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NeuchâtelIncivility denounced at Creux-du-Van
The Jura Club, which takes care of a nature reserve, denounces “a great nonsense” in a letter addressed to State Councilor Laurent Favre.
The top and bottom of the cliff called “the circus” are regularly cleaned by the Jura Club.
creuxduvan.com
There are many restrictions in the Creux-du-Van nature reserve.
creuxduvan.com
In a letter relayed by the media “ArcInfo“, the Jura Club denounces” a great nonsense “in the reserve of Creux-du-Van, a site of Val-de-Travers acquired in 1882 by this association for… 1200 francs. The incivilities communicated to the State Councilor Laurent Favre are as numerous as they are varied. They have been documented by photos taken in recent years.
“On August 16, 1898, the Council of State, at the request of the society of hunters of Neuchâtel, issued a decree which created, in Creux-du-Van, a free zone intended for the conservation and protection of nature. . The first nature reserve in Switzerland was born”, it is specified in this letter.
brass plate
Responsible for the maintenance of the site, Pierre Morel found waste or objects thrown from the top of the cliff, including a heavy brass plate prohibiting… to throw stones. “I go very frequently to the foot of the cliff and to La Roche-aux-Noms. However, more and more often it is necessary to collect a lot of waste thrown without scruple from the top of the circus by tourists who are totally disrespectful of these places”. he writes.
“There are many garbage bags, boxes, various packaging, which are cleared in this way,” continues Pierre Morel. The main problem in this free federal district is broken bottles, which are dangerous for animals.
Dogs off leash
Cyclists are off-roading, fires are lit, tents are pitched, dogs are off leash. drones fly over the cliff and helicopters perform first flights: for Laurent Bernaschina, president of the Jura Club and co-signer of the letter addressed to the head of the Department of Territorial Development and the Environment, it’s “great n’ anything”. A meeting is already scheduled for the first quarter of 2023 to take stock of the situation.
“We are tired of the incivilities, abuses and downright stupid behavior of people using this place of nature supposed to be protected and which leave many traces following their passages”, write Laurent Bernaschina and Pierre Morel.
Use of TF
The State has hired a “ranger” to carry out prevention, but the Jura Club considers his presence insufficient. The possibilities of sanctions have been reinforced at the level of nature agents, but more fines are demanded, with for example the intransigence applied to Graubünden, in the Swiss National Park. Problem in Neuchâtel: the cantonal allocation plan necessary to better frame the activities is the subject of an appeal to the Federal Court.
“There is still time to act in order to define a stricter protection plan and to apply lasting restrictions. But let’s not delay any longer, it has only lasted too long!” concludes the Jura Club.