Residents of Almaty Demand Return of Baum Grove to Specially Protected Natural Area Status

A petition has appeared, with its authors noting that the green zone in this territory is rapidly degrading due to logging and lack of control, Orda.kz reports.

We are talking about one of the oldest natural areas of the city – a grove established in 1868. It is called the "lungs of the lower part of Almaty" and is considered one of the key recreational areas for residents.

As noted by public figures who published the petition on March 26, there are more and more cases of damage and felling of trees. Contractors working on behalf of the akimat and unknown vandals are accused of this.

In 2023, the norms allowing such objects to be excluded from the category of specially protected areas were removed from the law. According to activists, this calls into question the legality of previous decisions regarding Bauma Grove.

Citizens are asking to return the territory's protected status and strengthen control over its preservation. They believe that without these measures, the grove may ultimately lose its ecological and historical value.

The addressee of the petition is the office of the Akim of Almaty. The collection of signatures will last until September 26, 2026.

Earlier we wrote that the Almaty akimat promised to turn Bauma Grove into a place of power, but so far it has only become a site of fierce disputes, conflicts and mutual accusations between officials, contractors, local residents and environmental activists.

Original author: Alina Elgeldina

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