Opponents of the golf course in Klánovice organized a happening today

Prague - Opponents of the plan to build a golf course in the Klánovice Forest on the outskirts of Prague gathered today in Klánovice for a happening to once again express their disagreement with the plan to fell 16 hectares of forest for golf. According to the organizers, about three hundred people attended the six-hour event. "I believe it was very successful and the citizens clearly expressed that they do not want golf there," said Eva Tylová, the organizer and a city council member for the Green Party, to ČTK.
    "I am convinced that Klánovice will not become a European rarity where citizens in the 21st century allow the forest to be felled to build a golf course," said Klánovice Mayor Ladislav Hrabal (independent) to the meeting participants.
    Opponents of the course construction are planning another demonstration for Monday at 5:00 PM in front of the Prague City Hall, where they also want to gain support from Mayor Pavel Bém (ODS) for their plans. "The forests in Prague are being planted together with our councilor Petr Štěpánek, so now it's a matter of ensuring that no other forest is cut down," Tylová told ČTK.
    Only several dozen people gathered at the start of the event in front of the local pub near the forest, but a large portion of them were journalists and people from television crews. Besides a few obvious opponents of the golf course construction, who applauded the mayor's words, the happening also caught the attention of a few dog walkers and cyclists passing by.
    "What was important is that it was organized by young people from Úvaly who contacted us. Support for the forest against felling crosses the civic spectrum," Tylová believes.
    If the course were built, non-native trees with a volume of 2,100 cubic meters of wood would be felled, claims the investor. He points out that this is roughly 60 percent of the annual timber yield in Klánovice Forest.
    "This forest is of high quality with a significant proportion of deciduous trees," Tylová said. According to Mayor Hrabal, the primeval forest at Boubín is essentially a secondary forest, yet it is not logged and a golf course is not built in its place.
    According to the investor, the nine-hole course project respects valuable forest ecosystems and biologically interesting areas. The playing area will amount to about 15 hectares, part of which already has no trees. The area represents roughly 1.3 percent of the Klánovice Forest's area, the investor added, stating that the construction of the course will not harm the forest. Opposition to the course is regarded by the company Forest Golf Resort Prague as an unobjective campaign by people seeking issues for their political or other benefit.