OFFSET PROJECTES

PROTECTED AREAS OF THE VERCELLESE-ALESSANDRINO MUNICIPALITIES OF CAMINO, , PONTESTURA,

BEFORE AFTER

4 The Protected Areas along the river Po Ver- plar cultivation in an area of poor agricultural va- cellese-Alessandrino extend from Crescentino lue and with remarkable agronomic limitations. to the confluence with the Scrivia stream, tou- With the creation of new woodlands, the Park ching the provinces of and Vercelli has consolidated and stabilized the land, redu- for a total capacity of 14,035 hectares. Establi- cing the risk of erosion caused by the Po river’s shed in 1990, their original nucleus included the water, thus making the territory less vulnerable. Garzaia Natural Reserve in the municipality of The Park’s forest management plan sets the am- Valenza, the first small protected area founded bitious goal of increasing the forest area of 30% in 1979 to preserve a heron colony. Afforesta- by reconstructing the old riparian ecosystem. tion operations were carried out in subsequent The peculiarity of the project lies in the choice years and involved several portions of the Park, of plants used, mainly white poplars and black belonging to areas of four different municipali- poplars, as species used in environmental reco- ties of the Alessandria Province. The whole land very interventions for their ability to promote is owned by the municipalities, granted for free soil stabilization and the development of other to the Park; originally it hosted an industrial po- species.

HECTARES SPECIES

43,1

carbon credits in 100 years Populus nigra Populus alba Quercus robur 20.789

PLANTED TREES

Fraxinus excelsior Quercus cerris Acer campestre 27.726