Public hearing of the Feasibility study project of “Kokzhailau” ski resort near Almaty was held on January 11, 2013 in Almaty

Heads of the Almaty Akimat Tourism Administration, “Kokzhailau Ski Resort” Company, developers of the Feasibility study project, experts and specialists from concerned agencies as well as representatives of public, ecological organizations and wide public participated in the public hearing. Considerable mountainous lands near Almaty have been explored by international experts and specialists, but ecologists, who have developed the constraints map, have been engaged at the earliest stage. The map included constraints on vanishing species of flora and fauna, exclusion areas and recommended protection zones along water basins and other aspects. In favor of environmental restraints, the company-developer of Feasibility study had to drop a plan on development of resorts in some promising, from the marketing standpoint, territories, for example, to the south from the Bolshoi Almaty Lake and at the valley head of the Prokhodnaya River. In the end, for the development of the 1st phase of ski resort, having a generalized name “Kokzhailau”, experts have proposed three regions near Almaty, taking less than 1% of total explored area of 42 000 hectare. More specifically, these are sites in vicinity of the Bolshoi Almaty Lake, upward of the Space Station, district in the natural boundary Kokzhailau and mountainous territories near the Kumbel peak. Ecologists also recommended further and more detailed exploration of the territory including field works, with the purpose of making up specified recommendations and ecological restraints for the project developers. All constructive remarks and proposals of the public hearing participants have been included in the minutes handed over, along with written proposals prepared by representatives of public organizations, to the customer of the Feasibility study project - Almaty City Tourism Administration.