Description
The Network of Reserves system - introduced in 2011 with provincial law no. 7 "Government of the forest and mountain territory, water courses and protected areas" - is one of the most innovative projects in the field of environmental protection in Trentino.
The Network is not a new protected area, but a new way of managing and enhancing existing protected areas more effectively and with a bottom-up approach:
These areas - together with river courses and ecological corridors - as a whole constitute territorial systems of special interest, which lend themselves well to unitary management.
The Network of Reserves thus converts into institutional terms the concept of ecological network, an interconnected system of habitats whose biodiversity is to be safeguarded by creating and/or strengthening links and interchanges between isolated areas and natural elements, thus counteracting fragmentation.
The initiative is activated on a voluntary basis by municipalities, valley communities and BIMs (mountain catchment areas) in which territorial systems of particular natural, scientific, historical-cultural and landscape interest fall. The Networks of Reserves integrate active biodiversity conservation measures with sustainable socio-economic development policies and awareness-raising actions on environmental issues.
In fact, the Networks represent an opportunity for supra-municipal confrontation to manage their environmental heritage in an innovative way, transforming what in the past (and sometimes still today) was perceived as a constraint into an opportunity for development. To do this in the best possible way, the Network can benefit from specific provincial contributions and the Rural Development Plan, often managing to channel important financial resources from the territory as well.
Their management philosophy is based on:
- participation
- responsible subsidiarity
- integration between conservation policies and local sustainable development.
The establishment of the Networks of Reserves, which give technical and institutional implementation to the Multipurpose Ecological Network thanks to the participation of local institutions and communities both in the conservation process and in the planning of the territory's sustainable development, was the central phase of the LIFE+TEN project (2012-2017).
Which Networks of Reserves have been established
To date there are 11, but two of them have since merged together.
Some are called Local Nature Park or River Park.
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What they do
| ACTIVE PROTECTION ACTIONS - recovery and protection of priority habitats - protection of birds of prey - protection of ichthyofauna - protection of amphibians - riverbed vegetation management - monitoring | SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS - pedestrian routes - visitor centres - info points - information panels - awareness-raising - environmental education |
All in all, the Networks of Reserves have mobilised over 23 million in total funding in about ten years of activity between active habitat and species protection actions, routes to enhance the enjoyment of the natural environment, and environmental awareness and sustainable development initiatives. Through the instrument of the European Sustainable Tourism Charter - certification obtained in 2017 by the Networks' system with the Province of Trento as coordinator and guarantor -, the Networks have consolidated a collaboration with local stakeholders to implement projects aimed at regenerative tourism development, aimed at creating value for the host places and communities.
Governance
The Network of Reserves is activated on a voluntary basis through a nine-year agreement between the municipalities, the valley communities concerned and the Province, and is managed through three-year action programmes.
If they are territorially involved, the Provincial Forest Agency and other local authorities (Magnifica Comunità di Fiemme, Regole di Spinale e Manez, ASUC and consortele) also participate in the convention. If the Network of Reserves mainly involves river protection areas and river areas, BIMs (consortia of municipalities of mountain catchment areas) may also participate.
The convention identifies a municipality, a community or a BIM consortium as the entity responsible for the activities of the network.
Network Conference
Institutional concertation body with political steering function.
Working Group
Body with planning and decision support, inquiry and monitoring functions.
Participatory forum or other forms of participation
Participatory body with a propositional function, for the valorisation of ideas and the search for shared solutions also between the various interests.
Chairman
Institutional representative body
The 2021 reform
The reform of the Networks of Reserves, provided for by Law 6/2021, was implemented in Resolution no. 1512 of 2022 (see below under Documents), with the aim of giving new energy and continuity to their work.
The main novelties concern in brief
- the activation of the Network through a nine-year convention between the stakeholders, instead of a three-year programme agreement as it was originally;
- the approval of a three-year Programme of Interventions;
- the repeal of the compulsory Management Plans.
The agreement establishes objectives and instruments, but not the specific activities that must be contained in the three-year Programme of Interventions of each network.
The page linked below summarises the administrative situation of the Reserve Networks.
