Combining the conservation of the most outstanding natural values of the protected natural area of Collsacabra, in the province of Barcelona, with the agricultural and livestock activities that take place in the area, is the objective of a project of the Paisatges Vius association, launched with the support of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture. Food and Environment within the framework of its call for grants.

Thanks to the initiative, the association has signed three new stewardship agreements with the owners of properties in the territorial area of the project. In addition, nine project plans have been drawn up on the five estates that the entity maintains in Collsacabra.

To ensure compliance with the agri-environmental commitments agreed in the stewardship agreements, regular verification visits have been made to the farms. These commitments include not fertilizing the fields and pastures with pig slurry, reducing the use of chemicals to a minimumand maintaining the elements of the farm that Paisatges Vius considers important to conserve biodiversity and the landscape.

The initiative also sought to improve the ecological status of herbaceous habitats and create a network of quality water points. To this end, the association has carried out different management actions on the farms in the area, including the restoration of eight water points and three wet pastures, as well as the construction of infrastructures to promote the presence of wildlife. In addition, fences have been installed to facilitate livestock management and protect sensitive areas and watering troughs have been built in strategic areas to facilitate livestock’s access to water.

The project has served to improve the state of the brown and pastures of Collsacabra, making it compatible with the development of agricultural and livestock activities that are carried out on a regular basis in the area.