FROM: ZAIN DEZAGUN URDAIBAI ASSOCIATION
TO: Dr. Mariët Westermann, Director and CEO of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation
Dear Dr. Westermann:
TO: Dr. Mariët Westermann, Director and CEO of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation
Dear Dr. Westermann:
As representatives of the ZDU Association, committed to preserving Urdaibai's natural heritage, we would like to draw your attention to an initiative that is being launched with the support of representatives of the Basque Country authorities who are currently visiting the Guggenheim Museum and Foundation in New York. This initiative would irreversibly jeopardize the most highly protected area of Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO, 1984).
We previously submitted another request to the Guggenheim Foundation, which we reiterate for your information in order to highlight the importance of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, declared as such by UNESCO in 1984, and especially the selected area in the municipality of Murueta, an internationally protected wetland and part of the European Natura 2000 Biodiversity Protection Network, where one of these facilities is planned to be built.
At present the site is occupied by shipyard with an expired license, that must return the site on its original condition to the wetlands.
The initially selected site is situated in the most sensitive and highly protected "core" area of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve. It is located in the Urdaibai Estuary (Special Protection Area for Birds-ZEPA), as well as the Urdaibai Coastal and Marshland Zones (ZEC). The site is part of the European Union's Natura 2000 Biodiversity Conservation Network. The wetland is also protected by the international RAMSAR Convention for the Protection of Wetlands. The natural and ornitological value of the wetlands is unique and is a place of transit of numerous species on their transit to and from Europe to Africa. This is an habitat for numerours species of unique fauna, suchs as turtles, fishes and a large number of aquatic birds that use this territory for their feeding and resting space.
Furthemore, the social response has been overwhelming, with public actions and massive demonstrations against a Guggenheim Museum in the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, with support by SEO Birdlife (https://seo.org/firmas-por-la-conservacion-de-la-reserva-de-la-biosfera-de-urdaibai/) and continuous appearances, debates, opinion pieces, and scientific articles in the press and other radio and television media. As noted by the English press, for example The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/18/campaign-against-new-guggenheim-in-spain-guernica-urdaibai-biosphere-reserve), local groups, and environmental NGOs such as Greenpeace, WWF, and Ecologists in Action, Friends of the Earth, and SEO/BirdLife are calling for this initiative to be abandoned.
For all the reasons stated above, we would like to highlight the loss of prestige that the Guggenheim brand could suffer as a result of the initiative to build two new headquarters, jeopardizing a special ecological protection zone. We ask that you disregard any demand for collaboration with this environmentally damage in the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, especially with the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao less than 40 km away.
We previously submitted another request to the Guggenheim Foundation, which we reiterate for your information in order to highlight the importance of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, declared as such by UNESCO in 1984, and especially the selected area in the municipality of Murueta, an internationally protected wetland and part of the European Natura 2000 Biodiversity Protection Network, where one of these facilities is planned to be built.
At present the site is occupied by shipyard with an expired license, that must return the site on its original condition to the wetlands.
The initially selected site is situated in the most sensitive and highly protected "core" area of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve. It is located in the Urdaibai Estuary (Special Protection Area for Birds-ZEPA), as well as the Urdaibai Coastal and Marshland Zones (ZEC). The site is part of the European Union's Natura 2000 Biodiversity Conservation Network. The wetland is also protected by the international RAMSAR Convention for the Protection of Wetlands. The natural and ornitological value of the wetlands is unique and is a place of transit of numerous species on their transit to and from Europe to Africa. This is an habitat for numerours species of unique fauna, suchs as turtles, fishes and a large number of aquatic birds that use this territory for their feeding and resting space.
Furthemore, the social response has been overwhelming, with public actions and massive demonstrations against a Guggenheim Museum in the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, with support by SEO Birdlife (https://seo.org/firmas-por-la-conservacion-de-la-reserva-de-la-biosfera-de-urdaibai/) and continuous appearances, debates, opinion pieces, and scientific articles in the press and other radio and television media. As noted by the English press, for example The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/18/campaign-against-new-guggenheim-in-spain-guernica-urdaibai-biosphere-reserve), local groups, and environmental NGOs such as Greenpeace, WWF, and Ecologists in Action, Friends of the Earth, and SEO/BirdLife are calling for this initiative to be abandoned.
For all the reasons stated above, we would like to highlight the loss of prestige that the Guggenheim brand could suffer as a result of the initiative to build two new headquarters, jeopardizing a special ecological protection zone. We ask that you disregard any demand for collaboration with this environmentally damage in the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, especially with the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao less than 40 km away.
We remain at your complete disposal to clarify and provide information on anything you deem appropriate
Yours sincerely,
Yours sincerely,
Gernika-Lumo, Bizkai, March 14, 2025
ZAIN DEZAGUNURDAIBAI
DE: ASOCIACIÓN ZAIN DEZAGUN URDAIBAI
A: Dr. Mariët Westermann, Director and CEO of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation
A: Dr. Mariët Westermann, Director and CEO of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation
Estimada Dra. Westermann
Como representantes de la Asociación Zain Dezagun Urdaibai, comprometidos con la preservación del patrimonio natural de Urdaibai, queríamos llamar su atención sobre la iniciativa de las autoridades del País Vasco que, en estas fechas, se encuentra de visita al Museo y Fundación Solomon Guggenheim, en New York. Esta iniciativa supone una importante agresión al espacio más protegido de la Reserva de la Biosfera (Unesco, 1984), al pretender construir sobre él una nueva sede del museo Guggenheim, a menos de 40 Km del existente Museo Guggenheim de Bilbao.
Actualmente el lugar esta ocupado por un astillero con la autorización-concesión de ocupación de la costa ya caducada, que debe restituir el espacio a su estado original.
Anteriormente ya remitimos otra solicitud en el mismo sentido a la Fundación Guggenheim, que ahora reiteramos .
Los terrenos inicialmente seleccionados forman actualmente parte de las marismas y del humedal, en el área “núcleo” más sensible y de mayor protección de la Reserva de la Biosfera de Urdaibai, Dentro de los límites de la ZEPA (Zona de Especial Protección de Aves,) Ría de Urdaibai, así como de la ZEC (Zona de Especial Conservación), denominada Zonas litorales y marismas de Urdaibai. Lo descrito forma parte de la Red Natura 2000 de Conservación de la Biodiversidad de la Unión Europea. El humedal, se encuentra igualmente protegido por el Convenio Internacional RAMSAR para la Protección de Humedales, de ámbito internacional. El valor natural y ornitológico de este hábitat es lugar de alimentación , y reposo de especies únicas , como tortugas, peces y numerosas aves acuáticas en su transito de y hacia Europa a Africa.
Asimismo, la respuesta social ha sido contundente, con acciones públicas y masivas manifestaciones en contra de un museo Guggenheim en la Reserva de la Biosfera de Urdaibai, con recogida de firmas por SEO Birdlife (https://seo.org/firmas-por-la-conservacion-de-la-reserva-de-la-biosfera-de-urdaibai/) y continuas apariciones, debates, artículos de opinión y científicos en prensa y otros medio de radio y televisión.
Como señala la prensa inglesa, a modo de ejemplo The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/18/campaign-against-new-guggenheim-in-spain-guernica-urdaibai-biosphere-reserve), grupos locales y ONG ecologistas como Greenpeace, WWF, Ecologistas en Acción, Amigos de la Tierra y SEO/BirdLife, piden que se abandone esta iniciativa.
En esta situación queríamos destacar el desprestigio de la marca Guggenheim de construir dos nuevas sedes poniendo en riesgo una zona de especial protección ecológica. Le solicitamos que no atienda a dichas pretensiones, evitando su colaboración con este despropósito ambiental en la Reserva de la Biosfera de Urdaibai.
Quedamos a su entera disposición para aclarar e informar de todo aquello que considere conveniente
Atentamente le saluda,
En Gernika-Lumo , Bizkaia,
ZAIN DEZAGUN URDAIBAI
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