Former TANAP Director Claims He Left Over Disagreement on Ski Slope Zoning

The former director of the Tatra National Park (TANAP), Pavol Olexa, has publicly criticized his successor Filip Kuffa over controversial zoning decisions that favor ski slopes. Olexa revealed that his departure from the national park directorship was partly due to his refusal to support zoning plans that would allow ski slope development in Zone D areas of the park. The Tatra National Park is Slovakia's oldest national park, established in 1949 to protect the unique mountain ecosystem of the High Tatras. The park uses a zoning system where different areas have varying levels of protection, with Zone D representing areas where limited development may be permitted under strict conditions. The disagreement highlights ongoing tensions between conservation priorities and tourism development pressures in one of Slovakia's most important protected areas.