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15 minutes He repeatedly announced the dissatisfaction of some Klaipeda residents with the government’s intentions to expand railroad tracks through the Giruliai forest. Residents have managed to obtain more alternatives that are currently being explored where a train station could be built in the future.
In addition, the Klaipėda City Council is preparing a proposal to the Government to think even more broadly: “examine in more detail the alternatives of the Klaipėda railway crossing of the Trans-European Transport Corridor B”, without limiting itself to the sections specified in the Government Resolution. It is estimated in the city that the center of Klaipėda could be rescued from cargo by a railway branch through Radviliškis and Pagėgiai.
“The objective is to protect the forests of Melnrage and Giruliai from the development of railway infrastructure,” says the explanatory note of the documents that are being prepared.
However, residents who gathered for the protest fear that only a temporary retreat will take place here; after all, the state also plans an external seaport, which will require infrastructure: trains will appear instead of the Giruliai forest, and concrete and cargo instead of the coast.
They tried to draw the public’s attention to this through paintings, dances, songs, meditation, and discussions on the beach. It is true that only like-minded people participated in the discussion.
Photo by Lukas Balandis / 15min / The action “Dance by the seashore: save the Giruliai forest”
G.Ramašauskas: people come to the sea or stroll through the forest
Gintaras Ramašauskas, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Klaipėda Communities, recalls that the threat to the Giruliai Forest was a surprise: Government documents provide for a terminal where the containers would pass.
“Official data is not published, the amount of deforestation that would be needed for the terminal could exceed 100 hectares, and only the evacuation of the maneuvering station, for which about 30 ha would be logged. Klaipeda residents are trying to destroy the sensitive place, and the city municipality has approved those plans. We took active measures and managed to attract the attention of the public, politicians from all parties joined, “said G. Ramašauskas in the discussion.
However, according to him, Giruliai remains the target, and the Government has included additional territory between the cabbage village and Kretingalė to be examined “in order to calm the audience”.
Photo by Lukas Balandis / 15min / The action “Dance by the seashore: save the Giruliai forest”
“The site was evaluated, a feasibility study was conducted, and found to be unsuitable for such an investment because it was too far from the planned outer port,” said a community spokesperson.
According to him, Melnrage is a place where Klaipeda residents have a free hour to go to the sea or take a walk in the woods.
“That planned investment in railways is the development of the infrastructure of the outer coast of the port. The Outer Port is a huge monster that has already been transferred to the General Plan of the Republic of Lithuania in preparation. (…) In this place Where we are, everything must be concreted and the peninsula will go further in three kilometers, “says G.Ramašauskas.
According to him, such a solution will stop the natural mixing of sand in the sea, as a result of which the beaches of the entire Lithuanian coast will begin to disappear.
“Even the port workers say we don’t need that outer port, but Vilnius officials say we need a big project worth more than a billion euros,” G. Ramašauskas was angry.
At the time, it lacked the benefits of this project: there are no commitments in terms of cargo, jobs, “just a requirement to create such infrastructure, in other words, to specify those areas.”
Participants in the discussion noted that while city officials plan to expand recreation and build spas in the area, national documents see the industrial center here.
“Are our lungs here, or is it cheaper for the railways to come here?” Asked the moderator of the event.
Photo by Lukas Balandis / 15min / The action “Dance by the seashore: save the Giruliai forest”
E. Benetis: it will be an ecological disaster
Architect Edmund Benet accuses the government of failing to keep its word, of failing to solve today’s problems at the expense of future generations.
“We are involved in the exact opposite action, which starts at the top of the pyramid. I have in mind the general plan of the Republic of Lithuania. (…) What is the paradox of why we are torn, why we do not like the outer port in the general plan? And because the port with the maximum expansion has handled 46 million tons in the last two years. tons of cargo, and in the general plan we obtain a total of 132 million tons. We can divide, multiply and you will notice that the handling volumes increase approximately 4 times. Speaking of Melnrage, where we are here, where the 3 km peninsula will go to sea, 40 million are planned in the North Node. t. If there are now 46 in the port, this place alone will handle another 40 million tons, “said E. Benetis.
Photo by Lukas Balandis / 15min / The action “Dance by the seashore: save the Giruliai forest”
He emphasizes that “not confectionery” will travel to the seashore, but oil, coal, iron, cement, Belarusian fertilizers, which will pollute many times more. According to him, Klaipeda residents will have “four crevices to look at the lagoon” in the 15-kilometer section.
“We can only imagine what life will be like in such a city,” said the architect.
He mentions that the direct negative consequences will be felt not only for the city, but also for the entire Lithuanian coast.
“This is an ecological disaster on the Lithuanian coast. (…) We cross the south current and the sand that comes from Germany, Poland, Kaliningrad 0 will no longer come. Palanga is in charge of the expansion of its beaches every year. To imagine what it is in terms of volume and money, the comparison is very simple. 1 kilometer from the coast in 2019-2020. Prices cost around 1 million. euros If we talk about the consequences for the entire coast, let’s multiply by 50, “said E. Benetis.
Photo by Lukas Balandis / 15min / The action “Dance by the seashore: save the Giruliai forest”
According to him, the port’s development plans “put a cross in the Lithuanian tourism and maritime recreation business” and the losses will be greater than the benefits created by the port.
R. Kulikauskas: the threat remains
Renaldas Kulikauskas, head of Klaipeda’s community associations, also believes that current solutions do not change the situation.
“What some stakeholders say today about external need, this object is confirmed in the most important state strategic documents. Who knows if in a year and two the fall will not change again and no attempt will be made to implement the decisions that are made. They have planned, “says R. Kulikauskas.
According to him, if the railways need 30-50 ha of forest, then the infrastructure of the new port could take advantage of a third of the forest.
“These are quite impressive areas, imagine that the residents of Klaipeda would lose most of their lungs. The government did not expect the public to react so quickly and would not allow the development of the state development to be quiet and silent cutting the forest in a way simple, without much coordination, “said R. Kulikauskas.
Julius Kalinskas / 15min photo / Meeting of residents with government representatives
S. Gentvilas promises to resist
The member of the Seimas, the liberal Simón Gentvilas, who participated in the discussion, assured that the outer port “is a fantastic project.”
“There are 99 km of coastline, we want to have recreation, logistics, industry and jobs, and those things are competing,” said Gentvilas.
He juxtaposed: on the one hand, the pier created a space for surfers, where they have the highest waves, on the other hand, there is really no sand transfer and the water washes the beaches, the sand stops on the other side of the pier.
“If we consider it simpler, this place is the most attractive place for the construction of the port, here the greatest depths,” said S. Gentvilas.
But he assured who would fight the planned outer port until it was withdrawn, calling it a “fantastic project.”
“As for Giruliai, that is why we meet here; it is necessary to understand that the port must be close to the water.” However, rail transport outside the port may not be required. Just as a car may not necessarily be under a window, it can be parked 30 meters away. This forest should not be cut down so that the cargo remains right next to the port, “said the politician.
He asked for support for the proposal to establish a reserve in Melnrage, turning the forest into a protected area.
Photo by Lukas Balandis / 15min / The action “Dance by the seashore: save the Giruliai forest”
“Representative of the Lithuanian railways: it is too early to talk about decisions
Mantas Dubauskas, communication director of the Lithuanian Railways, assures that there is still no concrete solution to develop the railway infrastructure in the Giruliai forest.
“The government’s decision is about exploring alternatives and their impact on the environment. Therefore, this decision will allow us to assess what the impact should be. It is not the case that the decision to cut trees was made.” 15 minutes M.Dubauskas declared.
Photo by Arno Strumila / 15min / Dubauskas Blankets
He admits that company representatives did not receive an invitation to participate in Giruliai’s community discussion.
“That area is one of the options under consideration, as are other possible alternatives. So far, we have refrained from commenting because of the very early stage. The debate should take place in such a way that all parties are heard. The decisions they are not taken in a hurry, ”said M. Dubauskas.
He danced and drew
Sharp discussions at the event took up a small part of the time: activists voiced their protest most of the day through dance, meditation, and drawing.
“Here we carry out such a creative activity where the process itself is more important. We did a collective group exercise, we worked on it with our vision through art, ”said S. Mockutė, showing the drawings.
Photo by Lukas Balandis / 15min / The action “Dance by the seashore: save the Giruliai forest”
She said she wanted to feel nature through creativity and pay attention: everyone contributes what they can.
“Creating seems to me such an interesting process: refining what is inside, what colors, what shapes. Not through the mind and the rational side, but through the creative and intuitive flow, music, like dance, is purified for the internal worlds ”, said the artist.
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