Joint control operation on Pohorje: measures imposed due to unauthorized driving in the natural environment

Such driving is a particularly prominent problem in the Pohorje area. Driving with motor vehicles in natural environments is prohibited in Slovenia. Some forest roads are also closed to motor vehicles. Parking is limited to a five-meter strip from the edge of the road. Driving is harmful to shy and sensitive animal species. It causes damage to vegetation and soil, resulting in erosion. It is unpleasant for other park visitors.

Representatives of the Police, the managers of the Pohorje Regional Park, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning , the Inspectorate for Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, the Slovenian Forest Service, and the Inspectorate for Agriculture, Forestry, Hunting and Fisheries participated in the organized action in the area of ​​two police departments.

A total of 31 measures were imposed, of which 10 payment orders were issued. In addition to preventing motor 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 Pohorje Regional Park .

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 violations such as unauthorized 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 euros, and for cyclists, it is between 500 and 800 euros.