News from the Italian Parks

(Assergi, February 12, 2013) - "We are very proud that the European Community approved the Gran Sasso and Laga Mountains Park's project which will effectively affect the fragile balance between the needs connected to the conservation of the precious grasslands' habitats and the related anthropic activities" said the Park Authority Director Marcello Maranella during the press conference for the presentation of the project which took place this morning in Assergi. with the participation of the internal coordinator Pina Leone and of the project manager Annette Mertens.
" Praterie" has a 1,680,000 Euros budget, 50% out of which is financed by the EU. Within this five-year project the Park Authority is the only beneficiary and coordinator, all the operating services will therefore be involved. The project area covers the wide Campo Imperatore upland, as well as some smaller areas of the Laga Mountains, where there are some habitats listed in the EU "Habitats Directive".
Premise of the project is to consider that the high grasslands are subjected to growing decline threats because of several problems. On the one hand, the centuries old extensive grazing practices have been subjected to such socioeconomic changes that they cannot be properly implemented any longer, and sometimes they must be interrupted because of the insufficient profitability. This problem is very spread in the Laga Mountains, while the Gran Sasso faces a contrary problem: because of well-established farming practices, the grazing activities are carried out only in those areas where shelters and artificial watering points are situated, while the other areas are not considered at all: the latter are therefore damaged by the growing of spontaneous herbs, while the former suffer because of the consequences of the excessive treading and of the soil erosion.
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