Basilicata environmental controversy over synthetic ski slope project

A controversial 8-million-euro project to develop the Sellata–Monte Pierfaone area in Basilicata, Italy, has sparked significant environmental backlash. The plan includes the construction of a 480-meter synthetic ski slope and a new chairlift designed to promote year-round tourism.

Environmental groups, including CAI Basilicata, Legambiente, and WWF, have criticized the project due to the removal of 951 trees, primarily beech and alder, within a Natura 2000 Special Area of Conservation located in the Appennino Lucano National Park. Critics argue that the loss of mature forest is irreversible and that replacing natural ecosystems with plastic surfaces could lead to microplastic pollution in local waterways.

While the regional government views the project as a strategic move for tourism, local representatives from the Sellata area have clarified that the tree removal is primarily linked to the installation of the new chairlift and related infrastructure rather than the synthetic slope itself.