compliance with the current laws, "illegal construction should be stopped, the perpetrator should be punished, the buildings should be demolished, and the forest should be restored to its original state by planting."
They are still waiting for an answer, and in the meantime they are trying to find out who is the perpetrator of this ecocide.
They also remind that 100 oak trees were destroyed by excavators in Stepina Lug this summer, because the company Premius intended to arrange sports fields there after receiving a public procurement for that work in January last year, but they were prevented from doing so.
Source: N1
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