gran paradiso National Park & Sagarmatha National Park Twinning Project

Historical Background of Italian Protected Areas

The formation of protected natural areas in Italy dates back to the early 1920s, with the creation of a series of National Parks until 1968. Before 1991, there were only five National parks in Italy, the so-called “historical parks”, created before World War II, in order to safeguard the mountainous areas (especially the Alps).

After 1974, with the creation of separate administrative entities - named Regions, a large number of Regional Nature Parks were established. The area of 793 protected areas, inclusive of National Parks, Regional Nature Parks and Regional Protected Areas amounts to over 10% of the national territory.^[i]

The Legge Quadro 394/91 ”Norme sulle aree protette” (Norms on preserved areas) provides a framework for regulation in protected area management. The Law 394/91 requires that each park must produce a management plan to plan all activities related to territorial management. Promulgated in 1992, the law also facilitated a model for collective management of hunting areas by managing entities comprising of  representatives of hunters’ and farmers’ associations (60 %), environmental associations (20 %), and local authorities (20 %). The managing entities are made responsible for a number of relevant activities such as monitoring the state of the resources, planning habitat improvement, and allocation of funds to farmers for their participation in such activities (art. 14(11)). This law has proved to be successful in the protection of the protected areas of Italy, including the Gran Paradiso National Park.^[ii]

Introduction

The Gran Paradiso National Park (GPNP)(Italian: Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso) is Italy’s oldest park and one of Europe’s earliest national parks. Initially it was a royal hunting reserve of the ruling House of Savoy, who donated the first 21 sq. km. to the people in 1919.

The park was formally established in 3 December 1922 to protect the Alpine ibex (Capra ibex). Located in the Graian Alps, the park is home to the Gran Paradiso Mountain, after which the park is named.

Great glaciers and streams carved and shaped the mountains of the Gran Paradiso, leading to the formation of the current valleys. The territory of the Park, between the Piedmont (Italian: Piemonte) and Aosta valley (Italian: Valle d'Aosta) regions, extends itself for about 700 sq. km. in a mainly alpine environment. Altitude in the park varies from 800 metres at the bottom of the valleys to 4,061 metres of the Gran Paradiso peak.

The Park Environment

The Park territory is a sanctuary for wildlife including ibex, deer, marmots, and eagles and covers 703 sq. km. of perennially snow-capped mountain peaks, tiny glacial lakes, wooded slopes and vast flowering meadows. The valley floor is filled with larches, mixed with spruces, Swiss stone pines and more rarely silver firs. Higher up the slope, the trees thin down making way for vast alpine pastures, which flower in late spring. The highest tip of the massif - the Gran Paradiso peak - towering at over 4000 metres, reigns over a landscape characterised by rocks and glaciers.

Rocky terrain spreads throughout the park, primarily above the timberline and the mountain pastures. Moraines formed due to erosion, and glacier transport and accumulation punctuate the rocky terrain and possess a finer texture compared to the rocky substrate. The resident flora in this inhospitable terrain exhibits an adaptive ability seldom present in other flora.

The Aosta Valley area within the park is home to rich grasslands, comprising of a remarkable variety of species of graminae and dicotyledons, at relatively low altitudes. Most grasslands within the park seldom serve as pasturelands for livestock and only entertain ovine grazing. On the contrary, grasslands near inhabitated areas serve as meadows and undergo significant management measures like mowing, frequent irrigation and organic fertilising. The flowers of the alpine pastures are generally very large and brightly coloured to attract rare pollen-carrying insects.^[iii]

Wetlands exist in reduced dimensions across the park. The aquatic environment of the park includes both lentic environments (lakes and ponds) and lotic environments (rivers, streams, streamlets and ditches), where highly specialised plants that survive in anoxic environments exist.  

The Park Flora

The Larch (Larix deciduas), the only conifer which loses its needles during the autumn, is a pioneer plant, and has colonised the difficult terrain of the high mountains. The Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum), a symbol of the high mountain, spreads from 1500 to 3200 metres, and is characterised by the dawny upper side of its leaves.

The mountain lily (Paradisea Liliastrum)is the chosen symbol of Paradisia Alpine Botanic Garden in Cogne, which serves as an outdoor exhibition of alpine flora and is home to 1,500 plant species. The deciduous European Beech forests is limited to the Piedmont side of the park, and are thick with dense foliage that lets in very little light during the summer.^[iv]

The Park Fauna

The Gran Paradiso National Park possesses abundant wildlife. The wild goat Capra ibex, Europe's largest Alpine mammal and the symbol of the park, is a regular feature in the alpine pastures. The males, distinctive because of their long and curved horns, live in small groups, while the females, characterised by shorter horns, live with young individuals in separate groups. Ibex’s smaller cousin, the Chamois, is also a permanent member of the park, as is the Royal Eagle and the Marmot marmot (Marmota marmot). Other carnivorous animals like the fox, wolf, lynx, and ermine are also regular inhabitants of the park. The Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) once lost from the park in 1912, has now been reintroduced in the Alps with great efforts of national and international projects. The Golden Eagle, Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) are some of the prominent avifauna of about 100 bird species in the park, including Eurasian Eagle-owls, Rock Ptarmigans, Alpine Accentors, and Choughs, red-crested black woodpeckers and speckled Nutcrackers in the park's woodlands.

Historic Milestones

• In 1856, King Vittorio Emanuele II declared the Royal Hunting Reserve a part of the current territory of the Park, in order to avoid the extinction of "Capra Ibex".^[v]
• In 1919, King Vittorio Emanuele III declared his intention to donate 21 sq. km. of the hunting reserve to the Italian State, for the creation of a national park.
• On 3 December 1922, Gran Paradiso National Park (Italian: Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso), Italy's first national park, was established. Until 1934, a commission with full administrative autonomy managed the protected area, during which the Ibex population increased considerably. ^[vi] 
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Ministero dell'Agricoltura e Foreste) handled park management until the end of World War II; during the war, the park was seriously damaged.
• Post the war, as of 5 August 1947, an independent autonomous authority managed the Park. ^[vii]
• In spite of financial constraints during the post war period, the park management invested in the publication of a journal - "Journal of Mountain Ecology" to disseminate information on scientific research carried out in the park.
• The local authorities work closely with the park on several projects, as this provides opportunities for development and boosts the economy of the regions.
• In 1991, a law on protected areas “Framework Law on Protected Areas” (394 of 6 December 1991) was promulgated which provides the main principles for the establishment and management of protected areas in Italy, including Gran Paradiso National Park.
• Gran Paradiso National Park set up a close and profitable collaboration with the neighbouring Vanoise National park of France ^[viii].  Transboundary co-operation enabled the recovery of the threatened ibex population, which requires summer and winter range on opposite sides of the frontier ^[ix]. 
• Gran Pradiso has also setup a twinning relation with the Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal in October 2006 to facilitate, (10-14 October, Cogne, Italy).^[x]  

Cultural Heritage

Slopes of the Piedmont region, feature houses entirely built in stone, while on the Aosta Valley region slopes, houses are built in both stone and wood. The most common model (with minor variations across the valleys) is a wood and stone building with liviing quarters on the first floor, a stable on the ground floor, and a hay loft on the second floor. The Park emphasises on the preservation of cultural heritage of the mountain communities and fosters sustainable development. 

Activities & Services

The Park organises different activities. They include following:

• Activities promoting ecotourism, in coordination with different schools and organised groups.
• Conservation and Research Activities consisting of numerous research projects, aimed at increasing knowledge on biodiversity and eco-ethnology of protected species in the Park such as Biodiversity monitoring; study on population dynamics, Life history and ethology of the Alpine Ibex (Capra ibex); Eco-ethology of the Alpine Marmot (Marmota marmota); Impact of brook trout (Salvellinus fontinalis) on high level lake ecosystems & Reproduction ecology and habitat selection of the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). ^[xi]
• Moreover, the Park Institution periodically performs research and monitoring projects on the 59 glaciers of the Park.
• Carrying out campaigns in the park area, as identified in the surveys. Major one refers to the 2007 Glacier Campaign; 2006 Glacier Campaign; Geophysical examination of the Grand Etret glacier; evolution of the Grand Etret glacier from 1999 to 2006; 2005 Glaceir campaign and Grand Etrets galceir, 2002-2003 mass balance study areas.
• Environmental Education activities inclusive of guided excursions, activities in educational workshops and presence in schools through "Official and Exclusive Park Interpreters", to better educate people on “Issues of Nature”.
• The GPNP hosts a multifunctional Centre for Environmental Education in Noasca (Turin) equipped with necessary information, a didactic lab and a guesthouse is open year round for visitors^[xii] . The multipurpose centre features equipment and collections for use in scientific activities and observations, as well as environment focused play and recreational activities. ^[xiii]  

Twinning Projects with other National Parks

The Gran Paradiso National Park has established twinning relationships with two very similar national parks in other parts of the world for a mutually beneficial partnership, namely the Vanoise National Park from France and Sagarmatha Park in Nepal.

Vanoise National Park, France

The oldest parks of Italy and France - Gran Paradiso National Park and Vanoise National Park (setup in 1963), together make the largest protected area in the Western Alps. Sharing park borders along the Alpine arch, the two parks shared historic, natural and human linkages. They initiated a twinning relationship in 1972, towards transboundary biodiversity management for long-term conservation of the Alpine Ibex and development of the two parks. The twinning relationship initiated various types of activities such as the exchange of Park rangers for joint monitoring activities, sharing of organisational information and surveillance structures in the parks, joint wildlife studies and research among others all the while, the conservation of the Ibex being paramount for both parks.

Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal

The twinning agreement between the two parks (Gran Paradiso National Park and Sagarmatha National Park) is a result of the Gran Paradiso National Park and Sagarmantha National Park Twinning Programme Startup Workshop held in Turin between 10 -14 October 2006. The resultant “Cogne Declaration” establishes principles, criteria and areas of the partnership that will be started between the Gran Paradiso National Park and the Sagarmatha National Park on biodiversity, natural and cultural resources, and sustainable development.

The Cogne Declaration acknowledges that this international sharing of experiences and the mountain park twinning programme contributes not only to the Convention of Biodiversity (CBD), especially the COP-7 decision on mountain biodiversity (2004), but also that it will be developed within the framework of the Mountain Partnership and will contribute to the development of its Biodiversity Initiative.^[xiv]

Other Attractions of the Park

Other touristic attractions of the GranParadiso National Park are^[xv] :

• Ski facilities and slopes
• Mountain Biking in Pila
• Roman Walls
• Porta Praetoria
• Arch of Augustus
• Astronomic Observatory of the Aosta Valley
• National Museum of the Mountains
• Museum of Antiquity
• La Ola
• Little Roman Bridge

Park office address
Via DellaRocca 47 to 10123 Torino
Phone +39-(011)-8606211
Fax: +39-(011)-8121305
email: segreteria@pngp.it

Italian Environmental Policy Instruments

Italy complies with several agreements aimed at safeguarding individual species and specific ecosystems, made prior to the Rio Convention. ^[xvi]  Italy's body of environmental legislation is complex. National laws can be very general, only providing a basic framework, which depends on further legal and regulatory texts at the national and regional levels. Action is being taken to better organize the legal structure. In 1993, the government established a commission to review all legislation. The commission's directive is to re-work the entire structure by clarifying vague provisions and harmonizing contradictory laws. ^[xvii]   Some of the Italy's major environmental laws related to the conservation of protected areas are ^[xviii] :

• The Water Pollution Control Law ("Merli Law", 1976) controls discharges of industrial and municipal wastes into surface waters.
• Law 349, Legge Institutiva del Ministerio per l'Ambiente (1986), established the Ministry of the Environment. It is the key legal framework for environmental policy.
• The Framework Law on Protected Areas (1991) defined the distribution of responsibilities between the national and local government levels for management of protected areas. It also aims at consolidating the network of protected areas nationwide and increasing their area to 10% of the country's total area. Future protected areas are also identified.
• Law 61 (1994) established the national Environmental Protection Agency.
• Law on Protection of Warm-blooded Wild Fauna and Hunting (Law No. 157, 11 February 1992)
• Framework Law on Protected Areas (Law No. 394, 6 December 1991, as amended until Law No. 426, 9 December 1998)
• Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers on Implementation of the Provisions on Derogations under article 9 of Directive 79/409/EEC on Conservation of Wild Birds (27 September 1997)
• Legislative Decree concerning the Transfer of State Administrative Functions to Regions and Local Authorities (Decree No. 112, 31 March 1998)
• Regional Law (Tuscany) on Conservation of Natural and Semi-natural Habitats and Wild Flora and Fauna (Law No. 56, 6 April 2000)

Moreover, the Framework Law indicates the “Carta della Natura” (Nature Map) as the instrument for the assessment of the state of the environment in Italy. Some of its preliminary results, as published in the report are as follows ^[xix] :

• There are national and regional funding to municipalities falling within a PA. Private enterprises and NGOs can also tap from these sources to provide services in line with the objectives of the PA. Some incentive measures are also identified and implemented at local level, always supported by the Central Authority.
• Italy contains a wide range of different ecosystems that requires a diversity of approaches; there are different status for protected areas identified by the different objectives and targets needed for each area; different bodies can be in charge for the management of PAs allowing for different management regimes.
• A consultative process is implemented for both identification and establishment of PAs involving the Local authorities, regional administrations, NGOs and other stakeholders.
• The management body of a PA in Italy is usually independent and formed by representatives of different public and private organisations, apart from some, which are managed by the State Forest Department.
• Most PAs have adequate resources, both economic and human, for the main management needs. Still, many of them would benefit from an increase of such resources in order to improve their capacity and provide a better service to people and conservation. Additional resources would mainly be used for the identification and implementation of activities for sustainable development.

Gran Paradiso National Park on the web

• The official Gran Paradiso National Park website
• Gran Paradiso National Park at Italian Parks portal
• UNEP WCMC Page
• Wikipedia's page on Gran Paradiso National Park

References