The area "Liopetri River National Forest Park" was added by the Republic of Cyprus to the final list of Areas of Environmental Importance and Sites of Community Importance proposed to the European Commission for inclusion in the European Natura 2000 Network.
The relevant Notification was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic on May 11, 2018 by the Minister of Agriculture Costas Kadis, based on the powers provided to him by the provisions of Article 11 of the Nature and Wildlife Protection Laws 2003 to 2015, the harmonizing the legislation of the Republic of Cyprus with Council Directive 92/43 / EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora.
It is also noted that it was previously approved by the Council of Ministers on December 7, 2017 (Decision Number 83/908).
For the inclusion of the area "Liopetri River Forest National Park" in the list of Areas of Environmental Importance, a relevant list of criteria was taken into account, as they arise from Article 12 of the Nature and Wildlife Protection Laws from 2003 to 2015.
The types of natural habitats of Community interest of Annex I of the Nature and Wildlife Protection Laws 2003 to 2015, which are found in the area are:
• Two coastal and allophytic habitats, the annual vegetation between the flood limits and the low tide, and the steep rocky shores with vegetation in the Mediterranean with endemic Limonium spp.
• A coastal and inland habitat, the rudimentary moving dunes.
• A priority freshwater habitat, the Mediterranean seasonal marshes (lake).
• Two habitats of clusters with hardy vegetation, the tree shrubs with invisible and the phrygana from magin.
The species of wild flora of Community interest of Annex II of the Nature and Wildlife Protection and Wildlife Laws of 2003 to 2015 found in the area is Crepis pusilla, which is included in the "Red Book of Flora of Cyprus" as endangered.
In addition, the Liopetri River Forest National Park is a particularly important area for five species of wildlife of Community interest in Annex II of the Nature and Wildlife Protection Laws 2003 to 2015, as it contains five species of chiropractors / bats:
• The winged bat, which belongs to the family of Minnoptera.
• Micromyotida and Pyrromyotida, which belong to the family of Hesperides.
• Rinolofos of Blasius and Tranorinolofos, which belong to the Rinolofid family.
According to the Standard Data Form submitted to the European Commission, there are also 18 species of birds in the area referred to in Article 4 of Directive 2009/147 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds ( former Directive 79/409 / EEC), as well as 42 other important species of birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects and plants.
Source: Liberal