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According to the entity, in the last decade the capercaillie has suffered a strong regression in its southern area of distribution, the Eastern Pyrenees, due to the increase in socio-economic activities not compatible with its conservation: massification of mountain tourism (hiking, skiing, etc.), popularization of mushroom collection, increase in snowshoe itineraries, revaluation of biomass, increase in wild ungulates, etc. In these peripheral areas, the populations have fewer troops, are more isolated from each other and, being at a lower altitude and close to large cities, they receive greater anthropic pressure. Associació Paisatges Vius explains that climate change is going to make it (even more) difficult to conserve, as mountain communities are going to be the first to be affected. For these reasons, experts are calling for an increase in its threat level from Vulnerable to Endangered. The entity observes that the near-disappearance of the Cantabrian subspecies demonstrates the need to act urgently in the Pyrenees before it is too late.

The main objective of the project is to reduce the impacts and disturbance on the southern populations of the capercaillie in the Eastern Pyrenees:

The specific objectives are as follows:

• Reduce the risk of capercaillie collisions with livestock structures in areas important to the species.
• Reduce pressure from human activities in sensitive areas for capercaillie.
• To inform and raise awareness among mountain users about the problem of capercaillie and the importance of their collaboration.
• To make forestry work or other productive activities compatible with the conservation of the capercaillie.

• Actions to improve livestock fences:
  • Plain wire fence signage.
  • Removal of abandoned wire fences.
  • Replacement and signage of fencing.

• Actions to regulate human activities in the mountains:
  • Signaling of sensitive areas.
  • Regulation of vehicle access to sensitive areas for capercaillie.
  • Evaluation of the effectiveness of sub-actions.

• Dissemination actions for mountain users:
  • Information panels.
  • Merchandising material.

• Planning and forest management actions aimed at capercaillie:
  • Preparation or revision of Forest Management Instruments (IOF).
  • Preparation of a Management Plan for the conservation of the capercaillie in the territorial area of the PeriFer project.

• Establish custody agreements with owners of farms with capercaillie:
  • Custody contracts.
  • Authorizations for certain actions.

With the PeriFer project, the Paisatges Vius association has carried out:

• Actions to reduce capercaillie collisions with livestock infrastructure: 25 linear km of barbed wire were removed, 4,600 m of plain wire livestock fences were built or repaired, and 13 km of livestock fences were marked with a red display strap.

• Actions to reduce human frequentation in areas sensitive to capercaillie: 3 roads were permanently closed with physical barriers accompanied by informative posters that allowed the presence of motorized vehicles in sensitive areas for capercaillie to be reduced by 94%. Some 190 hectares of Capercaillie Protection Areas were also signposted with informative posters to reduce human frequentation in the forests inhabited by the species.

• Dissemination actions aimed at mountain users: to raise awareness of skiers, hikers, mushroom pickers and other users of mountain forests, 44 units of three different models of information posters were installed on the ground with recommendations for good practices to collaborate in the conservation of the capercaillie. 1,000 project stickers, 1,000 posters and 25,000 awareness-raising tablecloths were edited and distributed to 49 mountain establishments (refuges, ski resorts, restaurants, etc.), Natural Parks, Information and Tourism Offices, more than 100 educational centres, volunteers, etc.

• Forest planning actions: 2 PTGMFs have been reviewed internally, and the execution of the forestry work of one of them has been participated in and supervised; participation has begun in the drafting of another Technical Plan with the capercaillie as the objective of management on a key farm for the project; and a Management Plan has been drafted that includes a specific action programme for the capercaillie populations that are considered priorities for the PeriFer project.

• Land stewardship actions: 2 stewardship agreements have been signed in priority areas for capercaillie and 3 authorisations have been obtained to carry out the planned actions. A collaboration agreement has also been established with the Consorci dels Espais d’Interès Natural del Ripollès (CEINR) for the conservation of the capercaillie in the municipal forests of the Natura 2000 Network of this region.