The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment has held a seminar today in Potes (Cantabria), to promote the participation of society in land stewardship actions that improve the habitat of the Cantabrian capercaillie and the conservation of this endangered species.
The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment has held a seminar today in Potes (Cantabria), to promote the participation of society in land stewardship actions that improve the habitat of the Cantabrian capercaillie and the conservation of this endangered species.
Together with the Government of Cantabria, SEO/BirdLife and the Oxygen Foundation has organized today in the town of Potes, Cantabria, the seminar “The capercaillie and the stewardship of the territory” within the framework of the LIFE+ Cantabrian Capercaillie project.
With the aim of disseminating land stewardship in the Cantabrian Mountains and promoting awareness and participation in society in the conservation of this species, the seminar was attended by representatives of town councils, neighbourhood councils, landowners in capercaillie habitats, associations and local environmental entities active in the Cantabrian Mountains.
During the meeting, the different land stewardship actions that can be carried out to conserve this endangered species and the benefits they bring to owners in improving the management of their farms were addressed.
To date, 13 agreements have been signed within the framework of the land stewardship programme in Biosphere Reserves of the LIFE+ Cantabrian Capercaillie. This initiative promotes voluntary agreements between custodian entities and owners of estates that are of special interest for the conservation of the Cantabrian capercaillie and its environment.
The custody actions that an owner can carry out on his property are diverse, from forest treatments for the restoration and improvement of the capercaillie environment to fire prevention and hunting-related actions. Actions to improve signage, fences, fences and electric shepherds are also included. Likewise, owners can promote actions to recover traditional uses that improve the environment of the capercaillie.
Hunting and tourist activities can also be compatible with the conservation of the Cantabrian capercaillie. During the meeting, the experiences carried out in the Cantabrian mountain range promoted within the framework of the LIFE+ Cantabrian Capercaillie were presented.
LIFE+ Cantabrian Capercaillie
The LIFE+ 09 NAT/ES/000513 project “Programme of urgent actions for the conservation of the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus cantabricus) and its habitat in the Cantabrian Mountains” has as its main objective to stop the decline of this subspecies exclusive to the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula and promote 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 SPAs of the Natura 2000 Network in the Cantabrian Mountains and is developed between October 2010 and September 2014. The project, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation, is 50% co-financed through the LIFE+ programme, the European Union’s financial instrument for the environment, and has as partners the Autonomous Communities of Cantabria, the Principality of Asturias and Castilla y León, the latter through the Natural Heritage Foundation of Castilla y León; the Interregional Consortium for the Coordinated Management of the Picos de Europa National Park; SEO/BirdLife and with funding from the Autonomous National Parks Agency and the Iberdrola Foundation.
The information on the project can be consulted on the website: www.lifeurogallo.es
