24/03/2014

Partners and experts agree in León on the lines of work of the LIFE+ Project for the conservation of the Cantabrian capercaillie

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The Project’s Management, Scientific and Communication Committees have studied in León different technical documents on the improvement of the species’ habitat and a land stewardship plan.

The Biodiversity Foundation has coordinated, in León, the meeting of the Management, Scientific and Communication Committees of the LIFE+ project “Program of urgent actions for the conservation of the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus cantabricus) and its habitat in the Cantabrian mountain range”, in which consensus has been reached on the lines of work to be adopted for the execution of the actions planned by it. thanks to the coordinated effort of all partners and the best experts in the field.

All the project partners participate in the Management, Scientific and Communication Committees, advised by different experts from the Universities of León, Valladolid, Oviedo and the Polytechnic University of Madrid, as well as from the Spanish Society for the Conservation and Study of Mammals (SECEM).

At the meeting, the documents that will serve as a reference for the execution of the specific conservation actions of the species were discussed. These documents are based on the analysis of previous management experiences at the national and international levels and are being prepared by companies located in the project communities. In this way, the LIFE+ Cantabrian Capercaillie project aims to contribute to the generation of local employment linked to the conservation of the species.

The Management, Scientific and Communication Committees have also addressed a land stewardship plan as a participatory tool aimed at the conservation of the Cantabrian capercaillie. With this, it is intended to reach agreements with owners and users of publicly and privately owned farms located in Biosphere Reserves of the Cantabrian Mountains.

Finally, the Communication Committee has studied the project’s communication strategy, as well as the design of its website, where all the information generated will soon be available.

The LIFE+ Cantabrian Capercaillie project has the fundamental objective of halting the decline of this subspecies exclusive to the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula and promoting its recovery. The actions of the project aim to improve their conservation status and that of their habitat, promote environmental education and encourage awareness and participation in society.

The area of action includes 16 Special Protection Areas for Birds (SPAs) in the Cantabrian Mountains and is developed between October 2010 and September 2014.

The project, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation, is 50% co-financed by the European Union through the LIFE+ funds, and has as partners the Autonomous Communities of Galicia, Cantabria, the Principality of Asturias, and Castilla y León, the latter through the Natural Heritage Foundation of Castilla y León; the Autonomous Agency for National Parks; SEO/BirdLife and with funding from the Iberdrola Foundation.