Nature of Šumava in danger

Šumava National Park is the largest National Park in The Czech Republic. It is also among the largest forest in Central Europe and Special Protected Area within the Natura 2000.

The temporary director of the management of the Šumava National Park decided to extensive logging in core zone in habitats of rare birds and with other parts of its unique biota including gastropods. Czech Ministry of Environment tolerate this damage of the most valuable parts of nature in Central Europe. Logging activities in National Park are illegal in the Czech Republic, against law of European Union, against principles of conservation biology, and against scientific recommendations of Czech Ecological Society http://dopis.cspe.cz/index.php?lang=en&page=introduction , Federation of Nature and National Parks of Europe and others.

The most rare gastropod species in Šumava include (with the conservation status in the Czech Republic):

Macrogastra badia – Endangered

Petasina edentula – Endangered

Vestia turgida – Endangered in Bohemia

Vitrea transsylvanica – Critically Endangered in Bohemia

Eucobresia nivalis – Endangered

Arion intermedius – Near Threatened

Vertigo ronnebyensis – Critically Endangered

Deroceras rodnae – Near Threatened

If you also think, that this unprecedented destruction of a National Park should be stopped, you can send a letter to Mr. Petr Nečas, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic. http://www.birdlife.cz/letterSumava.html

References:
Dvořák L. (2003). Nejvzácnější prvky šumavské malakofauny. In: Zoologické dny Brno 2003, Bryja J. & Zukal J. (eds.), Sborník abstraktů z konference 13.-14. února 2003: page 29.
http://zoo.ivb.cz/doc/sborniky/sbornik_2003.pdf

Dvořák L. (2005). Notes on distribution of the Carpathian snail Vestia turgida in the Bohemian Forest. Silva Gabreta 11: 97–103.
http://www.npsumava.cz/storage/vyzkum/SGpdf/SG11_2_Dvorak.pdf

Red List of the molluscs (Mollusca) of the Czech Republic
http://mollusca.sav.sk/malacology/redlist.htm

Further reading in English:
http://www.birdlife.cz/letterSumava.html

http://praguemonitor.com/2011/07/20/environment-activists-continue-their-vigil-%C5%A1umava-national-park

http://praguemonitor.com/2011/07/26/police-oust-activists-logging-starts-%C5%A1umava-park-locality

http://www.ceskapozice.cz/en/business/energy-green-biz/czech-sumava-national-park-turns-battleground