The Executive Council initially approves adding 3,500 hectares to the national park, increasing the protected area by 8.94%. The proposal includes land from La Torre de Capdella and Sort and now goes to the ministry.
The Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici national park will gain 3,500 hectares. The Executive Council approved this initial expansion on Tuesday, which will raise the protected area of the park and its peripheral zone from nearly 40,000 hectares to 43,572, an 8.94% increase, as reported by segre.com.
The project incorporates 2,259 hectares into the park, some of which were already part of the protection peripheral zone. This area will add another 3,557 hectares. The national park will increase from 13,900 to 16,159 hectares, while the peripheral zone will remain at 27,413.
The lands entering the highest protection space are located in La Torre de Capdella, in the Vall Fosca (from the decentralised municipal entity of Espui), and in Sort. Until now, they were part of the peripheral zone, which will also expand with land from La Torre de Capdella, Rialp, Vilaller (from the EMD of Senet), Vielha, and Espot.
The expansion has the backing of a prior public consultation process and the National Park Board. All included lands are publicly owned and have the approval of the affected municipalities, the managing body, and the Generalitat.
The Department of Territory will now send the agreement to the ministry for Ecological Transition. The goal is to achieve joint approval and initiate the public information process. Sources from the Generalitat assert that the proposal will strengthen ecological processes, help preserve traditional lifestyles compatible with the natural environment, and allow for more effective management of natural heritage.
For the residents of Vall Fosca and Pallars Sobirà, the measure means their municipalities gain significance within Catalonia's only national park. The expansion does not change the ownership of the lands, which remain public, but it does mean they will be governed by national park regulations.
In the same meeting, the Government approved the Pla de Pobles, aimed at municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, county capitals with fewer than 15,000, and decentralised municipal entities. The plan anticipates an economic impact of 400 million euros and will be rolled out with a grant line of four annual calls between 2027 and 2030. Municipalities will be able to submit projects for transformation, accessibility, and housing rehabilitation.
Trending on the web
You may also like
