Great Day for Trail Markers

Great Day for Trail Markers: Proposal for Amendment to the Mountain Trails Act Adopted.

MPs adopted the proposal for the amendment to the Mountain Trails Act on May 27, ensuring permanent funding for the maintenance and renovation of mountain trails. The public interest in this regulation was shown by the unity of the vote. 73 MPs voted in favor and no one against.



Hiking is an extremely popular leisure activity among Slovenes and in recent years more and more hikers head to the mountainous and hilly world. Maintained and marked mountain trails are a prerequisite for safe movement in hilly and mountainous terrain. Well-maintained trails are also necessary so that hikers do not seek shortcuts and new paths, thereby respecting nature and the animals in it. The network of maintained and arranged mountain trails, which spans all of Slovenia with a total length of just over 10,000 kilometers, is cared for by specially trained trail markers of the Alpine Association of Slovenia. They perform their work voluntarily.



The current Mountain Trails Act was adopted 14 years ago. Over time, it has shown significant deficiencies, as it does not regulate a systematic source of funding. The greatest contribution of the amendment is thus the supplemented provision of Article 20 with a new paragraph, which stipulates the obligation of the ministry responsible for tourism to provide funds from the state budget for the maintenance and marking of mountain trails. The ministry responsible for tourism will provide around 400,000 euros annually for these purposes. With the amendment, the emphasis of funding for the maintenance and renovation of mountain trails is transferred to the ministry responsible for tourism, which is also linked to efforts to renovate mountain huts.



In the Alpine Association of Slovenia, we are very pleased that the MPs have adopted the changes to the Mountain Trails Act and shown that they appreciate the work of trail markers and care about preserving mountain nature. "With great satisfaction and gratitude for understanding the importance of mountain trails for recreation, tourism and also the tradition of Slovenian identity, we welcome the decision of the MPs. On the other hand, we are also aware of the responsibility and challenge to raise the level of arrangement of mountain trails amid the ever-increasing visits we have witnessed recently," said PZS General Secretary Damjan Omerzu.



The proposal was submitted to the legislative procedure by a group of MPs with Mateja Udovč as the first signatory. In her opinion, the proposal ensures the safety of mountain visitors, nature preservation and the earliest possible recovery of tourism. "The adopted act is a great day for trail markers. The Mountain Trails Act is necessary if we want to ensure the safety of hikers and tourists and the earliest possible recovery of our tourism. Well-arranged, safe and maintained mountain trails are a prerequisite for achieving this goal. Annual funds in the amount of 400 thousand euros will be provided by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology. These funds are for the people, these funds are for trail markers. These wonderful and heartfelt people perform their voluntary work as a mission. May the mountain trails unite us again. Just as they have many times in history.".



Hiking has in the past already known how to unite and bring together politics, as it was also at the last session of the National Assembly of the RS. The MPs supported the act with a large majority.



The amendment to the act is part of the implementation of the green mountain tourism program, towards which the Slovenian state is leaning. With the amendment to the act, the training and licensing further education of trail markers will also be regulated. Trail markers will also receive appropriate equipment for safe work with the new act.



The amendment to the act enters into force on 1 January next year.