OREANDA-NEWS. February 28, 2012. Head of Karelia Andrei Nelidov has made a working trip to Sortavala region. The key issue which currently concerns many townspeople of Sortavala and the neighbouring regions is creation of The Ladoga Skerries national park, therefore it was the focal point of the visit.

The necessity to preserve the unique nature of the North Ladoga Lakeside has been perceived a long time ago both in Karelia, and at the level of Russia. Measures on creation of The Ladoga Skerries national park are stipulated by the concept of development of the system of specially protected natural site of the federal value through to 2020 and were included in the corresponding Decree of the Government of Russia. Scientists have developed the ecological substantiation of creation of the national park, the project of its borders and functional zones. However, many residents of Sortavala voice concerns that creation of the park will complicate their life in the native land. To consider all the opinions and to develop an acceptable solution, to move the issue from the sphere of political reasonings in practice was the task with which Head of Karelia Andrei Nelidov came to the region and met with supporters and opponents of creation of the national park.

According to architect Alexander Legkonogov, a native citizen of Sortavala, creation of The Ladoga Skerries national park is a must and it should be done as soon as possible. Otherwise, within the next few years the perspective land along the coastline, as well as islands in Lake Ladoga will inevitably fall under control of the companies from the capital cities, and thus will never become a true national property; and it is, first of all, the populatuion of Sortavala region that will be stricken by it.

The opinion of the opponents of creation of the national park submitted by the former head of the region, now businessman Valery Varya, is that summer communities and vacation spots of aboriginals may fall get within the borders of the protected zone. It will produce extra complications at subsidiary personal plot management. At that, at the meeting in the Youth and Cultural Center of Sortavala Valery Varya and all all the people who had gathered confirmed the importance of conservation of the nature of Ladoga Lakeside.

Andrei Nelidov has offered two options for the further activities. The first is correction of borders of the park-to-be that would enable the aims of the local population. The second, and more radical, too, assumes creation of not a national, but of a natural park, that will make it possible to decide the issues related to all kinds of activities within the specially protected site at the level of Karelia sooner and easier.

The option to choose, the expert way of correction of borders of the park will be determined by the action group of citizens of Sortavala which was decided to establish on results of the meeting. Andrei Nelidov has once again emphasized that the Government of the republic is interested to come to a compromise, that is why in their activities they will as much as possible regard the opinion of the people concerned with this problem. Head of the republic has also declared that the action group will be rendered financial and legal support from the authorities of the republic and the municipality; only then its activity will be the most efficient.

Participants of the meeting have thanked Andrei Nelidov for the reasonable approach to solution of the debatable question of creation of The Ladoga Skerries park and for his readiness to compromise. This opinion was stated by Vladimir Golovchenko, a person famous in Sortavala, director of one of the local enterprises.

Besides the discussion of the fate of The Ladoga Skerries park during his trip to Sortavala Andrei Nelidov has also visited some local enterprises. In particular, Head of Karelia has visited a new sawmill Key Forest, a recently opened grocery store and a municipal drugstore, and has also met young athlets and their trainers in the local cross-country race sports school for children.