Petition seeks protection of Zadar’s ‘green heart’ coastal pine forest

(Photo credit: Jurica Predovan)

A petition calling for the permanent protection of a coastal pine forest between the Zadar settlements of Kožino and Diklo has gathered more than 3,000 signatures, as residents seek park-forest status for the area known as Peruština, Kožinski bori or Sveti Petar.

The forest is located between Kožino and Diklo and covers almost 100,000 square metres. Its distinctive shape has led local residents and others to refer to it as the “green heart” of Zadar.

The online initiative, launched by Vanja Sabić, calls for the area to be declared a park forest and for the land to remain in state ownership. The petition page lists four cadastral parcels – 130/410, 130/413, 130/414 and 130/143 in the cadastral municipality of Diklo.

According to the petition, the forest has landscape, recreational, ecological and educational value. Residents use the area for walking, running, recreation, spending time in nature and accessing the sea. The initiative also points to the forest’s role in reducing soil erosion, protecting against wind and sea spray, and helping to moderate the local microclimate.

The campaign follows an earlier petition that collected almost 1,000 signatures and called for the area to be changed from a planned tourism use to a green sports and recreational zone. Local media reported in June that the state-owned land had previously been identified for potential investment, with plans discussed for a campsite of up to 500 beds.

(Photo credit: Jurica Predovan)

The new initiative is specifically seeking park-forest status. Its organisers argue that this would provide a stronger form of long-term protection while keeping the land in state ownership. They are also asking authorities to halt any plans for the sale of the relevant forest parcels and to allow the City of Zadar to introduce recreational facilities subject to environmental protection measures.

There has been movement at the local and regional level. In August, the City of Zadar, Zadar County and the Kožino local committee said the long-term protection of the Peruština pine forest was a priority. The City said it would seek to designate the area as a green and sports-recreational zone through spatial-planning changes, while Zadar County said it would examine the possibility of formally launching a procedure to declare it a park forest and assess the necessary professional and legal conditions.

(Photo credit: Jurica Predovan)

The petition page currently lists a target of 5,000 signatures, with more than 3,000 signatures recorded.

The initiative has been sent to the City of Zadar, Zadar County, the county department responsible for spatial planning and environmental protection, the Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets, and the public institution responsible for managing protected natural areas in the county.