Objective
To prevent the sale of municipal land which includes priority habitats to private buyers, the project intends to acquire the right to use such land for 99 years. In all, 500 hectares are targeted, consisting of Alpine meadows and sections where rhododendron and Pinus mugo thickets are found. In the areas thus acquired, measures to regulate the tourist influx , such as the construction of observation platforms and new paths, will be taken, as well as measures to restrict grazing. To encourage the bearded vulture and golden eagle populations to spread, the project is to carry out a series of measures focusing on maintaining the stability of the food supply networks. Installations to regulate water levels mechanically and to carry out biochemical monitoring of water quality will be established. Finally, a large-scale awareness campaign for visitors is planned, aiming at reducing their impact on threatened habitats.
Established in 1935, Stelvio is Italy's biggest national park, bordering on the Swiss Engadin park. In the area affected by the LIFE project, an Alpine valley at an altitude of between 2,400 and 3,400 metres, there are permanent glaciers, thickets of rhododendron and Pinus mugo, habitats listed in Annex I of Directive 92/43/EEC, and species listed on Annex I of Directive 79/409/EEC, such as the bearded vulture (3 individuals) and the golden eagle (22 pairs). Nevertheless, the extremely fragile Alpine ecosystem is threatened by intense human pressure, mainly from winter sports (on average about 1.3 million tourists per season). Litter and other refuse is abandoned on the glaciers, and this can lead to pollution of the areas traversed downstream by the glacier's meltwaters. Furthermore, potential differences in the way large areas of the park are managed, due to the imminent sale of municipal land to private buyers, could have negative consequences for nature conservation.
Nevertheless, the extremely fragile Alpine ecosystem is threatened by intense human pressure, mainly from winter sports (on average about 1.3 million tourists per season). Litter and other refuse is abandoned on the glaciers, and this can lead to pollution of the areas traversed downstream by the glacier's meltwaters. Furthermore, potential differences in the way large areas of the park are managed, due to the imminent sale of municipal land to private buyers, could have negative consequences for nature conservation.
Topic(s)
Data not availableCall for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
23032 Bormio Sondrio
Italy