The Lagonaki-Dagomys road construction project in the Russian North-West Caucasus, across the Lagonaki plateau and Caucasian Biosphere Reserve highland area, comes at just the same time as UNESCO is considering placing the North Caucasus (North -East Black Sea region) on the World Heritage list. The area planned for nomination includes the Sochi National Park and the Caucasus Biosphere reserve (situated mostly in Krasnodar region and Adugeya republic). The road construction project will involve the extensive use of heavy explosives to make the road across the mountains, plus the "regular" construction works and traffic of construction machinery required in such projects. The proposed area is habitat for more than six thousand animal and plant species, many of them endemic (unique) to the region. Local government officials insist the highway construction will attract traffic flow, and hence economic development to the republic and the region. The official opinion is that benefits from the traffic outweigh the benefits of having an internationally protected nature area.