The director of the Biodiversity Foundation, a public foundation of the Government of Spain, under the Ministry of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs, Ana Leiva; the Director of Programs of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), José María Velázquez, and the Deputy for the Environment of Palencia, Adolfo Palacios, presented today in this city a work project to increase biodiversity in the Palencia Cerrato. The coordinator of the work, Asier Sáiz Rojo, also participated in the presentation.

The project, to which 200,000 euros have been allocated, aims to improve the habitat for the otter (Lutra lutra) in the Cerrato. In this sense, work will be done on the recovery of the river banks to promote the stability of the fauna populations in the environment. Thus, the otter fulfills the function of a bioindicator species of the natural state of the riverbeds in the region.

The actions initially planned include the planting of native tree and shrub species; selective clearing in areas where existing scrub and macrophyte species do not allow the development of other species; the environmental restoration of degraded areas and the construction of artificial shelters for the otter.

This project was one of the best valued in the “I Competition of projects for the increase of biodiversity”, promoted by the Biodiversity Foundation and the FEMP, with the aim of financing actions that harmonize conservation and sustainability policies to increase biodiversity. In particular, the aim is to promote the conservation of biodiversity in rural areas.

The Contest was addressed to City Councils, Provincial Councils, Island Councils and Island Councils belonging to the FEMP which, in turn, are members of the Network of Local Governments + Biodiversity 2010. This Network, which is a Section of the FEMP, has the mission of promoting local policies for the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, the conservation of natural heritage and the promotion of rural development with sustainability criteria.

The “I Competition for projects for the increase of Biodiversity” is part of the agreements signed between the Biodiversity Foundation, the Ministry of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs, and the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces. Thus, the Ministry of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs, and the FEMP signed an agreement for the implementation of a Common Strategy for the Preservation of Biodiversity, with the aim of promoting precise actions for the balanced integration of social, economic and environmental factors aimed at achieving a sustainable use of resources and the preservation of biodiversity in the field of Local Administrations.

For their part, the Biodiversity Foundation and the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, FEMP, signed a collaboration agreement for the creation of the Network of Local Governments + Biodiversity 2010 and the implementation of the competition for incentives to increase biodiversity among the members of the Network.