A joint control campaign was carried out at the start of the mushroom picking season in the Pohorje Regional Park area

Driving motor vehicles in the natural environment is harmful to shy and sensitive and endangered animal species, causes damage to vegetation and soil and consequently erosion. Within the protected area, some forest roads are also closed to driving by vehicles. The regime on forest roads is determined by the Forest Service in cooperation with landowners. If traffic is prohibited on a forest road, this is indicated by a traffic sign prohibiting all traffic with the additional sign "Permitted for forest management". We point out that cycling is also prohibited on such forest roads. Unless the additional sign "Permitted for cyclists" is also added.

Some forest roads are additionally physically closed with barriers. Parking along roads where driving is permitted is limited to a 5-meter strip from the edge of the road.

Representatives of the Police, the managers of the Pohorje Regional Park and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning participated in the organized action in the area of ​​the Maribor Police Department. A large number of violations were detected, with several dozen cases of use of forest roads in violation of the use regime (unauthorized driving and parking of personal vehicles) standing out. Cases of changing (turning) traffic signals and destroying equipment on the roads (damaging barriers) were also detected.

In addition to preventing motorized vehicle driving in the natural environment, the campaign was aimed at informing visitors about the protection regime and rules of conduct in the protected area of ​​the Regional Park Pohorje. For this purpose, a large number of information leaflets on the rules of conduct in the Regional Park Pohorje were distributed.

Pohorje is an attractive area to visit in all four seasons. At the same time, it is a place of numerous, sometimes conflicting, interests and conflicts. In 2024, the state and six municipalities established a wider protected nature area, the Regional Park Pohorje, which is managed by the Slovenian Institute for Nature Conservation , and three development institutions participate in its management: RRA Koroška doo, LTO Rogla-Zreče GIZ and RIC Slovenska Bistrica .

The 2026 amendment to the Nature Conservation Act significantly increased fines for offences such as unauthorised driving of motor vehicles and bicycles in natural environments. For motor vehicle drivers in natural environments, the fine is between €1,000 and €2,000, and for cyclists, the fine is between €500 and €800. According to the Forest Act, the fine for driving on a forest road in violation of the use regime is set at between €300 and €600.