HOW THE FOREST IS LEGALY PROTECTED

After the verification of the successful reforestation in 1954, the Greek State has deeded the ownership of the forest to the Philodassiki Enossi, by Ministerial decree.

The Forest Prohibitory Regulation (FPP 20/4294/96) of local Forest Service is applicable to the whole of the Aesthetic Forest area (PD 71/94). The following protective measures are also applicable in the region:

• The Country’s Constitutional Articles 24 and 117 regarding the environment and most specifically the forests
• Forest laws (86/69, 996/71, 998/79, 1734/87, 3208/2003 etc)
• Law 1650/86 regarding the preservation of the environment
• The Presidential decree 575/80 regarding especially susceptible areas to forest fires and therefore potentially endangered.
• The PD of the Official Gazette A, 544/78 regarding the delineation of protected zones in Mt. Hymmetos.
• The (urban) Master Plan of the city of Athens (law 1515/85, article 2 & 3)
• The decision of the Ministry for the Environment, Spatial Planning and Public Works 9173/1642/3.3.93 (Official Gazette 281/vol. D’/ 23.3.92) with which the Iridanos river was declared of a particular environmental significance.
• The EU directives 92/43/21.5.92 regarding the preservation of natural ecosystems and the fauna and flora (Natura 2000) in which the Mt. Hymmetos Aesthetic Forest region including all the Mount Hymettos and the Vougliagmeni lake have been catalogued with code number GR3000006 belonging to the Pan-European network of locations significant to the European Union as a whole.
• Various provisions which forbid activities such as mining, stock farming and hunting.
• Articles 12603/11.6.93 of Athens Prefecture’s Health Board concerning the water of the spring of Kessariani’s Monastery and that of Kalopoula.