CHAIRLIFT VALLACCIA IN LIVIGNO HALTED: THE DAMAGES

Mottolino lift company is experiencing a considerable economic and financial damage. Even local economy will be strongly involved: anyone working in tourism, from hotelliers to merchants, will pay the price by missing the chance of seeing the expansion of the ski area within the destination which, moreover, has already been communicated to the customers who already booked for the upcoming season. It is also a missed employment chance for new workers, that could have found a new job opportunity thanks to the activation 
of the new lift.

The procedure to start building the lift has started 7 years ago, and the final approval was received in July 2014 by the Italian Council of Ministers, considering the project of public utility. It has been attacked many times by “Legambiente” at levels that haven’t been explained to the population, creating a sectarian reply from the most radical fringe. The new lift is a six places chairlift and it will serve the homonymous area, extending by 30% the skiable surface of the side, increasing the attractivity of the entire Livigno ski area and giving it more advantages. Among Legambiente accusations there is also the alleged SIC devastation (Site of Community Interest), but it hasn’t been explained that the area belonging to the site is an infinitesimal percentage of the above, and it is placed on the external margins, close to the existing man made environment, giving a sense that these declarations constitute a mere emotional leverage on citizens.

Mottolino CEO declares: "On a projectual basis, the chairlft should have its departure at 2079 m asl, a length of 1848 m and a vertical drop of 638 m. It is, in first place, a lift that can only be reached “skis on” being connected to the ski area with a slope. This aspect gives evidence to the reduced environmental impact, given that it is not a communication lift with consequent and needed parking sites located at the bottom of it. The area concerned by the lift is free of woods and no tree cuts is planned. On a dirt moving point of view, no stripping are planned, if not in the proximity of the construction site of the lift departure and arrival areas. 
In the absence of an environmental damage however averted by the care with which the work is carried out and the planned compensation will be implemented, there is the feeling that this environmental organization rather than having at heart the environment care is proposed to persecute our company in every step it moves, by the way always directed towards the sustainable development of tourism and certainly not in the direction of damaging the environment. Perhaps the leaders of Legambiente do not realize that the first ones caring about the environment are exactly us living here and respecting the environment as a valuable asset".