The first meeting of the management committee of the LIFE+ Desmania project was held today, with the participation of representatives of the Biodiversity Foundation (coordinating partner); the Junta de Extremadura, the Junta Castilla y León, Tragsa, the Natural Heritage Foundation of Castilla y León and the Cesefor Foundation (as partners); the Duero, Miño-Sil and Tagus Hydrographic Confederations, the Universities of Salamanca and Valladolid, the Pescaleón Association and Astrale, as collaborators in the project.

The first meeting of the management committee of the LIFE+ Desmania project was held today, with the participation of representatives of the Biodiversity Foundation (coordinating partner); the Junta de Extremadura, the Junta Castilla y León, Tragsa, the Natural Heritage Foundation of Castilla y León and the Cesefor Foundation (as partners); the Duero, Miño-Sil and Tagus Hydrographic Confederations, the Universities of Salamanca and Valladolid, the Pescaleón Association and Astrale, as collaborators in the project.

The LIFE+ Desmania project has been approved in the 2011 call of the LIFE Programme of the European Union. It aims to join forces of different public and private entities to work in favor of the recovery of the Iberian desman, a small mammal endemic to the Iberian Peninsula linked to watercourses, which is in regression. The objective of this initiative is to change the regressive trend of the populations of this species.

The project is being developed in the Communities of Castilla y León and Extremadura and specifically in the provinces of León, Zamora, Extremadura and Cáceres.

Within this area, work will be carried out in the following areas integrated into the Natura 2000 Network: SCI and SPA: Sierra de Ancares, Alto Sil, Omaña, Picos de Europa, Valle de San Emiliano, Montes Aquilianos and Sierra de Teleno, Lake Sanabria and surroundings, Sierra de la Cabrera, Las Batuecas-Sierra de Francia, Candelario, Sierra de Gata and Las Hurdes, SCI: Hoces de Vegacervera, Montaña central de León, Banks of the river Órbigo and tributaries, Banks of the river Cea, Banks of the river Sil and tributaries, Banks of the river Esla and tributaries, Sierra de la Culebra, Banks of the river Tuela and tributaries, Banks of the river Tera and tributaries, Banks of the river Aliste and tributaries, Banks of the river Manzanas and tributaries, Valle del Cuerpo de Hombre, El Rebollar, Banks of the river Águeda, Campo de Argañán, Banks of the river Alagón and tributaries, Sierra de Gredos and Valle del Jerte and Río Tiétar.