Partners ?>

Partners

Vesuvius National Park (leading partner)

June 5 1995 saw the official birth of the Vesuvius National Park, founded to protect Europe’s only remaining active volcanic region.
The Park’s aims are:
the conservation of the existing fauna, flora and geomorphological features ;
the application of models for management and nature preservation ;
the encouragement of educational and recreational activities as well as long-term research ;
the re-establishment and defence of a balanced hydraulic and hydrogeological equilibrium ;
making the most of traditional cultural, agricultural and craft activities.

The Umbria Region

Forests in Umbria (Central Italy) cover about 300,000 hectares (750,000 acres) which is 35,6% of the Region’s total area (845,000 hectares / 2,113,000 acres). Coppice represents 85% of the total woodland area. Privately-owned woodlands represent 72% of total woodland area.
The Umbria Region has always undertaken action in favour of the management and profitable uses of its forestry heritage. The resulting initiatives, with the transfer of responsibility for forestry matters to the regional services, have become the framework objectives of regional forestry policy. In Umbria, the Regional Council Services devise programmes and lay down general orientation and also develop activities related to understanding the woodlands; whereas the administrative dimension is delegated to the Mountain Rural Districts (associations of municipalities) and the monitoring to the National Forestry Service.

Generalitat Valenciana

The Spanish administrative region known as the Generalitat Valenciana is formed of all the government bodies and institutions of the Regional Council of the (semi) Autonomous Community of Valencia. It is involved in the current project through its Department of « Land Zoning and Housing » which has overall responsibility for land use and town and country planning, the environment and for ground and housing management. The management of woodland areas, particularly as regards the prevention of wildfire, is a fundamental aspect of the Generalitat Valenciana’s environmental policy.

The Autonomous Murcia Region

The Murcia Region, situated in South-East Spain, displays great biological diversity. Its protected territory (6% of the regional area) is at present made up of regional parks, protected landscapes and nature reserves (4%). The protected area has increased considerably as a result of the designation of 22 SPZs (Special Protected Zones – Bird Directive) and 50 SEIs (Sites of EC Interest – Habitat Directive).
The region’s woodland areas, 68% privately owned, are considered to be among the most outstanding on the European continent: a great number of endemic Ibero-African species coexist with others that are strictly Iberian (in all, more than 200 plant species). In this context, forestry activity is basically located in the “comarcas” of the hinterland (forming some of our project’s pilot areas). This activity is not sizable economically but is essential as a source of income for the mountain population as well as a tool in the management and conservation of natural resources.

In the Murcia Region, the RECOFORME project is managed by the Department of Natural Environments, a service of the Consejería de Medio Ambiente y Ordenación del Territorio which is, among other things, in charge of the preservation and conservation of natural heritage as well as of biodiversity. Its Land Use and Natural Resources Management Service (Service de Ordenación y Gestion de los Recursos Naturales) is in charge of the following:

The integrated management of the region’s territory as regards the conservation and sustainable development of its natural resources;
The design, execution and monitoring of forestry projects in the areas under its responsibility;
The design, execution and monitoring of forestry projects in the areas under its responsibility;
The preservation and management of woodlands (including those of “public usefulness”;
The development and implementation of a regional strategy for woodlands along with forestry planning
The adaptation and authorisation of sustainable cropping of woodland resources.

Portuguese National Forestry Resources Service

The aim of the Portuguese National Forestry Resources Service is to promote the sustainable development of forestry resources and associated areas, along with hunting and aquatic resources, through a knowledge of their evolution and utilisation. With the objective of ensuring their protection, conservation and management, the Service fosters a balance between the different economic sectors, encourages those involved to assume responsibility for their activities, at the same time fostering an adequate organisation of woodland areas.

The Alpilles Mountains Public Authority

The 16 municipalities of the Alpilles massif in South-East France have joined with the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Regional Government Council and the Government Council of the Bouches-du-Rhône département to set up a combined public body: the Alpilles Mountains Public Authority.
Founded in 1996, the Authority has taken as its brief the protection, management and profitable development of the Alpilles hill country. It has instigated the Alpilles “Landscape” Directive, projects for wildfire fighting and prevention, the restoration of burnt-out zones and is at present behind the Alpilles Regional Nature Park.

The geographical entity formed by the Alpilles has thus managed to achieve strong and coherent organisation throughout its territory, capable of grappling with the challenge inherent in this area: rural towns and villages with a definite personality which together make up the biggest forested area under regular threat from wildfire in the departement, with large cities in each direction yet faced with pressure from the issues related to developing a tourism economy, and situated in an agricultural area that is rural and at the same time lively.

The International Association for Mediterranean Forests

The IAMF, set up in 1996, has as its aim to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, experience and ideas related to Mediterranean woodlands among all people involved, particularly those in countries with a Mediterranean-type climate.
The objective with such exchanges is to help find a solution to problems cropping up in the management and use of natural land areas and forests in a Mediterranean context and to facilitate shared discussion and reflection in order to enhance the importance given to such areas in land use and development policy.

To pursue its objective the IAMF can call on a network of some 3,000 members from around the Mediterranean Rim, including individuals, associations and national and international bodies representative of different walks of life: elected representatives, professional foresters, environmentalists, academics (of all disciplines), civil defence and safety organisations.