A petition to 'save' the Sassolungo mountain group in the Dolomites

A petition entitled "Save the Dolomites" has been launched to preserve the Sassolungo mountain group in the Italian Dolomites which "is unfortunately at serious risk of ending up in the hands of a few private investors with the sole aim of making a profit." Promoted by Nosc Cunfin, a group of citizens of Val Gardena and Kastelruth, the petition has garnered over 45 thousand signatures in just a few days.

The promoters of the appeal explain that the unspoilt habitat of this area is in serious danger due to new lifts. "The nightmare is becoming a reality" state the organisers "The start of the works that are going to disrupt this area is imminent. We are talking about the Piani di Cunfin, at the foot of the Sassolungo, an area that provides drinking water for 7 thousand inhabitants, with wetlands of high biodiversity and a habitat for flora and fauna that are under protection."

In addition to this new lifts, the Nosc Cunfin association explains that in April 2023 a project to renew the cable car to Forcella del Sassolungo was was submitted to the regional planning office. "This project would more than double the capacity and the mountain station, located in the heart of the massif, would become almost four times larger than it is today. This means that part of the rock face will have to be removed as well as several cubic metres. The project will also be subsidised with a minimum of 45% public funds: an incredible profit for investors at the expense of the population and the environment." These projects affect not only the undulating Piani di Cunfin, but also the area at the foot of the mountain called Città dei Sassi.

The aim of the petition is to halt these developments in the short term and, in the long term, ensure that the entire area is designated nature park status. Indeed, it seems paradoxical that the Sassolungo and Sella groups, two of the symbols of the Dolomites, are not yet included in the Dolomites UNESCO world heritage site.

Click here to sign the petition: www.change.org