DOCUMENT SUMMARIES
INDEX
Maps
Park’s basic datafile
Organization Chart
The protection process of the volcanic region of La Garrotxa
The volcanoes are saved
A description of the eruptive activity of the Croscat volcano, the youngest on the Iberian Peninsula
Managing the natural heritage of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park
Conservation of geodiversity and geological heritage
Geographical information systems as a tool to support the management and planning of a protected natural area. The example of GIS VULCÀ
Management and public use planning instruments. The Special Plan for La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park
Conservation of natural areas affected by human activity. Intervention tools for the management of town and landscape planning
Agricultural strategy and framework for cooperation with local farmers
Accreditation of tourism companies with the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas: benefits and commitments
Educational services as a resource for presenting and plubicising the values of the Natural Park among the local population
Public use programme for La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park
Management of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park. Information Centres and Documentation Centre
25 Years Managing a Documentation Centre Linked to a Protected Natural Area
Establishing a quality system in the management of a protected natural area.
Bibliography
Areas included in Natura 2000 Network
Areas included in the PEIN (Natural Interest Areas Plan
National Park
Natural Park
National Interest Natural Site
Integral Nature Reserve
Partial Nature Reserve
Wild Fauna Nature Reserve
Protected Area Nature Reserve boundaries
Natural Park boundaries Protected areas in La Garrotxa
Municipalities boundaries
Natural Interest Areas Plan
Natura 2000 Network
La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park Simplified Charter of vulcanology
Lava flows
Volcanic cones Piroclasic layer Paleozoic metamorphic Eocenic Sedimentary
Quaternary sedimentary
Quaternary sedimentary originated by volcanic barrier Old volcanoes chimney and dams
VOLCANIC REGION OF LA GARROTXA (Girona, Spain) Natural Park (Natura 2000 Network. Mediterranean Region) (Category V, IUCN)
The best example of a volcanic landscape on the Iberian Peninsula, with 40 volcanoes and more than 20 basalt lava flows. The mountainous terrain, the soil and the climate provide the area with very diverse and often exuberant vegetation, with oak groves and woods and beech groves that form a landscape of exceptional beauty.
Description Area (1) Total: 15,309.4 ha 1,180.42 ha divided among 28 nature reserves Castellfollit de la Roca, Mieres, Montagut i Oix, Olot, Les Planes d’Hostoles, Les Preses, Municipalities: 11 Sant Aniol de Finestres, Santa Pau, Sant Feliu de Pallerols, Sant Joan les Fonts, La Vall de Bianya Region Garrotxa 22,161 employed individuals (2001): Employed population (2) Agriculture 3.7%, Industry 38.5%, Construction 10.9%, Services 46.9% Inhabitants (3) 2,156 inhab. (Park), 48,860 inhab. (peripheral area) Private property: 96.78% Ownership Public property: 3.22% Non-living natural resources (4): 2 geotopes, 1 geozone (includes 6 geotopes) Flora: 1,170 taxa Natural values (4) Fauna: 292 species of vertebrates recorded within the Natural Park, classified as: fish (11), amphibians (13), reptiles (18), birds (198) and mammals (52) Habitats of Community interest 16 Species of Community interest 11
Declaration and planning Ministry of the Environment: - Law 2/1982, of 3 March, protecting the volcanic region of La Garrotxa Date of creation (Law) and - Decree 113/1983, of 12 April, implementing the Law decree modifying the boundaries - Decree 41/2008, of 26 February, modifying the boundaries of The Volcanic Region of La Garrotxa Natural Park, declaring partial nature reserves and specifying the topography of the territorial area of the Natural Park and its nature reserves - Resolution GOV/161/2010, of 14 September, definitively adopting the Special Plan for Planning the Volcanic Region of La Garrotxa (Official Journal of the Government of Catalonia (DOGC) No. 5735, of 15 October 2010)
Management data (approximate data 2011) Government of Catalonia. Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Food and Natural Environment Management authority Directorate-General for the Natural Environment and Biodiversity Protected Natural Area Service Governing and cooperation Protection Board (11 members) and Permanent Committee (5 members) Minimum: 2 meetings/year bodies Cooperation Council (39 associations and organisations) Own staff: 13 people (1 director / 3 graduates with higher degrees / 3 graduates with primary degrees / 5 administrative staff / 1 foreman) Contracted staff: Management team staff - Occupation plan (equivalent to 2 graduates w/ higher degrees/year) - Companies offering guide and information services - Technical consultants in different areas of management (urban planning, flora, fauna, volcanism and Centre for the Conservation of Cultivated Plants) - Document cataloguing Operation: Investments: TOTAL: Budget approved €1.657.727,70 €38.339,92 €1.696.067,62 (average 05/10) €1.153.155,73 €530,92 €1.153.686,65 Budget executed 2011
Trend Decreasing, with cost-cutting Clearly in decline due to the tendencies economic crisis - To ensure the compatibility of the conservation of geological, floral and landscape values in a socioeconomic setting with a model of growth that involves high levels of land Management challenges use. - To roll out the management model used for the Park to the rest of the region, ensuring
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the involvement and collaboration of all of the stakeholders.
- Annual action programme - Annual action report Management instruments - GIS Vulcà - VTLS for the cataloguing and recovery of documents (forthcoming Millennium system) - Website (produced using the Vignette content management system) - Quality system (ISO 9001:2008) (since 1998) - European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (since 2001) - Q for Quality of Public Use in ENP UNE 187002:2008 (since 2003) - Registration of the Can Jordà Centre for the Conservation of Cultivated Plants with the Quality systems Catalan Council for Organic Farming (CCPAE) and in the Official Register of Plant Material Suppliers - Certificate in sustainable forestry management
Facilities, infrastructure and services Offices Casal dels Volcans Can Jordà Av. Santa Coloma, s/n 17811 Santa Pau 17800 Olot Tel.: 972 264666 Tel.: 972 266202 / 266012 Fax: 972 265567 Fax: 972 270455 Information centres Casal dels Volcans Can Passavent (the Croscat volcano) (2011) Av. Santa Coloma, s/n 17800 Olot 17800 Olot Tel.: 972 195094 Tel.: 972 268112 81.604 visitors dealt with in the official Old Sant Feliu de Pallerols Station Park centres Can Serra (Fageda d’en Jordà beech 17174 Sant Feliu de Pallerols wood) Tel.: 972 444474 188.893 visitors dealt with at other Road from Olot to Santa Pau, km 4 accredited information points 17811 Santa Pau Visits and activities Tel.: 972 195074 Documentation centre Can Jordà - E-mail: [email protected] - Fax: 972 265567 - Postal address: Avda. Santa Coloma, s/n. 17800 OLOT - Telephone: 972 264666
Personal consultations at the documentation centre itself require an appointment. Website: http://www.gencat.cat/parcs/garrotxa [email protected] E-mail:
(1): Figures: according to Decree 41/2008. Cartographical data: GIS Vulcà (2): Figures: Statistical Institute of Catalonia (3): Own figures drawn up by the Park management team in collaboration with the town councils. [2004] (4): Figures: Natural Heritage Information System and own figures
Date of last update of this document: 15/05/2012
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La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park Organisation Chart
MANAGEMENT (CV) F. Xavier Puig i Oliveras ([email protected])
Quality (CV) Mireia Batiste i Triadó ([email protected])
ADMINISTRATION SECTION RURAL NATURAL HERITAGE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT SECTION EDUCATION, Josep Riera i Massegur (CV) SECTION DISSEMINATION AND ([email protected]) Emili Bassols i Isamat PUBLIC USE SECTION ([email protected]) Mireia Batiste i Triadó (CV) Xavier Oliver i ([email protected]) Forest management Martínez-Fornés Joan Montserrat i Reig ([email protected]) Mercè Capmany i Gibert (CV) ([email protected]) ([email protected]) Tourism Agricultural management Josep M. Prats i Muntsa Navarro i Pérez-Dolz Santaflorentina ([email protected]) ([email protected])
Eva Calm i Puig Information centres ([email protected]) TOSCA ([email protected])
Education services TOSCA ([email protected])
IT MANAGEMENT SECTION
Documentation centre Geographic information systems Montse Grabolosa i Sellabona Joan Pijuan i Coromina ([email protected]) ([email protected])
Records Muntsa Navarro i Pérez-Dolz ([email protected])
MAINTENANCE SECTION AND SURVEILLANCE UNIT Facility maintenance Ramon Fornols i Puigoriol
Maintenance and conservation of areas Jean Phillipe Peyreguer
Phone
Casal dels Volcans (CV): 0034 972 26 60 12 Can Jordà (CJ): 0034 972 26 46 66 TOSCA: 0034 972 26 81 12
General e-mail: ([email protected])
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The protection process of the volcanic region of La Garrotxa
Emili Bassols Isamat Head of the Department of Natural Heritage of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park ([email protected])
03/05/1966 The Directorate-General for Mining and Fuel gives its authorisation for the ‘Santa Margarita’ mining concession (No. 3140), covering an area of 861 ha, based on a report issued by the laboratories of the Spanish National Mining Council stating that in their opinion the mine would obtain ‘pumice’. The concession covers the area of the Croscat, Santa Margarita, Puig de Martinyà, Puig de la Costa and Puig Astrol volcanoes.
Early 1970s The natural environment of the volcanic region of La Garrotxa is subject to a wide variety of impacts during this period. The list is topped with the quarrying of greda (the local name for lapilli) from the Croscat volcano and its surrounding area, but there is also a threat from a radioactive minerals mine, which produces a constant discharge of wastewater into the Fluvià River and its tributaries. In addition to this there is a continual increase in the number of uncontrolled landfill sites, some of which (for example the Fontfreda landfill site at Sant Joan les Fonts) are located at the very foot of a basalt crag, extensive construction of dwellings and installations for utilities (e.g. water tanks) on the volcanic cones themselves, chaotic urban and industrial growth, etc.
1975 The company Minas de Olot, S.A. is founded as a result of a merger between two existing companies, Petrofísica Ibérica, S.A. (Madrid) and LAVAS PARA LA CONSTRUCCIÓN, S.A. Both companies had obtained mining concessions in the area, one beside the other. Disputes between the two companies are resolved with the creation of this new company.
1976 A group of scholars in Olot forms the Comissió Promotora per a la Protecció de la Zona Volcànica (Committee to Promote the Protection of the Volcanic Region, CPPZV), the aim of which is to provide regular information on the very rapid process of deterioration affecting the volcanic region of Olot. The committee is made up of Xavier Gassiot, Josep M. Mallarach and Teresa Planagumà and is inspired by Dr. Lluís Solé i Sabarís and Dr. Oriol de Bolós. Certain authors have cited the creation of the CPPZV as the trigger for the struggle to protect the volcanic region of La Garrotxa.
1976 Articles in the local press condemn the attempt to construct a house in the crater of the Can Simó volcano (Santa Pau), while setting out the current situation of lapilli quarrying on the Croscat volcano and in general the issue of conservation of the volcanic region of La Garrotxa, comparing it to the situation of the Regional Park of the Volcanoes of Auvergne (France). There are even attempts to ignite debate on alleged scientific collaboration in the exploitation of the volcanoes.
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04/1976 The Catalan Institution of Natural History (ICHN) publishes the Llibre Blanc de la Gestió de la Natura als Països Catalans [White Paper on the Management of Nature in Catalonia]. This document provides an exhaustive report on the state of conservation of nature throughout the entire Catalan-speaking territory and notes in regard to the volcanic region of Olot that special protection measures should be put in place: the absolute protection of the volcanic complex is essential, with the prevention of mining of any type. A second, revised and updated, edition of the paper is published in December 1988.
1976 The CPPZV carries out a campaign in this year aimed at raising awareness among scientists with a view to encouraging research into the volcanic region of Olot. Scientists are asked to sign a petition requesting the declaration of Natural Park status. There is a widespread, favourable response.
26/10/1976 As a result of several major rock falls from the basalt cliff at Castellfollit de la Roca, the CPPZV takes the initiative to study the problem and hold a public information session for all those directly affected. This news is reported on Catalan television and for the first time a television report is made on the issue of conservation of the landscape in the volcanic region.
1977 The activities of the CCPZV multiply in 1977. Papers are given at a variety of workshops, seminars and conferences outlining different aspects of the environmental deterioration of the Olot volcanoes, publicising their scientific value and the educational possibilities they offer.
19-27/02/1977 An exhibition is organised condemning the deterioration of the volcanoes. It is part of the closing events of the Salvem Catalunya per a la Democràcia (Save Catalonia for Democracy) campaign. The exhibition is later shown in Santa Pau, Sant Joan les Fonts and Olot.
27/05/1977 A resolution of the Directorate-General for Mining and Construction Industries of the Ministry of Industry agrees to consolidate the mining rights for the ‘Santa Margarita’ mining concession for Minas de Olot, S.A. for a period of 90 years.
08/08/1977 An open letter to the Directorate-General for Mining and Construction Industries is published requesting the annulment of the three mining concessions (3140-3141 and 3195) that threaten the integrity of the main volcanic centre on the Iberian Peninsula. The letter also announces possible direct action to try and ensure the effective protection of the volcanic region.
02/09/1977 In conjunction with the Assembly of La Garrotxa, the Catalan Culture Congress and the Col·lectiu d’Acció No Violenta (Collective for Non-Violent Action), the CCPCV organises a public festival to demand the conservation of the area that is held in the clay pits on the Croscat volcano. The festival marks the culmination of the public campaign Salvem els Volcans (Save the Volcanoes) and it is attended by a considerable number of people. The demands made are: an immediate stop to all lapilli quarrying, the annulment of the concessions granted to Minas de Olot, S.A. and of the research permit granted to the Nuclear Energy Commission and lastly the revision of the town planning programmes of
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the municipalities affected, within the framework of creating a natural park. Every political party with representation in the La Garrotxa region subscribes to all of the points made.
15/10/1977 The closing events of the Campanya per a la Salvaguarda del Patrimoni Natural (Campaign to Safeguard Natural Heritage) organised by the Catalan Culture Congress take place in Olot and on the Croscat and Santa Margarita volcanoes. More than one thousand people take part in the closing ceremony, which symbolises the definitive launch of the campaign to protect the volcanic region.
28/10/1977 The Olot Town Council names a Scientific Advisory Board (CCA) with the aim of resolving the conflict surrounding lapilli quarrying. The commission is made up of technicians from the public administration, scientists from academia, and members of the CPPZV. The members of the commission are: Lluís Solé Sabarís, J. Trilla, Lluís Pallí, Josep M. Mallarach, Xavier Gassiot, J. de Solà Morales, Oriol de Bolós, Miquel Riera and Lluís Paluzie.
01/12/1977 The Scientific Advisory Board (CCA) produces a study including a proposal that defines the boundaries of certain areas considered ‘untouchable’ in regard to exploitation as part of the ‘Santa Margarita’ mining concession.
18/02/1978 Based on the counter-proposal issued by the mining company that owns the concession, Minas de Olot, S.A., the CCA presents an annex to the study that includes the following conclusions: - Regrettably, since the study was published, exploitation of the mining concession has accelerated, which has led to significant movement of surface earth and the further quarrying of lapilli. - The unanimous ratification of the conclusions of the study and the boundaries indicated on the map (...). - That it is essential that in the short term Minas de Olot, S.A. formulate a plan for the progressive reduction in extraction activities until these are brought to a halt (...) - All of the points listed here refer to areas for which the company Minas de Olot, S.A. has been granted a mining concession. The Scientific Advisory Board is of the opinion that areas under investigation both now and in the future should not be exploited for mining.
02/03/1978 An application is made to the Directorate-General for the Environment in Madrid requesting that the issue of conservation of the volcanic region of Olot be brought before the Inter-ministerial Committee on the Environment (CIMA) and reiterating the request for:
- A definitive stop to activity in mining concession 3140. - No further granting of new mining concessions in the Olot area. - The declaration of an Integral Reserve of Scientific Interest for specific areas in the region.
The application is signed by every member of the CCA, the mayors of Olot and Santa Pau and a long list of civic and cultural associations that also agree with its content.
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16/03/1978 After intense negotiations, an agreement is reached between the town councils of Olot and Santa Pau and the concession-holder to limit lapilli quarrying to flat areas and to respect the volcanic cones. Minas de Olot, S.A. halts activities on the Croscat volcano and moves to Puig de Martinyà volcano. Extraction activity stabilises at around 300,000 tm/year.
1978 Having run its natural course, the Committee to Promote the Protection of the Volcanic Region votes to dissolve and takes stock of recent events.
30/11/1981 The socialist group that has representation in the Catalan Parliament presents a draft bill to declare the volcanic region of La Garrotxa a protected natural area.
19/03/1982 Law 2/1982, of 3 March, protecting the volcanic region of La Garrotxa, is published in the Official Journal of the Government of Catalonia (DOGC), having been unanimously passed by the Catalan Parliament. The Volcanic Region of La Garrotxa Natural Site of National Interest is created. Article 3 of the law explicitly prohibits the extraction of lapilli and lightweight aggregates, but allows the exploitation of other mineral resources such as basalt. The first transitional provision gives a period of eight months for the definitive winding up of extraction activities carried out by the company Minas de Olot, S.A. In spite of this, extraction activities continue.
23/11/1982 The Constitutional Court rules in favour of the law after the Public Prosecutor lodges an appeal on grounds of unconstitutionality, alleging that the Catalan Parliament is not the competent authority. The same judgement recognises the legal authority of the Government of Catalonia to declare new protected areas.
28/06/1985 By means of the first of the final provisions of Law 12/85, of 13 June, on natural areas (DOGC No. 556, of 28/06/1985) the Volcanic Region of La Garrotxa Natural Site of National Interest becomes a Natural Park.
15/07/1985 The Olot-based geologist Josep M. Mallarach is appointed director of the Natural Park. The management team of the park is completed by the addition of an administrative assistant.
1985 The Casal dels Volcans Information Centre (Olot) and the Can Vayreda Information Centre (Santa Pau) of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park are opened.
1985 In the same year, the then-Minister for Industry and Energy of the Government of Catalonia, Mr. Joan Hortalà, comes to an agreement with the company Minas de Olot, S.A. based on the cession of the mining concessions and a commitment to restore all of the areas excavated, including those where excavation took place before 1982. Part of this agreement is the extraction of 2.7 million tonnes on the northern slope of the Croscat volcano as part of an ‘adaptation’ process for the area to make it usable for educational and scientific purposes. In 1985 the rate of extraction is of 200,000 tonnes per year. The Scientific Advisory Board hands in its resignation in protest at this pact, which is seen as a
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form of covert exploitation. A popular petition is launched, “No to the pact”, and more than 20,000 signatures are collected.
The subsequent years are characterised by successive failures to comply with the restoration programme on the part of the concession holder, which leads to at least 10 instances of disciplinary proceedings against the company. Demonstrations and public events take place demanding the definitive stoppage of lapilli extraction.
09/02/1989 The parliamentary groups of the Partit Socialista de Catalunya, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, Iniciativa per Catalunya, Aliança Popular and a mixed group table a motion urging the Executive Council to put an immediate and definitive stop to extraction activities and demanding compensation corresponding to the restoration work. In 1989 the rate of extraction is approximately 110,000 tonnes per year.
21/12/1990 Extraction is finally stopped thanks to the purchase by the Government of Catalonia of the majority of shares in the concession-holding company. The agreements passed by the Catalan Government on 21 December 1990 and 4 February 1991 approve the purchase of the shares in Minas de Olot, S.A. by the public company EPLICSA, which requires an investment of €1,575,252.70. This sum is not paid, so that the new Ministry of the Environment of the Government of Catalonia, created in 1991, can expropriate the properties on the Croscat volcano and begin carrying out the restoration project.
10/05/1991 It is on this date that lapilli extraction is finally suspended definitively. Nine years have gone by since the protection law was passed before its requirements are finally met.
From this moment on, intervention on the part of the Natural Park consists of modifying the old restoration programme and drawing up a new programme that includes the restoration of the area occupied by the waste landfill site.
This is the first case in Catalonia of expropriation of private property for conservation purposes. However, the practice has not become commonplace since then. A total of 77.2 hectares were expropriated and became the only fully publicly owned nature reserve that exists in La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park.
11/12/1994 Work begins on restoring the Croscat volcano clay pits and the former landfill site. The works cost €502,085 and €114,342.55 respectively. The aim is to recover the morphology of the base of the volcano, the meadows and the flatland areas and to repopulate the more steeply sloping areas with native species.
08/04/1995 The President of the Government of Catalonia, Jordi Pujol i Soley, officially launches the restoration work. The unique nature of the work means that it is distinguished with an award from FAD, an organisation that aims to foster the arts and design.
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The volcanoes are saved
Emili Bassols Isamat Head of the Department of Natural Heritage of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park ([email protected])
In 2007 La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary. It has undergone many changes in this time
It has been over a quarter of a century since the Parliament of Catalonia passed, unanimously, the Law on protection of the volcanic region of La Garrotxa, making it the first protected natural area fostered by the reconstituted Government of Catalonia. Twenty-five years should be enough, aside from celebrations and institutional ceremonies, to review the various stages of the Park’s existence and identify the most outstanding actions taken.
Looking back over these twenty-five years is a way of seeing how the area has changed in this time and reflecting on whether the measures adopted are appropriate for meeting the objectives established or whether, on the other hand, we should consider new legislative, strategic action or promote specific actions so that we can face a complex- looking future with maximum guarantees.
From campaigns for demands to the creation of the Park (1975-1982)
Following the end of the dictatorship, with the main Catalan public institutions restored, the social and cultural turmoil moved many people from many disciplines to work to rebuild the country. The desire to halt the destruction, heal ecological wounds on the landscape and better protect Catalonia’s natural values spurred many groups to speak out in defence of nature.
The environmental outlook in Olot and the neighbouring towns was bleak. Wastewater was dumped directly in the rivers; rubbish tips grew uncontrollably on the outskirts of the cities; urban growth was disorganised; poaching was the norm... A situation, it must be said, that was not so different from that in other towns in Catalonia. However, what was different here, the spark in the powder keg of conservationist sensibilities was the clay mining around Croscat volcano.
The ecologist response to this host of aggressions was the constitution, in 1976, of the Committee to Promote the Protection of the Volcanic Region of La Garrotxa, an organisation that became known for its publicising of the aforementioned environmental problems and for organising and promoting the main protests in defence of the volcanic region that took place at the time. Once such event was the closing ceremony of the Campaign to Safeguard Natural Heritage held in Olot on 15 October 1977, on the programme of the Catalan Culture Congress. Civil society was mobilising and making itself heard.
The interest of the town councils of Olot and Santa Pau in regulating mining clashed with the rights the company, Minas de Olot, S.A., had acquired along with the mining concessions years before.
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Given that a direct, quick solution to the situation was unlikely, it was decided to take an alternative route: to declare the region a protected natural area. If we think how long it takes in this country to draw up, process and pass laws, we have to acknowledge that the process to protect the volcanic region of La Garrotxa was fast indeed. On 30 January 1981, the socialist group, represented in the Catalan Parliament, presented a bill to protect the region. Parliament’s unanimous vote in favour enabled the creation of the Natural Site of National Interest of the Volcanic Region of La Garrotxa, which was qualified as a Natural Park in 1985 under the Law on natural areas. Thus a natural area of singular features was created, with the aim of reconciling the conservation of natural values with the activities carried out there.
Declared by law, but no real management capability (1982-1985)
La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park was the ninth natural park declared in Spain. At the end of 2007 the number of natural parks and equivalent levels of protection throughout Spain totalled 155.
Once housed within an appropriate legal framework, it was time to turn that legal will into real conservation action. Unfortunately, however, time went by and the natural park was not assigned the necessary economic and human resources to commence management. It was a tough time. This lack of resources made it impossible to publicise the true scope of the Protection Act, develop direct management and react appropriately to certain infringements, a circumstance that opponents of the designation—who put forward arguments such as the effect on property rights or fear of excessive control over certain activities—seized upon to chop down some of the last remaining stands of mature trees in the region, amongst other acts.
The situation improved after 15 July 1985, when Olot geologist Josep Maria Mallarach became director of the Park.
Management commences (1985-1991)
The spirit and will of the people who constituted the tiny management team made up for the lack of resources. Despite the difficulties, they began to have an effect on the projects carried out in the Park through the issuing of compulsory reports by the governing body, the Protection Board, an administrative procedure contemplated in the decree enacting the Protection Act.
Forest exploitation and hunting reports began to include criteria for planning and improving the activity, as opposed to strictly productivist viewpoints. At that time, in 1990 to be exact, the Can Jordà Centre for the Conservation of Cultivated Plants was opened, a pioneering experience in agrobiodiversity conservation in Catalonia. Amongst the educational activities organised was the popular tree festival Festa de l’Arbre (1986- 1992), involving local schools. Regulations began to appear on the public use of the most- visited areas, such as Santa Margarida volcano or the Fageda d’en Jordà beech wood.
However, the sore that were the clay pits—a torment for the management team—was still open. Fortunately, following numerous requests to the town councils involved, from the Natural Park itself and the people of La Garrotxa and Catalonia in general, the Catalan Ministry of Territorial Policy and Public Works initiated proceedings to bring about the end of the mining, which was finally achieved when the Government of Catalonia became the
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majority shareholder in the company. The acquisition of the Minas de Olot, S.A. shares was an investment of 1,575,252 euros.
Which brings us to 1991, an historic year for several reasons. First of all because on 10 May that year the Croscat clay pits finally ceased operation. Also because, in March, the Ministry of the Environment had been created, and La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park, previously attached to the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Public Works, came under its management. The first Environment minister, Albert Vilalta, did much to promote this protected area. A boost in the form of important decisions, such as the allocation of sufficient funds to restore the Croscat clay pits and the site of the old rubbish tip on the volcano’s northern slope. This was the most significant direct investment made in the history of the Natural Park, along with the expropriation of the Croscat Volcano Nature Reserve, and, a more structural aspect, the opportunity to incorporate new experts in the Park’s governing body to improve its technical capability and administrative efficiency.
La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park Figures Current areas 15,309.4 ha Number of nature reserves 28 Area of nature reserves 1,180.42 ha Towns 11 Inhabitants within the protected area (2006) 39,000 Percentage of area private property 96%
Governing body (Protection Board) Number of members 11 Name of meetings (1983-2007) 56 Number of compulsory reports issued (1985-2007) 3,942 Number of entities represented on the Cooperation Council (2007) 40
Management body Date Casal dels Volcans opened (Olot) 8/9/1985 Date Can Jordà opened (Santa Pau) 25/10/1993 Number on Technical Service team 15
Economic data Budget (2007) €2,261,308 Annual average direct and indirect investments granted to Natural Park €60.4/ha (1986-2007)
Quality certification (year obtained) ISO 9002:1994 1998 Q de qualitat turística (Q for Tourism Quality) 2003 EMAS Being processed
Other accreditation (year obtained) European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas 2001
Laying solid foundations (1991-1995)
At the end of that hectic 1991, a significant change took place in the Park: biologist Jaume Vicens took over as director. As we shall see, under his directorship (November 1991 – December 2000) innovative projects were fostered and milestones were reached, some of which are still bearing fruit today.
The first years under the new ministry were characterised by the execution of a series of actions aimed, basically, at building management capabilities through the use of appropriate tools. Three are particularly noteworthy: the structuring of a management team adapted to the needs and features of the area; having the property at Can Jordà
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(Santa Pau) as one of the Park offices (the other being the Casal dels Volcans in Olot), thanks to the willingness of Girona Provincial Council, with which the Ministry of the Environment had signed an agreement to use the Jordà estate; and thirdly, and fundamentally, the final approval of the Special Plan for the Volcanic Region of La Garrotxa, the basic planning instrument which establishes and regulates the activities permitted in the region. The Plan, drawn up in 1987, was finally approved in 1994.
In this favourable context the Can Jordà Documentation Centre was created (1993), a service which has become a reference for this type of facility in protected natural areas in Catalonia. Also in 1994 the Vulcà Project was born, an innovative proposal in the use of geographic information systems and their application in the management and planning of protected areas in Catalonia, which was undertaken through a three-way agreement (Ministry of Environment, Cartographic Institute of Catalonia and Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications).
This initial stage ended with the inauguration by the then president of the Government of Catalonia, Jordi Pujol, of the restoration of the Croscat clay pits and the works to seal the refuse tip, on 8 April 1995. The principal criterion governing this action was to regulate the site, creating a trail network, enabling its use as an educational resource. Today, the Croscat clay pits are one of the most visited spots in the Natural Park.
New strategic and specific projects (1995-2000)
Without ignoring the daily management, and in an attempt to consolidate the main strategic areas, in these five years a series of pioneer initiatives were begun or developed thanks to which the Park’s management model earned fame and credibility amongst professionals in the sector.
This was the period of projects as emblematic as obtaining ISO 9002: 1994 quality certification in 1998, the first protected natural area in Spain to do so; the work prior to accreditation, with the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism, which was finally obtained in 2001; and the reintroduction of the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) (1995- 1998) following a revision of the initial project drawn up in 1990.
It is also interesting to point out the efforts made in this time to encourage the participation of the various local agents in the management of the Natural Park through the Cooperation Council, a body comprising non-profit-making organisations with interests in the park area, and how the Natural Park influenced the creation of local entities and bodies, such as ARADA (Association of Stock Breeders and Farmers for the Defence of the Environment), which acts in the town of Santa Pau, and, in a different sector, the tourism association Garrotxa Terra d’Acolliment Turístic (today called Turisme Garrotxa).
Noteworthy events include ESPARC-2000 in Olot, a meeting organised by the Spanish section of the Federation of Nature and National Parks of Europe and the Ministry of the Environment, which brought together experts and political leaders from all the Spanish autonomous communities. The previous year the drawing up of the Action Plan for Protected Natural Areas in Spain had begun, a process (completed in 2002) in which the Park’s director and a number of technicians were instrumental.
But, if we had to choose the most successful action taken during these 25 years, it would be the incorporation into the Natural Park of the entire municipality of Sant Feliu de Pallerols. This was an initiative of the town council, with the unanimous support of all the groups represented, unanimity, it should be highlighted, which lasted two terms of office. This shows that being part of a protected area need not imply weakness, as some
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perceive it, but can be viewed as a real forward-looking strategy that can bring benefits and alternatives for development, as long as it is sustainable.
Active management of the area (2000-2007)
The year 2000 saw important changes, as all specially protected natural areas in Catalonia came under the Ministry of the Environment. La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park was no longer alone. However, although it has been seven years since then, we are still missing management guidelines that define and prioritise the objectives to be met by the Catalan system of protected natural areas.
In this stage of the Park’s recent history, in addition to continuing existing projects and considering new ones, considerable efforts were made to influence town-planning issues. This took place under the shared directorship of forest engineer Narcís Ribas, from December 2000 to March 2002, and the current director, agricultural engineer Francesc Xavier Puig.
It was at this time that the Park suffered, to my mind, the worst impact since its creation: the building of the A-26 dual carriageway, a 9.7-kilometre stretch between Olot and Pla de Poliger. The Natural Park, along with the affected local authorities and other environmental management organisations such as the SIGMA consortium, fought long and hard to minimise the impact of these works, and brought about substantial improvements to the initial project, which have never been fully recognised. And that is, surely, one of the shortcomings of the Park’s management: not making known the management tasks undertaken over the years and the results and improvements they have brought to the region.
An assessment that can be applied to another of the tasks developed during this time: the revision and issuing of reports on the new municipal urban plans. Between 2003 and 2004, urban plans were approved for half of the towns in the Natural Park, specifically those with most developed urban centres (Olot, Les Preses, Sant Feliu de Pallerols, Sant Joan les Fonts and Vall de Bianya). The Park team tried to influence urban and industrial growth and minimise their impact on the environment, efforts which, one has to admit, were not always successful.
The third task requiring particular dedication from the Park technical service is the revision of the Special Plan approved in 1994 to adapt it to the new situation and the existing legal framework. During 2007 the new special plan was initially approved and met the public consultation period, it will shortly receive final approval.
By way of conclusion and reflection
A reflection at national level makes us realise that what were in the late seventies the main subjects of the demand for protection have mostly become protected natural areas, areas of spectacular scenery that we are so proud of today. Some exceptional heritage has been preserved making it ecologically lasting and economically profitable. In contrast, while we bequeath the major spoils of our ecological battles to future generations, we have witnessed a serious change in the rest of the territory, especially in open spaces, natural mosaics with a diversity of species and proven landscape value, which have suffered an implacable onslaught of development.
In regard to protected natural areas, to be able to meet the objectives for which they were declared as such, joint action is required by all the agents involved which goes beyond the area itself. Because it must be understood that protected areas are nodes, key pieces in an open and yet complex system, in which every corner, whether protected or not, has
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elements that should be considered when planning use and activities. I don’t mean maintaining a passive or a radical attitude, or taking a stand against logic and the region’s natural ecological, economic and social evolution, but valuing, appreciating and loving this bit of country that maintains us, that offers us its resources—often altruistically—and all it asks is a little respect.
As for La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park, it is obvious that, compared to 1982, there have been significant economic, ecological and social changes. We have been able to eliminate or reduce the most serious environmental aggressions thanks to the efforts of the majority of political leaders and technicians of the ministries to which the Park has been attached; to the availability and willingness of municipal leaders, with whom we have coordinated many actions; to the dedication of the members of the Protection Board; to the technical team’s capacity for work; to the contribution of local authority representatives (residents’ association, ramblers’, environmentalist and hunting associations, etc.); and, of course, the comments, suggestions and criticisms of many of the Natural Park’s residents.
However, we cannot let our guard down. Today we are still detecting impacts that have direct effects on the elements of most interest in the area and observing a worsening of some trends that threaten their conservation, such as the increase in groundwater catchment, loss of agricultural and farmland, overuse by visitors at certain times of the year, urban growth and the building of large roads, to name but a few.
It is necessary, albeit complicated, to answer the question raised at the beginning as to whether the measures adopted and action taken have been sufficient to conserve the main values. The difficulty lies in the fact that, to analyse correctly the Park management’s influence on the evolution of the conservation status of its natural and cultural values, we must include in the calculation of the corresponding indicators variables that identify general dynamics. Because often, despite the many efforts made at local level, it is difficult to counteract current global processes. However, there is verified data that shows that some elements of interest, such as the volcanoes themselves, or other specific spots, are lucky to have been protected.
To face the future and improve the degree of general conservation of the area, or at least to stop it getting worse, I believe it is essential that the Natural Park maintain a solid administrative structure, included in a compact powerful system of protected areas, that achieves a flexible management capability and acts in a coordinated manner with all the bodies and agents involved, both public and private; all based on a real desire on the part of the public to conserve, for many years to come, the singular wildlife and landscape of the volcanic region of La Garrotxa.
Emili Bassols i Isamat Biologist and Natural Park technician
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Photo captions
Croscat volcano. Today the clay pits are one of the most visited areas in the Natural Park, thanks to the efforts made to close the open sore caused by the clay mining.
View of the town of Sant Feliu de Pallerols. PNZVG Documentation Centre.
Building works on the A-26 dual carriageway. On the right, the abandoning of farmland brings the risk of disappearance for mosaics of fields such as at Batet de la Serra (Olot), an area of environmental and landscape quality. Pep Callís.
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Highlighted text
What was different here, the spark in the powder keg of conservationist sensibilities was the clay mining around Croscat volcano
Clay mining finally ended when the Government of Catalonia bought the shares of the mining company
It was the ninth natural park declared in Spain, and the first fostered by the reconstituted Government of Catalonia
If we had to choose the most successful action taken during these 25 years, it would be the incorporation into the Natural Park of the entire municipality of Sant Feliu de Pallerols
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A description of the eruptive activity of the Croscat volcano, the youngest on the Iberian Peninsula
Llorenç Planagumà Guàrdia Geology consultant to La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park ([email protected])
The Croscat volcano is thought to be the youngest volcano in the volcanic region of La Garrotxa. It is part of the Croscat-Santa Margarita eruptive system, with the two volcanoes formed during the same episode of magma ascent.
Characteristics: Slightly oval-shaped base with maximum diameters of 850 by 1300 m. Area of the base: 101 ha. Relative height: 156 m. Horseshoe-shaped crater of 600 m in length, 300 m in width at the open edge of the crater rim. Age: 11,500 years old
Type of eruptive activity: Violent Strombolian, phreatomagmatic and effusive.
Parts of the volcano
The lava flow–The best-preserved lava flow on the Iberian Peninsula, although it conserves its original block morphology resulting from the breaking of the cooled crust while the lava continued to flow. This type of lava flow is known as Aa.
The crater–The horseshoe shape was formed when the lava emerging from the volcano at the end of the eruption brought with it part of the volcanic cone, leaving the crater in the shape still visible today.
The volcanic cone–Cinder cone produced during a single volcanic eruption and consisting of lapilli- and block-sized pyroclastic scoria.
The clay pits–A cut in the side of the volcano made for quarrying activity in the 1970s and 1980s. The clay pits can now be visited by tourists and educational groups, as the volcanic rock and the formation of the volcanic cone can be seen from them.
The cinder cone, formed by Strombolian activity that increased in intensity and completed by a phreatomagmatic phase.
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Description of eruptive activity
The magma ascended along the NW-SE fracture. The eruption began with highly explosive phreatomagmatic activity that was the source of the pyroclastic surge deposits at the base of the cone (located using test drilling) that coincide with the opening of the Santa Margarita volcano crater. Immediately subsequent to this, the eruption continued in the fracture with explosive Strombolian activity in which pyroclasts were ejected, causing spatter cones at different points of the fissure. As the fracture closed, a more intense explosive phase began with the ejection of pyroclastic materials in the form of blocks and bombs from which the cone of the Croscat volcano is formed. The next phase, which was much more explosive, deposited pyroclasts and cinder and formed the pyroclastic layer of the volcano which continues for a distance of over one kilometre. Lastly, a phreatomagmatic phase occurred as a result of the interaction of the magma with an existing aquifer that led to different pyroclastic surges that reached more than 3,000 metres in distance. The final phase was of effusive eruption, which resulted in the issue of a lava flow towards the west that broke the edifice and left the crater in a horseshoe shape. The beech wood known as La Fageda d'en Jordà has grown on this rough lava flow which has numerous tussols or blisters, caused by the interaction of the lava flow with a wetland area.
The eruption of the Croscat volcano was of greater intensity than usual among the volcanoes in the area and its pyroclastic layer was distributed over several square kilometres at thicknesses of greater than one meter, even covering some of the surrounding volcanoes such as Santa Margarita volcano and Puig de Martinyà volcano.
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Managing the natural heritage of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park
Emili Bassols i Isamat Head of the Department of Natural Heritage of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park ([email protected])
A formidable task
Law 12/1985 on natural areas in Catalonia poses a complicated, complex challenge for those areas designated Natural Parks: that of achieving conservation that is compatible with the organised use of their resources and the activities of their inhabitants. Are we really achieving this compatibility? Can we say that the natural values of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park (PNZVG) are well conserved? How can we tell? All of this boils down to one fundamental question: are we doing a good job?
It is important to remember that large amounts of data are required when responding to this and the many other questions that we might ask about the management strategy in place, whether in terms of the factors of change influencing the transformation of the natural ecosystems in the Natural Park, many of which are due to human activity, or in terms of natural processes including the evolution of natural populations of species that are deemed by some technical or legal justification to be worthy of protection.
There is information available on the numerous impacts that affected this area prior to the protection offered by the PNZVG in 1982: unrestricted growth of urban agglomerations, construction of housing and infrastructure in areas of high geological interest, discharge of wastewater into rivers and torrents, illegal hunting of protected species, uncontrolled deforestation, positioning of landfill sites in environmentally sensitive areas (for example the domestic waste landfill site at the Croscat volcano) and, above all, the quarrying of lapilli, known locally as greda.
Having said this, we could then ask, did the situation change when the area was declared a Natural Park? There is no simple or immediate answer to this question. Many of these problems were resolved not with the simple declaration of the area a Natural Park, but following years of work and as part of a gradual process as the Natural Park became established and put in place the necessary human resources, grew stronger in terms of its management capabilities and began to seek cooperation with other local institutions (mainly town councils) and national institutions (both the Ministry of the Environment and Housing and other ministries of the Government of Catalonia).
Some basic data on La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park show immediately just how complex its management is: 15,300 hectares of protected land, with 28 nature reserves inside this space totalling almost 1,000 hectares, with industrial urban areas excluded from the status of Natural Park but that are located within the boundaries, 11 municipalities, almost 40,000 inhabitants, with 96% of the land owned privately and with a highly fragmented system of ownership, given that there are over 2,000 different landowners.
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Natural values
The area under discussion is extremely interesting from a variety of points of view. It is the best-preserved volcanic area on the Iberian Peninsula. The volcanoes in the region are inactive but are not extinct, with some 40 volcanoes and 20 lava flows that ran through the valleys, providing them with a flat, gentle landscape ideal for cultivation. The soil in the area evolved from volcanic materials and is therefore unique within Spain. The area's vegetation consists of an interesting combination of Euro-Siberian and typical Mediterranean plant communities, which means that plant life is richly diverse (more than 900 higher plant species have been recorded) with a presence of rare and endangered species. The diversity of fauna is also worthy of note. This is reasonably well known in terms of the higher groups, but has been to a certain extent ignored in terms of the lower species. All of these natural values are housed within a varied landscape that is harmonious in some areas and is as a whole held in very high historical and social regard.
Current trends
A number of trends are visible within the PNZVG that have a direct influence on the values that we are trying to protect. Some of these trends are exclusive, but for the most part they are generalised, which means that to greater or lesser extents they affect all of Catalonia and indeed Spain as a whole. Some of the most significant trends are described below:
Urban growth. The majority of municipalities in the Natural Park updated their urban plans between 2004 and 2006, making new land available for construction. The protected area lost as a result of urban growth in the NP between 1986 and 2007 was 126.3 ha. This urban growth affects aspects such as ecological and landscape connectivity, creating ‘urban sprawl’ like the sprawl that blurs the boundaries between the urban areas of Les Preses-Olot-La Canya-Sant Joan les Fonts-Castellfollit de la Roca, and that threatens to divide the natural park in two.
Construction of major road infrastructure. Major roads have been constructed within the Natural Park in recent years, such as the A-26 motorway (Ministry of Public Works) and there are more planned, such as the missing sections (the Les Preses and Olot roads) required to complete the Vic-Olot-Figueras road network, which will direct all of the international traffic through the PNZVG.
Pressure on water systems. The growing number of water use installations for different purposes has led to a decrease in the average water table in the aquifers of the Natural Park and its area of hydrological influence.
Reduction in the number of forestry exploitations. The low profitability of forestry exploitations in combination with the low prices of wood and timber has led to a drop in the number of forestry exploitations both in the Natural Park and the rest of the country.
Decline in the number of farms. Increasingly fewer people make their living from the land, with some alarming figures: a study carried out in 2007 showed that there are no owners of stock breeding farms in the PNZVG aged under 30.
An increase in tourism activities. Natural areas provide the opportunity for large numbers of people living in major cities to be handed a piece of an idealised natural landscape ‘on a platter’. This means that visitor numbers to natural parks are constantly increasing and the PNZVG is no exception.
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The management of the PNZVG, in all its facets, is based on tackling these and other trends or factors for change and trying to ensure that they do not have a detrimental effect on the values that we are trying to preserve.
Natural heritage management
The management of the natural heritage of the PNZVG is based on the following strategic objectives:
• To broaden knowledge of the natural and cultural heritage of the park (what do we have?). • To assess the trends affecting the values to be protected by establishing monitoring programmes (what is the current situation?). • To improve natural diversity (trying to preserve or extend it!). • To disseminate the natural values of the park to society as a whole to encourage higher levels of involvement in their conservation. • To act as a model of integrated management of the protection of natural values, the development of human activity and the exploitation of natural resources.
It is important to be aware of the base level of knowledge and to approach management not just from within the natural park; we must try to include its whole area of influence.
The tools that we need to improve knowledge of the park's natural heritage can be shown in a cyclical process.
institutional willingness
knowing how to publicise its importance financial resources
results human resources (specialists in taxonomy, ecology, biologists, consultants, naturalists, etc.).
planning and programming
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The management diagram for the conservation of the natural heritage of the PNZVG is shown below.
Basic research Applied research visitors
scientific GIS Vulcà research dissemination educational Monitoring strategies programmes local population
management itineraries facilities
legislation plans programmes catalogues mandatory reports conservation actions
HUMAN RESOURCES FINANCIAL RESOURCES
A number of interesting examples are:
• The monitoring programme for the hydrogeological system of the PNZVG. • The wild boar (Sus scrofa) population monitoring programme. • The Centre de Conservació de Plantes Cultivades de Can Jordà (Can Jordà Centre for the Conservation of Cultivated Plants). • The restoration of the Jordà pools.
Epilogue
The conservation of natural heritage requires extensive capacity and significant resources. The influences of the factors for change affecting the elemental values that we are aiming to conserve are extensive and our ability to manage the situation is not often (indeed seldom) sufficient for us to be fully aware of what is happening. It is therefore essential to plan, prioritise and be more efficient in our actions.
We must ensure that natural parks are areas in which we apply management formulas that we can then extend to the rest of the region. We must begin by knowing what we have and being aware of its state of conservation so that we know what we have to prioritise. Above all, we have to act to demonstrate to whomever it may concern that the conservation of our natural heritage is not simply the whim of a few, but a fundamental responsibility of every member of society.
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Conservation of geodiversity and geological heritage
Llorenç Planagumà Guàrdia Geology Consultant of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park ([email protected])
The geodiversity of the Natural Park
Two main elements can be distinguished within the geological heritage of the Natural Park: volcanic morphology and outcrops. The importance of these lies in the unique nature of the materials from which they are formed, the characteristic shapes they produce and the fact that they are highly representative of geological processes that can then be interpreted through them, given that they are the result of hundreds of thousands of years of geological activity.
The main challenge facing the management of geological heritage is that it forms the basis for other types of heritage: forestry, agricultural, industrial, urban, etc. In addition, the territory of the Natural Park is inhabited, is for the most part private property and is highly economically active. This means that the management of the volcanic substratum poses great difficulties, because its preservation has to be compatible with the range of other uses carried out above ground.
The Estrategia para la gestión del vulcanismo [Strategy for Volcanism Management] was drawn up during 1999 for the management of geological heritage and was based on a variety of different materials such as the Special Plan for the Volcanic Region of La Garrotxa, an unpublished document on the state of reserves in La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park (1992), and Patrimonio geológico [Geological Heritage] published by the then Ministry of Public Works, Transport and the Environment, in conjunction with other reference studies such as the Estrategia por la biodiversidad en Cataluña [Strategy for Biodiversity in Catalonia] and the Libro blanco de la educación ambiental en España [White Paper on Environmental Education in Spain]. Lastly, J.M. Mallrach (geologist and first director of the Park) made a painstaking revision of the document and it was passed by the Protection Board in 2001.
The strategy includes a diagnosis of the three fields that it deals with: research, conservation and dissemination, which are intended to serve as the point of departure for the analysis of deficiencies in each area and for the consideration of objectives to be set and actions to be taken in each case.
The objectives are as follows:
General objectives
A) To improve knowledge of volcanism in La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park. B) To conserve the geological and landscape values of volcanism. C) To educate the population in the values of volcanism.
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Specific objectives
Research A1) To draw up a computerised database to facilitate access at all times to information on the status of research into volcanism in La Garrotxa. A2) To analyse the characteristics of the eruptive activity of the volcanic edifices of the Santa Margarita, La Garrinada, Montsacopa and Traiter volcanoes as priorities, and the others of preferential interest. A3) To promote collaboration with universities or research centres to complete the dating of the most significant edifices and lava flows (nature reserves and outcrops of interest) produced by volcanism in La Garrotxa. A4) To propose ways of integrating the volcanic and seismic risk studies generated as part of the management of the territory. A5) To define the priorities of the research in work that may be done in the fields of petrology, geochemistry, palaeoclimatology and the tectonic-structural framework. A6) To draw up geological maps on a scale of 1:25,000 for the categories of lithology, tectonics, morphology, volcanology and hydrology for the area of the Natural Park. A7) To plan a monitoring process for the inclusion of new data obtained on research projects, outcrops, works and surveys in the computerised database mentioned in A1.
Conservation B1) To recover and conserve the meadows and crops in the craters and at the feet of the cones to facilitate the observation and interpretation of the geomorphology of the volcanic edifices. B2) To restore and conserve outcrops of interest in good condition, to create a network of geological points of interest and to equip these so that they can be observed correctly (see C). B3) To integrate areas of interest and outcrops of interest into municipal planning schemes. B4) To programme the actions and measures to be taken to conserve volcanic values on an annual basis. B5) To draw up catalogues and maps on a scale of 1:5,000 of the most interesting elements of volcanism (volcanoes, outcrops and blisters) where these are not available. B6) To revise the volcanic values in the park every five years and to protect those elements of most importance based on the information gleaned from new research.
Dissemination C1) To revise existing dissemination measures that are in place (programmes, activities, publications, equipment and services) to determine the shortcomings in content about volcanism. C2) To design activities and produce a variety of resources (publications and equipment) that facilitate the comprehensive dissemination of volcanism in La Garrotxa among the local population and visitors. C3) To provide the network of points of geological interest mentioned in B2 with the equipment necessary (signposting and interpretation) to disseminate the volcanological values of the area and to preserve the good condition of these.
The strategy document proposes the following indicators for assessing the management of geodiversity and geological heritage:
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A) Research
- The eruption of the volcanoes of preferential interest in the Natural Park can be explained and we know their ages.
During the course of the years it has been possible to compile an exact description of the Croscat volcano, Santa Margarita volcano, Montsacopa volcano and Bisaroques volcano. Only the ages of the Croscat and Santa Margarita volcanoes are known.
A- Fewer than 4. B- From 4 to 8. C- From 8 to 12. D- More than 12.
- Can we explain what the relief would look like without volcanoes?
A- No. B- Some areas. C- In almost all of the area of the strategy. D- Yes.
- Can we explain the geological history of the area from the first eruptions to the present day?
A- No. B- Only for the most modern volcanoes. C- Some minor details are missing. D- Yes.
- Are appropriate maps available for the management of volcanism in the Park?
It is basically only the tectonic mapping of the area that is still missing.
A- More than 4 missing. B- From 4 to 2. C- Fewer than 2. D- Nothing missing.
B) Conservation
- The monitoring of works and outcrops has provided interesting information to enter into the database.
Information has been provided that allows us to gain a much deeper knowledge of the lava flows at Begudà and Castellfollit, La Garrinada, Pla de Massandell, Montsacopa, Puig Roser, etc.
A- None. B- One. C- From 2 to 5. D- More than 5.
- How has our perception of the morphology of the volcanoes evolved?
Improvements have been made in the visualisation of the craters of Montsacopa volcano and Santa Margarita volcano, but the visualisation can be considered to be the same as at the start of the strategy.
A- Worse. B- The same. C- Better then since the strategy was put in place. D- Better than any time since the area was declared a Natural Park.
- In the outcrops of interest that are catalogued, the same geological processes can be observed and interpreted as was the case 5 years ago.
A- Fewer than 10. B- From 10 to 15. C- For all of them. D- More and better.
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C) Dissemination
- Survey of the local population on their knowledge of volcanism. (Names of the volcanoes, number of volcanoes, whether they might erupt again, volcanic matter, the importance of the old lapilli quarries, the use of the volcanoes).
A- 25%. B- 50%. C- 75%. D- 100%.* Has not been carried out
- Town councils have been involved in the conservation of geological heritage (outcrops).
The Castellfollit de la Roca and Olot outcrops (Montsacopa volcano).
A- Fewer than 2. B- From 2 to 4. C- From 4 to 6. D- More than 8.
- The population takes more responsibility for the conservation of the area (waste, graffiti, plundering, etc.). This can be calculated based on the number of incidents.
A- Fewer than 2. B- From 2 to 4. C- From 4 to 6. D- More than 8.
- Of all of the products and programmes proposed for the dissemination of volcanism, the following are currently in place:
A- 25%. B- 50%. C- 75%. D- 100%.
Global
- The planned actions have been carried out (those that have not are marked in red).
A- Less than 25%. B- From 25% to 50%. C- From 50 to 75%. D- More than 75%.
- Use of the database for making decisions on the management of the geological heritage of the Natural Park.
A- 25%. B- 50%. C- 75%. D- 100%. * Has not been calculated
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Geographical information systems as a tool to support the management and planning of a protected natural area. The example of GIS VULCÀ
Joan Pijuan Coromina Geographical Information Systems Engineer in La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park. ([email protected])
Introduction
La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park has over 15 years of experience in Geographical Information Systems. This experience brings with it the knowledge required to assess the use of these information systems as a support tool in the management and planning of the day-to-day running of the Park, the main objective of the GIS Vulcà system. Its secondary objective is to respond to requests from third parties outside the Park's organisation (the administration, scientists, research groups, etc.) using cartographic dissemination tools such as map servers, direct downloads of maps, 3D cartographic visualisation, etc.
Origins
The geographical information systems of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park (GIS Vulcà) are the legacy of a project undertaken by three parties: the Ministry of the Environment (DMA) of the Government of Catalonia, the Cartographic Institute of Catalonia (ICC) and the Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF). A draft of the project was drawn up in 1994 and the Vulcà project was launched in 1995.
The Vulcà project was a pioneering experience in Catalonia with the introduction of geographical information systems within protected natural areas. It was conceived as a cartographic tool that could be integrated into the everyday management of a protected natural area and for the pilot project the area chosen was La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park.
Structure and operation
In 2000, the Vulcà project moved on from its status as a mere project and became GIS Vulcà. From this point onwards, a process of total integration of geographical information systems into the Park’s technical equipment began, with the aim of this integration being for the system to provide comprehensive support to the management and planning of La
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Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park. In the coming years, as well as working on the everyday management of the Park, the system also influenced dissemination and work with the different stakeholders (people living locally, administrations, etc.) as well as the updating and integration of new cartographic and alphanumeric information into the modules of the GIS Vulcà.
The geographical information systems in the Park are structured and operate according to 4 basic areas:
• Firstly, technology (IT equipment, servers, peripheral equipment, geographical tools, etc.). • A second area based on the data catalogued according to environmental themes into what is known as modules. • The third pillar consists of these very modules which contain alphanumerical or cartographic information or both at once. • The last area is based on knowledge (both in regard to the use of geographical information systems and to knowledge of the different elements involved in management of the Natural Park).
As mentioned above, the main aim of GIS Vulcà is to help in the management and planning of the Park based on the management and control of geographical information and all of its applications. However, it is also important to remember the second objective, that of dissemination of geographical information and of the associated thematic cartographic layers. The aim here is to respond to the needs of users with cartographic requirements: the different areas of the administration, engineers, scientists, researchers, students, and the local population, and to provide all of these stakeholders with improved knowledge of the geography, regulations and territorial analysis of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park.
An extension of the abovementioned aim is to provide all of the stakeholders listed with access to cartography, whether by using the maps server or in the form of direct downloads from the 2D or 3D cartographic databases.
Extensive dissemination alongside greater access to information helps ensure improved knowledge of the territory, an essential element for ensuring the correct management of the Park both by the management team and its local agents.
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Management and public use planning instruments. The Special Plan for La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park
Francesc Xavier Puig Oliveras Director of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park ([email protected])
Planning model for La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park
The complex nature of the territory and the management of the Natural Park calls for coherent, meticulous and strict planning that is at the same time flexible and quick to react to circumstances. It must be able to adapt to the Park's situation and management requirements, both of which are highly dynamic.
These criteria could not be fulfilled using a single planning and management instrument that would by its very nature generate inflexibilities in the management process. The situation therefore requires the unified application of a group of instruments along the lines of those already adopted by the areas most recently designated Natural Parks in this country, which enable the managers of these parks to meet long-, medium- and short- term requirements.
In line with this criterion and with current legislation, a planning system is under consideration for La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park that consists of the following instruments:
Special Plan for La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park. This is the basic planning instrument for the Park established in Law 2/1982 and will always take priority over other plans. Its aim is to set out the global image of the future of the Park, establish the strategic and theoretically constant aspects of the planning of the space and the general structure of the planning of the protected area, and define the measures and actions necessary to put this into practice. These may be directly established by the Special Plan itself, or be designed as steps towards implementing the instruments for development.
Plan Governing Use and Management (PRUG). The objective of this throughout its period
Plan for Areas of Natural Interest of Catalonia (PEIN)
Plan governing use and Special Plan for the Volcanic management
Region of La Garrotxa Specific plans, programmes and projects
Partial Municipal urban Territorial planning Plan
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of application is to programme activities and establish the decisions that need to be made for the development of the management of the Natural Park in line with the regulations set out in the Special Plan. The PRUG may also contain temporary regulations, and it is revised every four years.
Specific plans, programmes and projects. These plans develop the Special Plan and, where applicable, specific aspects of the PRUG, both for the Park as a whole in regard to sectoral aspects (general forestry plan, species recovery lists, research programmes, etc.) and in specific areas. The plans can be comprehensive in nature (detailed planning of nature reserves) or sectoral (the planning of public use for a particular place).
The Special Plan for the Volcanic Region of La Garrotxa
In line with the stipulations of Law 12/1985, of 13 June, on natural areas, the basic objective of a natural park is the conservation of the qualified natural values that exist in the area in a way that is compatible with the ordered exploitation of the resources and the activities of the park's inhabitants. The Special Plan is an essential instrument for attaining the objective of conservation set out in the Law on natural areas.
La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park is governed by Law 2/1982, protecting the volcanic region of La Garrotxa.
The Special Plan for the Volcanic Region of La Garrotxa is the main planning instrument for the Natural Park in terms of both territory and the exploitation of resources. It was drawn up in response to an express mandate set out in Law 2/1982 (mentioned above) and is implemented by the Protection Board of the volcanic region, the management body of the Natural Park. The Government of Catalonia is responsible for passing the plan.
As an initial overview, based on the final provision of the declaration of natural parks in Catalonia, the Special Plan should establish:
• The guidelines and general regulations governing planning, use and management. • The planning and regulation of uses and activities within the Natural Park and, where necessary, the surrounding area. • The zoning of the territory with the detailed regulations for each zone. • The appropriate provisions for the strict protection of places with elements of interest that are of particular relevance. • The determining of the appropriate protection measures for the defence, recovery and protection of natural systems, habitats and species of flora and fauna. • The measures required to promote and guarantee sustainable development within the Park area and its municipalities and the quality of life of those who live there. • Guidelines for the Plan governing use and management and for the specific plans, programmes and projects. • All those other measures necessary for the conservation of the environment and for the sustainable development of the protected area.
The first Special Plan was passed in 1994 and has since been revised. The new Special Plan, which is to be passed in the coming weeks, consists of the following documents:
• Report • Visual elements • Regulations • Planning documents • Plan of action
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The table below shows the structure of the regulations document of the Special Plan for the Volcanic Region of La Garrotxa:
HEADING I. COMMON PROVISIONS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE SPECIAL PLAN
Chapter 1. Common provisions
HEADING II. GENERAL PLANNING REGULATIONS
Chapter 2. Land use system Chapter 3. Regulation of uses and activities Chapter 4. General regulations governing construction and building Chapter 5. General provisions for the protection of natural systems and the landscape
HEADING III. AREAS OF SPECIFIC PLANNING
Chapter 6. Visual elements Chapter 7. Zones Chapter 8. Areas for complementary protection
HEADING IV. SECTORAL REGULATIONS
Chapter 9. Public uses Chapter 10. The planning of natural resources Section 1. Forestry operations and fire prevention Section 2. Agricultural and stock breeding operations Section 3. Other operations Chapter 11. Road network, technical services and other infrastructure Section 1. General provisions Section 2. Road network and vehicle transport Section 3. Electricity network
HEADING V. PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE APPLICATION, MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION OF THE PLANNING INSTRUMENTS OF THE SPECIAL PLAN
Chapter 12. On the Protection Board Chapter 13. Provisions for the application and management of the Plan
TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS FINAL PROVISION APPENDICES
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Conservation of natural areas affected by human activity. Intervention tools for the management of town and landscape planning
Francesc Xavier Puig i Oliveras Director of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park ([email protected])
The intervention of the Park’s management body in urban planning and other types of activity both within and outside the Natural Park and in other works and actions that take place inside and beyond the Park boundaries is in fact based on an article in Law 12/1985 on natural areas. The specific article in question is 29.2d), which establishes that the functions of the management bodies of specially protected natural areas include The issuing of a compulsory report prior to the granting of the authorisations required for the execution of whatsoever plan, construction or repair work, earth-moving activity or the exploitation of natural resources in the interior or the exterior of the protected space that could affect said space.
In regard to intervention within the Park, this article is complemented by the provisions of the Special Plan for the Volcanic Region of La Garrotxa, which establishes that the Protection Board of the volcanic region should issue a report on any plan, work, activity or exploitation of resources that is to take place inside the Park.
Intervention in planning and other activities outside the Park boundaries is specifically based on Article 29.2.d), mentioned above, with the logical balancing of all those aspects that can affect the natural values of the Park.
When reference is made to the exterior of the park, this encompasses both the external areas outside the perimeter and those areas that are external having been left as islands within the perimeter, such as the urban areas and land available for construction in Olot, Sant Joan les Fonts and Santa Pau.
This governs the intervention of the management body in the municipal urban management plans (POUM) and also in the Park's development instruments, particularly the partial plans of both a residential and an industrial nature.
The new Special Plan for the Volcanic Region of La Garrotxa establishes a number of areas outside of the Park itself for which it defines the factors to take into account with the specific goal of implementing concrete provisions for those aspects that can affect the Park.
With this in mind, those areas have been defined where possible activities could have a detrimental effect on the connectivity of the park with the surrounding spaces, together with areas where it is important to take into account the risk of fires that could reach the park and those areas in which incidents affecting the aquifer could have effects on the park.
This capacity for intervention is fundamental not only for La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park but for all specially protected natural areas. The survival of these increasingly depends not just on their good internal management but also on the
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consistency of their running (including the organisation of the landscape) balanced with the territorial framework in which they stand and to which they are inseparably connected.
It is also important to mention actions within the scope of administrative management tools that have the capacity to influence landscape management in terms of the protection of the law in the form of permanent vigilance and monitoring of illegal activities and works.
Lastly, these management tools are complemented by protocols such as those for monitoring the level of compliance of the reports issued, the specific monitoring of large- scale works, lines of aid that include the implementation of measures to correct visual impacts or, more exceptionally, direct investments in interventions in the landscape.
Besides simple regulated, administrative intervention, major efforts are also made to provide technical direction to refocus any projects that may imply a problem of legal incompatibility, or to improve these projects. This is why field visits are commonplace, as are meetings and exchanges of opinions with developers and technicians in order to reach agreements that make it possible to meet the needs laid out, fulfil legal requirements and comply with conservation criteria.
In addition to this, permanent contact with the authorities responsible for the issuing of authorisations for the different types of activity and for carrying out research work and studies on specific topics (for example fences, residential constructions) to establish criteria for intervention and action complete the tool box available for influencing any activity that may imply, among other things, repercussions on the very values that the Park is supposed to protect.
Architecture and management of the landscape in the Natural Park
The Volcanic Region of La Garrotxa encompasses a rural landscape that has been strongly marked by human activity over the centuries. One of its fundamental characteristics is its mosaic-like structure made up of farmhouses, crop fields and woodland. This structure is so unique in the territory and of such particular beauty that, as mentioned above, the law protecting the Volcanic Region of La Garrotxa expressly includes the landscape as one of the values to be protected.
Initial analyses of the inventory process carried out in order to draw up the catalogues of farmhouses and rural dwellings required by recent town planning laws show that there are around one thousand rural dwellings in varying states of conservation and of differing ages scattered throughout the 15,300 ha of the Park.
This figure gives us an idea of the importance that this element of the landscape has had, has and will continue to have in its management.
Taking this situation into account, it is little wonder that attention to groups of buildings and to building activities in the rural environment is one of the areas in which the management team of the Natural Park invests particular effort.
Traditional civil architecture is the result of the application of a building logic that responds to specifically functional problems that were present for the builder. The solutions to these problems are strictly pragmatic and very harmonious, particularly because traditionally the viability of specific solutions depended to a great extent on the techniques and materials available in each place and at any given moment. In spite of this, the three basic elements of architecture, that is needs, materials and techniques, have undergone radical changes due on the one hand to the emergence of new uses (such as tourism and second homes)
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and of new needs affecting existing uses (such as constructions used for livestock farming) and on the other hand to the evolution in construction materials and techniques.
For all of these reasons, in order to combine effectively the maintenance of the traditional and essential characteristics of the human landscape with new needs and construction techniques, intervention in architecture and landscape by the Park's management team has generally been based on trying to establish the constant factors affecting construction and composition that define individual buildings and groups of buildings. Once they have been identified and defined, it is these elements that the team tries to conserve, whatever the original use of the building may have been and whatever the new function or use to which the building is to be put. This is all to be achieved by means of viable architectural solutions using current construction materials and techniques, adapted to current needs, without changing the essential elements that are to be preserved.
In this regard, experience obtained and tools such as the study Arquitectura volcánica. La casa de pages al Parc natural de la Zona Volcanica de la Garrotxa: condicions d’implantació I ordenació, have enabled work to be done for example on aspects such as:
Siting conditions, seeking a clear interpretation of the landscape and of its main, dominant lines, while always trying to ensure that the human presence in the landscape is as discreet and non-intrusive as possible.
Groupings of buildings, trying to maintain parts that are grouped together while avoiding volumetric masses with clearly identified volumes, keeping the clear differentiation between principal and secondary buildings (cabins, annexes, etc.) with the constant objective of achieving a landscape that is orderly and can be interpreted easily and clearly.
The analysis of volumes with the aim of respecting siting with support from and integration into the basic lines of the landscape, respecting building logic, consistency of roofs with the slope of the land, confidence in the element of shadow/darkness and the composition of vertical walls.
The type and planning of access to the plot.
An effort to provide technical direction to refocus any projects that may imply a problem through work on the ground, while personal contact with developers, technicians and public administrations should be helpful in resolving any remaining problems.
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Agricultural strategy and framework for cooperation with local farmers
Bernat Perramon Agricultural Engineer in the Department of Natural Heritage of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park ([email protected])
Introduction
Natural and environmental values, biodiversity and the beauty of the landscape are some of the most characteristic elements of natural areas, where agriculture, livestock farming and forestry activities are carefully combined based on the joint evolution of natural systems and human uses and reflected in the crop fields, pastures, woodlands, mountains and rivers.
The primary sector is responsible for the production of quality products for society simultaneous to its involvement in the management of part of the territory through its activities. This means that the preservation of natural areas and values also includes the maintenance and improvement of agricultural and forestry activity, incorporating new environmental knowledge, the protection of natural and cultural heritage and the planning and fostering of the socially responsible and rational use of the protected area.
Activity within the primary sector is therefore seen as a key element in the conservation of protected natural areas, particularly in regard to natural ecosystems and the landscape. Both of these are closely linked to and depend on the use made of the land. The development of synergies aimed at maintaining and promoting the sustainable practice of this activity is considered essential. This practice should be based on economic profitability and committed to the conservation process and the improvement of the natural and cultural values that characterise any natural area.
The social recognition of farming activity is an integral and essential part of sustainability as defined above. This is why it is so important to emphasise and to communicate to society as a whole the commitments made by producers to optimising the interaction of local crop and livestock production and the conservation of protected natural areas. Local crop and livestock farming is linked to and transmits the unique natural and cultural attributes of a natural area and these are recognised in the very quality of the resulting products.
Characteristics of the agricultural and stockbreeding system
The Park has a typically humid Mediterranean climate with annual average precipitation of around 1000 l/m2. Rainfall is fairly well distributed throughout the year with no dry summer season, which results in high crop yields without the need for irrigation. The average annual temperature is 12.4ºC at the foot of the valleys and the growing season lasts for between eight and nine months.
The area of the Park is 15,309 ha and a quarter of this area is used for agriculture, mainly for extensive crop cultivation (winter cereals, ryegrass, rape, maize, sorghum, etc.) and meadows. Although a smaller proportion of agricultural land is used for them, it is also
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worth noting the production of beans, as well as horticultural production, particularly due to the large numbers of local plant varieties used in these sectors.
There is extensive stockbreeding in the area, mainly cattle and pig, but also including sheep, goats, rabbits, horses and poultry. There is often a close relationship between stockbreeding and agriculture, which means that crops grown are often used as animal fodder, while manure from stockbreeding farms is often used as a fertiliser for crops.
This means that the predominant type of farm in the area is a mixture of stockbreeding and agriculture, is small in size (59% of the farms have a UAA of under 10 ha) and is a family business. There is a combination of intensive production systems (pig farming, poultry farming and dairy farming) and extensive production systems (beef cattle, sheep and goat farming).
Agricultural and stockbreeding strategy
The management instruments in the park work to maintain, improve, and ensure appreciation of the value and diversity of agricultural activity in a way that is compatible with the preservation and conservation of the Park's natural values. To attain this objective, different lines of work are carried out, divided into three key areas of action:
- Fostering the use of crop and stock species that help conserve agricultural biodiversity.
- Fostering agriculture and stockbreeding that respects the local environment.
- Preserving the territory, the uses of the land and the landscape through consolidated farming activity.
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Accreditation of tourism companies with the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas: benefits and commitments
Josep M. Prats Santaflorentina Technician within the Department of Environmental Education, Dissemination and Public Use of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park ([email protected])
Introduction
The European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas is a programme organised by the EUROPARC Federation. Its aim is to ensure that a balance is found between the conservation of the values of the territory and the satisfaction of the aspirations of businesspeople, the expectations of visitors and the needs of the local population. The objective is to develop a model of sustainable tourism in protected natural areas that is valid throughout Europe and is based on the experience of good practices of 10 pilot parks identified during the period in which the Charter was drawn up (1996-1999).
The Charter is simultaneously a planning model, a commitment among all of the stakeholders and a quality guarantee recognised by the EUROPARC Federation. The keystone of the Charter is that tourism development within a protected area should be planned using a participatory process involving all of the stakeholders: the managers of the protected area, the tourism companies operating in the territory, the local authorities and conservation groups.
During its first phase, this quality guarantee allows the protected natural area to be accredited on the basis of the submission of a candidacy dossier that includes an analysis of the territory and the situation of tourism activity there, a strategy and a five-year action plan, all in relation to the 10 principles of tourism development set out in the Charter:
• To foster cooperation with the tourism sector • To prepare a strategy and a five-year action plan • To protect and enhance the area’s natural and cultural heritage • To provide all visitors with a high-quality experience • To communicate the special qualities of the protected area • To encourage specific tourism products which enable discovery and understanding of the area • To provide training in sustainability issues to those involved in tourism • To support and improve the quality of life of the local population • To increase benefits from tourism to the local economy • To plan and manage visitor flows
The first seven parks received accreditation in 2001, including La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park. It was the first Spanish park to obtain this distinction, having been one of the 10 pilot parks in the process of drawing up the Charter. By 2008, a total of 58 protected areas had been given accreditation, of which 21 are in Spain. Another 15 parks have submitted their candidacy dossiers for 2009, 7 of them in Spain.
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The second phase focuses on accrediting tourism companies and recognising them as special partners for sustainable tourism development within the protected area. The aim is to establish a direct relationship between the managers of the protected area and each of the tourism companies that wish to collaborate in attaining the objectives of conservation and improvement of areas that have already been recognised by the Charter. In exchange, the protected area undertakes to support these companies with a number of specific benefits that will be laid out below.
The third phase of the Charter, intended for travel agencies and tourism operators working with protected natural areas recognised by the Charter, is not yet in place. It will be based on the same philosophy as the second phase and will be discussed at the coming meeting of the European Charter Network to be held in Sierra Nevada in June 2009.
Development
As mentioned above, the second phase of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism is based on the accreditation of tourism companies operating within a protected area that itself obtained accreditation during the first phase.
The concept of the Charter is based on the viewpoint that tourism is a legitimate and inevitable activity in protected natural areas and that like all human activity in these areas it represents both a threat and an opportunity simultaneously. It is clear that tourism can be—and often is—an activity that poses the risk of deterioration of the values that the protected area exists to conserve. It is also clear that the protected nature of the area implies the social recognition of certain natural values that attract increasing numbers of visitors who want to enjoy them, which brings with it the economic activity generated by the provision of the necessary services for this enjoyment: accommodation, food, guides, outdoor activities, etc.
While there may be no doubt that both needs—conservation and enjoyment—have elements that are clearly incompatible depending on the way these activities are carried out, it is also clear that there are elements of overlapping interests on the part of those responsible for the different activities: essentially the managers of protected natural areas and the owners of tourism businesses. This is because the tourism activities themselves depend on the level of conservation of the very natural values they are exploiting; if these deteriorate, the area is no longer attractive and the clientele goes elsewhere. The topic is of course much more complex than this and we will explore it in more detail.
What is clear in any case is that in any sustainable tourism development process the participation of businesspeople in the tourism sector is essential, due to the elements mentioned above of overlap and the connection with the very concept of sustainability.
Tourism companies are involved in the process of joining the European Charter at two points and on two levels. In the first step, companies participate in drawing up the strategy and the action programme for the protected area through the Charter's permanent forum. This is an organisation that must be founded and run as an essential prerequisite for the accreditation of a protected area through the Charter. The forum is intended to bring together all of the stakeholders in a single body within which all decisions relating to the Charter are made: drawing up the dossier and therefore the definition of the strategy and the action programme; monitoring of the implementation of the planned actions; definition and monitoring of indicators; etc.
Tourism companies can participate in the forum in two ways depending on the way it is organised: either as direct members of the forum, or through the professional associations
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or groups that represent them. In either model they always have the possibility of direct intervention in drawing up the strategy and the action programme, debating the proposals or proposing actions themselves, and it should also be noted that the Charter is not awarded to any protected area that cannot provide evidence of the real participation of companies in the process, however complete the action programme submitted may be— there is simply no accreditation without participation.
The second level of participation is direct and involves every tourism company. It consists of the accreditation with the Charter of those companies who apply for it and fulfil all of the criteria. This phase enables the establishment of a permanent, direct link between each tourism company and the protected natural area. The system for tourism companies to join the Charter was defined at three levels: the first is on a European level and sets up a general, standard system throughout Europe by establishing a common framework for all of the countries in Europe. The second is the system put in place by each country on a national level that specifies and adapts the system to the characteristics of each country (the subsidiarity principle). This specification is defined within the framework of the corresponding national section of EUROPARC and must be approved by the Federation Board. Lastly, the third area is adapted to the specific characteristics of each territory and to the specific benefits offered to each company depending on the possibilities available in each protected natural area.
This approach allows the combination of certain standards that are common throughout Europe with a certain flexibility that enables the system to adapt to the situation in each different area.
In general, the process of accrediting tourism companies within the Charter is always characterised by the following features:
- It is based on a voluntary agreement between the manager of the accredited park and each businessperson with a focus on the key aspects of sustainable tourism (economic, social and environmental) and the principles of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism.
- It meets the requirements established by the EUROPARC Federation in the official text of Section II of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism so that it can be validated and recognised by the Federation, which is responsible for managing and guaranteeing the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism.
- It is based on voluntary participation, is flexible, is easy to manage, is realistic and can be carried out by the businessperson themselves.
- It is not a system of standardised certification (Q, EMAS, ISO), although it acts as an umbrella for existing quality brands, environmental management systems and eco-labels.
- It requires those businesspeople that join the system on a voluntary basis to develop measures aimed at making their businesses more sustainable and aims to ensure that they feel that the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism is a real distinction, so that they can fully appreciate its benefits.
Within the framework of a natural area accredited with the ECST that is therefore by definition a destination of which the sustainability needs to be assured, the system is intended to serve to identify and differentiate the companies that choose to make a commitment to this model.
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As a minimum, protected natural areas must undertake to carry out the following actions to support and distinguish tourism companies that join the ECTS:
• Positive discrimination in favour of companies that join the system, with specific publicity for these companies in visitor and information centres, as well as in information materials and publications about the protected natural area.
• Providing information on member companies so that this can be circulated throughout Europe as part of the promotion activities of the European Network.
• Considering accreditation with the ECST as a measurable merit in the award of subsidies managed by the protected natural area or the environment authorities.
• Favouring tourism companies that are accredited within the Charter over those that are not when choosing the target groups for training and information activities organised by the protected natural area.
• Providing member companies with regular information on the protected natural area and specific information on the development of the action plan, as well as visitor statistics and other information of interest.
• Renewing their Charter accreditation every five years.
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Educational services as a resource for presenting and publicising the values of the Natural Park among the local population
Octavi Bonet Blanch Head of Educational Services of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park ([email protected])
Providing education has always been one of the fundamental missions of any individual or institution that takes pride in their cultural and natural heritage. This is not an easy task, and it is common to believe that this teaching should be aimed at visitors to the area. We seldom find educational policies in place in protected natural areas that see the local population as an essential piece in the maintenance of this natural and cultural heritage.
An exception to this rule in Catalonia would be La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park (PNZVG). Since the Park was founded, one of the key aims has been to provide the local population with environmental information and education and involve them in the management of the Natural Park. However, the reading of the objectives cannot stop there; it is important to note that when talking about visitors to the park, the text continues ...to avoid impacts on the environment and the local population.
It is this final comment that has for many years made the educational management of this protected natural area different from that of other such areas and is the reason that when the Educational Services were created at the end of 1999, it was with that same aim: to create programmes intended for the local population and for visitors bearing in mind where we could have the greatest impact. It is therefore no coincidence that we speak of the Educational Services as a resource for presenting and publicising the values of the Natural Park among the local population in this protected natural area, as in the last five years we have become the central point of a number of interesting educational projects that have brought together teaching centres, civil society, organisations and institutions.
The mission of publicising the values of this protected natural area was entrusted to TOSCA1 with the full agreement of the Natural Park, based on a series of educational, participatory and learning-based parameters.
The environment as an area of activity The environment as an educational resource A common structure in all of the educational materials used Procedures and attitudes as a strategy for fieldwork experiments The prior knowledge of the targets of our educational activities The adaptation of the content to the group The motivation of the group Interest and motivation as educational resources Activities as an active, participatory process Below is a brief outline of the features and aims of the educational programmes for the local population of the PNZVG. These are all managed by TOSCA with the collaboration of different organisations and institutions from the La Garrotxa region.
1 TOSCA, Serveis ambientals d’educació i turisme, SL, is a private company that has an administrative contract to manage the educational and information services of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park. On its own behalf, TOSCA also carries out a variety of educational and citizen participation activities in other parts of the territory (El Montseny Natural Park, Alt Empordà, etc.).
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COLLABORATIO TYPE TARGET PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES ACTION N - To make pupils aware of the natural, socio-cultural and economic situation of Curricular the Natural Park activities
- To facilitate the objective and thorough acquisition, Formal interpretation and environmental communication of Schoolchildren ‘La Garrotxa education information school diary’ programme - To encourage the reordering of the scale of values taking into consideration the balance Un parc de between economic contes (A park development and the full of stories) conservation of the territory
- To involve local organisations in Informal environmental education Visc entre Socio-cultural environmental programmes volcans (I live Town councils, organisations education - To develop the capacity of among PTAs, residents’ programme the population to volcanoes) associations, participate and to foster socio-cultural participation organisations, Regional Museum - To create a means of bringing the territory and its Ennatura’t natural environment closer summer camp to young people Informal - To foster knowledge of the Young people environmental natural and social LOCAL (aged 8 to 16) education environment POPULATION programme - To create a setting for Aventura’t enjoyment as an individual summer camp and part of a group - To help raise awareness of nature - To keep the local Fira de Sant Lluc population informed market The general Information - To make people aware of public programme the natural, socio-cultural Articles in local and economic reality of the magazines Natural Park Radio Olot
Park guide - To improve the quality of course educational services in those companies that
provide environmental
education activities in the Training for Professionals in PNZVG collaborating the - To improve training organisations environmental Training To complement the training education field programme - of environmental educators and the tourism sector - To provide a first level of training to those people Course teaching
carrying out information general activities in the Natural information Park and throughout the about La
region. Garrotxa
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Public use programme for La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park
Xavier Oliver Martinez-Fornés Head of the Department of Environmental Education, Dissemination and Public Use of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park ([email protected])
Basic figures
Visitors: 700,000 annually (estimate from 2007); 50,000 received information directly and 150,000 received information indirectly from the 4 Natural Park information centres and the 40 Natural Park information points (tourist facilities with staff trained and accredited by the Natural Park).
School pupils: 60,000 (school year 2007-2008); 7,000-8,000 guided by the Natural Park educational service and 11,000 guided by environmental education collectives and companies from the area.
Main problems
The main problems linked to the public use of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park are: a) An unsustainable model of development of the local population and the country that has a negative impact on the conservation of the protected territory. Large numbers of people live within the protected area, the majority of the space is privately owned and there is extensive economic activity (higher than the Catalan average). All of these circumstances mean that there is considerable pressure on the territory which is incompatible with its conservation. b) Tourism use based on low-quality visits that are short in length and occur in a concentrated period of time, leading to major problems of high visitor numbers, the collapse of services and low visitor satisfaction. This intensity of tourism pressure attracts new projects that would further worsen the current situation.
General objectives
I. To provide information and environmental education to the local population and to encourage them to participate in the management of the Natural Park.
One of the most important objectives of the Natural Park's management team is specifically to ensure that the local population participates in the management of the territory.
To attain this objective it is essential to draw up environmental information, education and training programmes using participatory processes. The aim of these is to improve the knowledge and attitudes of the local population so that the territory can be managed more appropriately.
II. To satisfy and improve the quality of visits of tourists and school pupils, to avoid impacts on the environment and the local population and to ensure the appropriate development of tourism activity in the area.
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The planning of tourism activities is intended, on the one hand, to improve the quality of visits by tourists and school pupils and, on the other hand, to develop tourism activity while reinforcing the role of the local population in order to ensure that this activity is compatible with the conservation of the territory.
Management programmes
The management programmes consist of various areas of action that can be categorised into four groups:
A. Aimed at the local population: aimed at the inhabitants of the protected area.
B. Aimed at visitors: aimed at adults and school pupils who visit the volcanic region of La Garrotxa.
C. Information, education, training and documentation services provided to the public.
D. Resources: facilities, itineraries, signposting, publications and other resources supporting the different programmes that are in place.
The programmes that are in place aimed at attaining the objectives listed are based on coordination and relations with the social sectors and the institutions of the Natural Park. The programmes involve the areas of information, education and participation in the management of the Natural Park.
A. Local population
1. Information programme Specific objective: to keep the local population informed on the Natural Park, including aspects such as knowledge of the environment, economic activities, the impacts affecting the territory, the management alternatives and the areas of authority in the management of the territory.
2. School environmental education programme Specific objective: to provide environmental education to local school pupils and their teachers.
3. General environmental education programme Specific objective: to provide environmental education to the local adult population and to encourage them to participate in the conservation of the territory through participatory projects.
B. Visitors
4. Tourist information programme General objective: to satisfy visitors and improve the quality of visits, avoiding impacts on the environment, the local population and the visitors themselves.
5. Tourism management programme General objective: to coordinate and improve the tourism sector in the area with the aim of making it more sustainable and of a higher quality.
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6. Environmental education programme for visiting school pupils General objective: to provide information to and improve the visits of all of the school groups guided by associations in the area (20,000 school pupils during the academic year 1994-1995).
7. Environmental education programme for tourists General objective: to offer a wide rage of environmental education activities aimed at visitors to the Natural Park.
C. Services
8. Information services General objective: to plan information programmes and to design, execute and evaluate informative activities and resources.
9. Educational services General objective: to plan educational programmes and to design, execute and evaluate activities and resources for educational programmes.
D. Resources
10. Facilities and itineraries Facilities and itineraries are resources to support visitor management within the Natural Park.
11. Publications Publications supporting the Park's different programmes.
12. Signposting Signposting that is essential for the management of the Park and informative signposting for visitors. This requires annual monitoring and maintenance and its design and technical characteristics are regulated by the signposting manual of the Parks Service.
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Management of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park Information Centres and Documentation Centre
Engràcia Canal Pagès Coordinator of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park Information Centres ([email protected])
La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park Information Centres are currently managed by Tosca1, a private company working within the area of Public Use of the Natural Park.
There are 4 information centres in the Natural Park:
• Casal dels Volcans (Olot) • Can Serra (Olot - Santa Pau road, km 4) • Can Passavent (Croscat volcano) • Antiga Estació (Sant Feliu de Pallerols)
In addition to the management of the information centres, Tosca also deals with the coordination and training of the information points and areas (accredited companies), in collaboration with the Turisme Garrotxa association. In 2011 there were 58 tourism establishments accredited by the Natural Park and Turisme Garrotxa (hotels, rural tourism establishments, campsites, etc.).
Objectives of the information centres
General objective:
To respond to requests for information from visitors and to redirect visitors in order to improve the quality of visits to the park and avoid impacts on the local environment and population.
Specific objectives:
- To make visitors aware of the places of interest listed in the minimum content of the Tourist Information Officer Manual and to explain the characteristics of the area. - To make visitors aware of the tourism resources available: services and activities in the region. - To acquire mechanisms for providing objective, comprehensive information. - To provide support information in different languages in order to offer a service to foreign visitors. - To encourage communication between the tourist information officer and the visitor using the available resources (e.g. box of volcanic materials, illustrative picture cards, educational games for children, etc.).
1 Tosca, Serveis ambientals d’educació i turisme, SL is a private company that has an administrative contract to manage the educational and information services of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park. www.tosca.cat
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- To redirect visitors and guide them to less frequently visited areas, particularly during the busiest times of the year.
Functions of the tourist information officer
1. To respond to visitor requests for information 2. To provide comprehensive information on the area 3. To encourage communication with visitors 4. To redirect visitors to other areas of interest in the Natural Park
To ensure that the information given by park employees is standardised, we use the Tourist Information Officer Manual, which is a framework document setting out the guidelines to follow in order to offer a good information service. The manual sets out the objectives and functions of the tourist information officer, the tasks of the four information centres, information on regional tourism and management offices, information on tourist activities, the internal workings of the information centres, etc.
The manual is a very important basic tool for providing visitors with a good service. It is available for consultation in the four information centres within the Natural Park.
Environmental information and awareness raising
The information centres not only provide information for visitors; they also provide the motivation we need to go one step further and make a commitment to the quality of service and to ensuring we communicate more topics of interest and/or provide environmental education for visitors to protected natural areas.
The information centres provide two types of resource intended to help awaken interest in and respect for the natural environment within the protected area among visitors. First and foremost is the individual knowledge of each tourist information officer, all of whom are qualified PNZVG guides and undertake continuing vocational training each year, and secondly the teaching resources available (games, information cards, samples of volcanic materials, self-guided itineraries, documentation points, etc.).
For more detailed information, see the article on the CD: Los centros de información turística: ¿limitarnos sólo a informar? [Should tourist information centres be limited purely to providing information?].
Visitor profile
Based on a study analysing satisfaction levels among visitors to the information centres in the Natural Park in 2006-2007, the typical user profile of the centres is: a couple aged between 20 and 39 from Barcelona who is asking for information on routes in the volcanic region as part of a recreational visit.
Using the results of this survey, it was also possible to assess the work done by the information centres in terms of the quality of the information services. A replica of the study is currently underway in order to obtain comparative data and is due to finish in 2011.
For more detailed information, see the article on the CD: Estudio de satisfacción de los usuarios de los centros de información y la memoria de los servicios informativos del Parque Natural [Information centre user satisfaction survey and the Natural Park information services report].
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Natural Park Documentation Centre
This is a specialised library which has both virtual resources available on the park website (http://www.gencat.cat/parcs/garrotxa) and physical resources with some 13,397 documents (research works, articles, books, journals, maps, etc.) and 14,000 images located at Can Jordà (and at 10 documentation points, and subject-based mobile libraries, etc.).
It is one of a dozen centres belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture of the Government of Catalonia; one of the thirty that make up part of the Catalan network and support the coordination of the Spanish network RECIDA (Network of Environmental Information and Documentation Centres http://www.recida.net) with the participation of more than a hundred environmental documentation centres and libraries.
Its basic aim is to serve as a resource for managing this natural area, publicising its existence and providing support for professionals and scholars.
As set out in the Service Charter, the centre offers:
• Personalised answers to queries, selective dissemination and exchanges of information and documentation, and loans to individuals and institutions.
• Access to a variety of sources of information, copying of documents and basic technical support and training to environmental libraries.
Basic data on the Documentation Centre:
• Average number of queries per year: 638 (625 queries and 1145 loans in 2011).
• Response time: over 80% of queries were dealt with on the same day and more than 98% were answered within the agreed period.
• Average user profile: from La Garrotxa, professional, and over 35 years old.
• Most queried topics: protected natural areas (15%), fauna (12%), images (10%), agriculture (9%), geology (8%), management (8%), trails (8%), Documentation Centre (7%), botany (5%), forestry (4%), sustainable Tourism (3%), environmental education (3%).
• Visits to the website: 23,597.
• Staff: 1 librarian + 1 part-time admin + catalogue assistant.
Cost of maintaining the service provided by the Centre is approx. €119 / day.
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25 Years Managing a Documentation Centre Linked to a Protected Natural Area
Montse Grabolosa Sellabona Manager of the Can Jordà Documentation Centre ([email protected])
La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park Documentation Centre is a specialised library, which has both virtual resources, available on the Park website: http://www.gencat.cat/parcs/garrotxa, and physical resources housed at Can Jordà (Santa Pau) in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula and in the northeast of Catalonia.
It is one of a dozen centres belonging to the Parks Service of the Directorate-General for the Natural Environment of the Catalan Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Food and Natural Environment; one of 28 that make up the Catalan Network of Protected Natural Area and Environmental Documentation Centres, and one of 109 that make up the Spanish network RECIDA (Network of Environmental Information and Documentation Centres).
MISSION AND OBJECTIVES
The Centre is a resource for managing this natural area, publicising its existence and provide support for professionals and scholars.
The aim is for it to become an essential management tool for the Park and to ensure the presence and smooth transfer of specialised information, and not only in terms of the Centre's physical resources; it is to become a collection without boundaries or limits to document types or media.
To achieve this, it is essential to establish, collaborate on, consolidate and publicise a network for the exchange amongst institutions of information and documents on topics relating to protected areas, both inside and outside our region.
FUNCTIONS
Management and Dissemination Promotion processing • The main information on • We foster and support • Regulations are drawn the Park is posted on the training and up for management of website with links to the coordination activities the Centre and also studies and publications and agreements with for the unified issued, management and other documentation management of all other activities centres and documentation centres organised, other sources environment-related in protected natural of information, and so on. institutions in La areas. Examples are Garrotxa, Catalonia the Manual d’ús i • We offer personalised and Spain. funcionament dels information services CDENP [User's Guide according to user type. • Worth mentioning is to Documentation the Centre's Centres in Protected • Talks are given—inside attendance and active Natural Areas], the and outside the Park— participation in Carta de serveis and articles written to environment and [Service Charter] of publicise the document the Documentation Documentation Centre's management Centre and the lists of holdings, the services it workshops and sources of information provides and the projects conferences. for research. it takes part in. Examples: the Catalan (1999) and • Priority is given to the • We contribute to Spanish (2005 and compiling of records publications by the Park, 2009) information through donations, the Department of the science conferences, selective purchasing Environment and the ESPARC and and exchange with Housing, and the Catalan EUROPARC individuals, and Spanish networks' conferences, IFLA's organisations and environmental World Library and institutions. documentation centres in Information Congress protected natural areas (2009) and • Documents are of which we are collaboration with inventoried and the members, amongst CENEAM on most interesting are others. coordinating the include in merged RECIDA network catalogues of http://www.recida.net university and and the Conference of specialised libraries. Protected Natural Area and Environmental Documentation Centres (2002-2011).
• We offer basic technical guidance and training in other documentation centres and environmental libraries.
COLLECTION
Up to 2011 we had collected over 13,397 paper documents, more than 150 journals and over 14.000 images on the Park, the La Garrotxa region, other protected natural areas, and subject areas that include management of the territory, hydrology, geology, edaphology, fauna, flora and vegetation, silviculture, agriculture and stockbreeding, environmental education, sustainable tourism and environmental impact.
The centre is also the depositary for the collection of the Xarxa de Custòdia del Territori (Land Stewardship Network) and a travel library on natural areas.
SERVICES
In accordance with our Service Charter, we tailor our services to meet the needs of each user type—Park staff, consultants and collaborators and members of the general public:
Personalised answers to queries made by e-mail, phone, post and during visits to the Casal dels Volcans, which has a general mobile library, and during visits made to Can Jordà by appointment. We also provide loans, accept donations and make exchanges.
Our consult service operates:
• Via e-mail: [email protected] • By phone: 972 26 46 66 or fax 972 26 55 67 • In the Can Jordà reserve room or the Park information centres (weekends), by appointment on 972 26 46 66 • By post: Avda. Santa Coloma s/n 17800 Olot • Through the inter-library loan service of the Catalan and Spanish environmental documentation centres
Access to a variety of sources of information: Internet, bibliographical catalogues, databases and journals specialised in legislation and the environment, contact with specialists inside and outside the Park, and so on.
Optional copying of images and reproduction of documents, in accordance with the Centre's regulations and current legislation. Selective dissemination of information on the Park, the resources it prepares and the activities carried out there. Information and document exchange service with organisations, institutions and researchers. Basic technical guidance and training in documentation centres and environmental libraries wishing to manage their holdings correctly.
The Park website http://www.gencat.cat/parcs/garrotxa has a section on the Documentation Centre, along with lots of full-text information and interesting links to pages on natural heritage, management, visits and activities, images and legislation, amongst other subjects.
Basic Data on the PNZVG Documentation Centre
According to statistics on 85 environmental documentation centres in Spain (RECIDA network) (May 2010), the Documentation Centre has one of the most
important environmental collections in Spain, and is at the top of the league in regard to quantity and quality of the records collected. Worthy of mention are the large number of research works, images and extractions from articles.
The average number of documents catalogued in the last ten years is around 600 a year (250 in 2011)
The Documentation Centre deals with an average of 638 queries a year. The number of direct queries continues to drop (625 in 2011), but studies show an increase in the number of users (Memòria 2011 [2011 Report]) and in the percentage of users who say they are satisfied with the services.
In 2011 over 80% of queries were dealt with on the same day or tomorrow, and 98% were answered within the agreed period. More than half of users received a reply to their queries by e-mail. This gives a figure of almost 70%, not counting queries from the management team.
In 2010 the average user is local, from La Garrotxa or the Park area, professional and over 35 years old. By subject, the 12 most queried are similar to those for previous years: protected natural areas (15%), fauna (12%), images (10%), agriculture (9%), geology (8%), management (8%), trails (8%), Documentation Centre (7%), botany (5%), forestry (4%), sustainable Tourism (3%), environmental education (3%).
Of the natural park pages on the Department of the Environment and Housing
website http://www.gencat.cat/parcs/garrotxa La Garrotxa has the largest amount of information posted and is amongst those most consulted.
This is a dynamic documentation centre that actively participates in sector events and professional conferences. Examples: the Catalan (1999) and Spanish (2005 and 2009) information science conferences, the ESPARC (2000) and EUROPARC (2004) conferences, IFLA's World Library and Information Congress (2009) and collaboration with CENEAM on coordinating the RECIDA network http://www.magrama.gob.es/es/ceneam/grupos-de-trabajo-y-seminarios/centros- de-documentacion-ambiental-y-espacios-naturales-protegidos/
Establishing a quality system in the management of a protected natural area
Mireia Batiste Triado Quality Coordinator for La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park ([email protected])
La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park was the first protected natural area in Spain to obtain ISO 9000 quality certification in 1998. It currently holds ISO 9001:2008 certification, the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (2001) and the Q for Tourism Quality in protected natural areas in Spain (2003). The Park is also in the process of establishing an environmental management system (EMAS).
What is a standard?
A standard is a document that aims to regulate a certain activity. It is drawn up on a voluntary basis with the consensus of all interested parties and its objective is for all of the organisations or companies involved to be guided by certain organisational principles that guarantee stability and harmonisation.
The management system in place in the Park is based on the ISO 9001:2008: ‘Quality Management Systems. Requirements’ model, which is the most comprehensive and most demanding standard in the ISO 9000 family and which clearly establishes the general requirements and the documentation that an organisation has to comply with if it is to implement and certify a quality management system.
Why was a management system put in place?
The initiative to establish a management system to guide the management of the PNZVG was put forward both by the Park management team and the Ministry of the Environment. Without their support it would not have been possible to carry out the project.
The initiative was proposed in late 1997 for a variety of reasons:
• To show our clients that the management process that was in place worked, was serious and was committed to the objectives of the Park. • To implement a dynamic system that would make it easy to detect any potential malfunctions while at the same time analysing the different corrective methods and choosing the most suitable. • To establish mechanisms that would guarantee the processes that were in use within the system of management and to ensure the identification, traceability, monitoring, control, assessment, and so on, of these.
It was necessary to be able to identify and guarantee the processes in order to make changes to the planning used for the Park, to carry out the programmes of action and to produce the management reports as well as other habitual procedures (projects, document control, contracting staff, etc.) in order to reach the point where it was possible to assess the results of the Park’s management.
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Who benefits from the implementation of this management system?
The clients of the PNZVG were the direct beneficiaries of the establishment of quality processes in the management of the park:
• The territory: the management of the territory is one of the most important aspects of the PNZVG. The conservation of the Park’s natural values (fauna, flora, geology and landscape) are dependent on it. • The local population: part of the actions carried out by the PNZVG affect the local population directly, taking into account the fact that 98% of the territory is privately owned. • Visitors: the management team works to ensure that visitors can follow a series of tourist routes that ensure they obtain maximum enjoyment from their time in the area. To do so, the team designs signposted routes, publishes guidebooks, facilitates guided tours, designs educational material, etc., that lead directly to increased user satisfaction during the time they spend in the PNZVG. • The internal management team: the team is one of the main beneficiaries of the establishment of quality process in the management of the PNZVG in its everyday work. • Other public administrations: the main objective of the PNZVG is to produce mandatory and/or binding reports on specific administrative questions that are to be resolved by other public administration bodies (such as town councils).
The process of adapting to the standard
The adaptation process to the ISO standard was relatively short. It began in December 1997 when an environmental consultancy company drew up a diagnosis of the possible implementation of quality standard ISO 9002:1994 (the valid standard at the time) in the PNZVG management system.
The conclusions of this report were that it would be possible to implement the ISO standard in the PNZVG within one year. It would require the involvement of every member of the Park’s management team, training courses, weekly meetings of the Quality Committee and monthly sessions with the consultancy company, and the full support of the Secretariat General of the Ministry of the Environment was essential throughout the whole process.
In July 1998 the consultancy company carried out a first internal audit required for obtaining quality certification and in October of the same year the designated certifying company carried out the definitive audit. On 29 October 1998 the management system of the PNZVG was awarded quality certification in line with ISO 9002:1994.
The components of the management system in place in the PNZVG
The Park’s management system is based on four fundamental pillars:
• The Quality and Environment Committee, which is made up of a total of nine members of the Park’s management team, although depending on the topics to be dealt with the other members of the management team can also be invited to participate. • The team of staff that makes up the management team of the PNZVG. • The equipment and infrastructure in place in the Park. • The clients described above.
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The organisation chart for the PNZVG included the figures of the Head of Quality and Environment, a post taken up by the park Director, and the Coordinator of Quality and Environment, so that in conjunction with the Quality and Environment Committee they would be able to carry out the process of implementation, monitoring and consolidation of the quality system in the PNZVG.
The documents that form the basis of the management system
• The quality and environment manual • The manual of procedures • The work instructions • A variety of other documents (annual training plans, internal audit documents, quality and environment documents, the visual identification manual of the PNZVG, the natural parks signposting manual published by the Ministry of the Environment and Housing, and the manual of public use of the PNZVG) • External documentation (current legislation applicable to the PNZVG)
Assessment of the experience of establishing a quality system in the management of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park
Positive aspects:
First and foremost it is important to remember how quickly the ISO standard was implemented in the management of the PNZVG.
Secondly, the PNZVG management team was already accustomed to working as a team (hence the name; before the Quality Committee was put in place regular fortnightly meetings were already held to coordinate and maximise the efficiency of the work to be done.)
Lastly, the PNZVG is part of the Ministry of the Environment and Housing of the Government of Catalonia, which is a public administration. This made the task easier as some of the procedures required by the ISO standard could be adapted from those that were already being developed due to the demands of relevant legislation (procurement, supplier requirements, training, documentation and data control, etc.). In addition this meant that the management team was already accustomed to working according to established procedures.
Negative aspects
During the course of the 12 years in which the management system of the PNZVG has been in place, interest in and acceptance of the initiative by all those involved in the project has declined, with a corresponding increase in the dangerous association of the management system of the PNZVG with the obligation to complete records that no one really understands the need for and with the excessive bureaucracy involved in any task to be carried out. This means that the involvement and motivation of the management team, which saw a unique opportunity to show the work they had been doing, has lost its initial impetus.
In conclusion, and to balance out these negative elements, greater involvement by management is necessary. It is also essential to improve the motivation of the members of the management team and to establish mechanisms that show the management system of the PNZVG to be a useful working tool, a system of motivating the team and a
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mechanism that demonstrates the effectiveness of the tasks carried out by the Park’s management team.
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SELECTED PARK’S DOCUMENTS
PUBLICATIONS OF THE PARK
AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FAUNA FLORA AND VEGETATION GEOLOGY, HYDROLOGY AND SOIL MANAGEMENT GIS, DOCUMENTATION CENTER AND ARCHIVE FORESTRY VISITORS MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
http://www.gencat.cat/parcs/garrotxa
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AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK > Perramon, Bernat (2010) "Estrategia agraria y marco de cooperación con los agricultores locales", EN: Máster en Espacios Naturales Protegidos: La gestión activa en marcha. 10ª ed. Olot: [Fundación FGB]; FES; PNZVG; CAG.
Agricultural Production > Giner, M. (2008), "Projecte de foment de la producció agrària ecològica en l'àmbit del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa : memòria 2007" > Giner, M. (2008), "Informe del desenvolupament de la producció agrícola ecològica en el PNZVG: acció 2,1,6, del Pla d'acció de l'Agricultura ecològica 2008-2012" > Pastoret Navarro, Guillem (2008), "Projecte de foment de la producció agrària ecològica en l'àmbit del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa : memòria 2007" Fertilization > Pla per a la Fertilització Nitrogenada a La Garrotxa (secció web) > Pla per la Millora de la fertilització agrària a les Comarques Gironines: Per una fertilització eficient i sostenible. > Perramon i Ramos, Bernat; Pujol i Planella, Xevi; Domingo i Olivé, Francesc, (2007),“Pla per a la fertilització nitrogenada a la Garrotxa”, ICEA, 9f. > Perramon, B. [et al.] (2009),“Organic and mineral N fertilisation in a fodder rotation of two anual crops”, 2p. Pastures > PNZVG (1995), "Mapa de vegetació del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa" > Salvat i Saladrigas, Andreu; March i Pascual, Sílvia; Monje i Vega, Xavier (2009), "Cartografia 1:10000 dels hàbitats d'espais oberts del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa". >Salvat, A. March, S. Caracterització de les pastures d'especial interès del PNZVG. Memòria + annexos. 2010
Agrobiodiversity > El Centre de Conservació de Plantes Cultivades de Can Jordà (secció web) i Centre de conservació de plantes cultivades de can Jordà: memòria d'actuació 2010
> (2007) Jornada sobre la conservación de la agrobiodiversidad en Cataluña.
> Bassols Isamat, Emili [et al.] (2008) "Agrobiodiversity conservation in the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park, Spain: Experience and recommendations for future directions" dins Values of Protected Landscapes and Seascapes. Gland : UICN ; Eschbon, Germany : GTZ, p.35-46 > Fundació Miquel Agustí (2009), "Selecció i millora de la varietat tradicional de fesol (Phaseolus vulgaris L:) Tavella Brisa. Memòria Any 2008"
Soil Science > PNZVG (1999) "Mapa de sòls del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa". > Palou, Oscar; Puiguriguer, Marta (2009), "Guia de la jornada Sòls de la Garrotxa : zona volcànica i la Vall de Bianya"
Local producers > (2007), Productors locals al Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa. Olot: Ràdio Olot. (Trenquem el cuc ; 12 )
> Truyol, M. (2008?), "Contribució a l'anàlisi i caracterització dels productes agroramaders de l'àmbit del PNZVG". > Font Turrats, Joan (2006), "Oportunitats de cooperació del sector agropecuari en l'àmbit del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa : fase inicial". > Colomer Vergés, Josep (2009), "Anàlisi de la situació del sector primari dins l'àmbit del PNZVG i la seva àrea d'influència" 3
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
> Unitats de programació > [Oliver, Xavier] (1999), "Programes de gestió de l'àrea d'educació ambiental, divulgació i ús públic del PNZVG" > (2001) Guia del vulcanisme del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa > (2002) Guia per a visites de grups escolars > Oliver Martínez-Fornés, Xavier; Bonet Blanch, Octavi (2002) "Seguimiento y evaluación de programas de información y educación ambiental para la población local del PNZVG". > (2004) [Evaluació, seguiment de l'educació ambiental de la població local al PNZVG] > (2009) Exposició del projecte "Busquem arbres amb història de la Garrotxa"
> Bonet, O.(2010), "Los servicios pedagógicos como recurso para exponer y difundir los valores del Parque Natural entre la población local", EN: Máster en Espacios Naturales Protegidos: La gestión activa en marcha. 10ª ed. Olot: [Fundación FGB]; FES; PNZVG; CAG. > Bonet, O.(2010), "Els programes educatius al PNZVG", EN: Máster en Espacios Naturales Protegidos: La gestión activa en marcha. 10ª ed. Olot: [Fundación FGB]; FES; PNZVG; CAG. > (2010) Oferta pedagògica del PNZVG 2010-2011
> TOSCA (2010), "ESCOLA i ENTORN: Programa d’educació ambiental per a les escoles locals: Memòria 2010".
> TOSCA (2011),"Serveis de recepció de visitants als centres d’informació i Serveis d’educació ambiental del PNZVG: Memoria anual 2010”, PNZVG.
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FAUNA > Falgarona Bosch, Jordi, Bassols i Isamat, Emili, “Hunters and fauna management at the Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa (PNZVG) (Catalonia, Spain, 1989-2004), EN: Achieving Environmental Objectives [S.l.]: UICN, [2005], p.97-102 > PNZVG (2005) "Mapa d’àrees d’interès faunístic del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa" Enlace directo al mapa en formato Miramon: AreesdInteresFaunistic.mmz (335kb) > Bassols Isamat, E. (2010), "La gestión del patrimonio natural del PNZVG", EN: Máster en Espacios Naturales Protegidos: La gestión activa en marcha. 10ª ed. Olot: [Fundación FGB]; FES; PNZVG; CAG.
Invertebrates
Butterflies > Dantart, J. (2007), "Contribució al coneixement dels lepidòpters del PNZVG (Lepidoptera)". > Artola, J. (2010), "Pla de seguiment de ropalòcers a Catalunya. Itinerari can Jordà. Informe anual 2010"
Crustaceans > Benejam Vidal, Lluís (2006), "Seguiment de les poblacions de cranc de riu autòcton (Austropotamobius pallipes) i de cranc roig americà (Procambarus clarkii) a les conques dels rius Fluvià, Ter i Muga". > Agrupació Naturalista i Ecologista de la Garrotxa (2007), "Seguiment de les poblacions de cranc de riu autòcton (Austropotamobius pallipes) i de cranc roig americà (Procambarus clarkii) a la conca alta dels rius Fluvià i Brugent". Benejam i altres (2010) “Seguiment de les poblacions de cranc de riu autòcton i cranc de riu americà al PNZVG”. > Ecotons, "Repoblació de cranc de riu autòcton (Austropotamobius pallipes) a la Garrotxa: estudi de viabilitat de les rieres receptores".
Molluscs > Minuàrtia Estudis Ambientals (2004), "Projecte d'estudi i recuperació de nàiades (Unio aleroni) del PNZVG, resum 2004". > Minuartia Estudis Ambientals (2005), "Seguiment del projecte d'estudi i recuperació de nàiades (Unio aleroni) del PNZVG / 2003-2005"
Aquatic communities > Boix, Dani [et al.] (2004), "Estudi de la comunitat aquàtica en una llacuna de nova creació en "els Estanys de Jordà".
Vertebrate fauna > Minuartia Estudis Ambientals (2002), "Seguiment de les poblacions de carnívors al PNZVG".
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> Minuartia Estudis Ambientals (2005), "Identificació de punts conflictius de col·lisions amb ungulats a les carreteres del Parc Naturall de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa". > Minuartia Estudis Ambientals (2005), "Seguimiento de pasos de fauna en la autovía A-26 a su paso por el PNZVG. A: Informe de seguimiento ambiental Fase de Explotación" > Minuàrtia (2010), “Catàleg de vertebrats de la ZVG, 2009: manteniment del mòdul de gestió de la fauna del SIG Vulcà: desembre 2010”.
Mammals > Minuartia Estudis Ambientals (2006), "Seguiment de les poblacions de conill (Oryctolagus cuniculus) i perdiu (Alectoris rufa) al PNZVG. Resultats 2006". > Minuartia Estudis Ambientals (2008), "Programa de seguiment de les poblacions de senglar (Sus scrofa) a Catalunya: document de síntesi. Temporada 2009/2010". > Minuartia Estudis Ambientals (2009), "Programa de seguiment de les poblacions de senglar a Catalunya. Informe per a les colles participants. Setembre 2009. ZVG i rodalies. Temporada 2008/2009". > Programa de seguiment de les poblacions de senglar (Sus scrofa) a Catalunya: document de síntesi. Temporada 2009-2010 > Minuartia Estudis Ambientals (2005), "El cabirol (Capreolus capreolus) al PNZVG. Seguiment de la reintroducció". > Escuté i Gasulla, Xavier (2001), "Ecologia i distribució dels dos fonotips de la rata pinyada Pipistrel.la comuna Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Schreber, 1774) i Pipistrellus pygmaeus (Leach, 1825) (Chiroptera) a la Garrotxa".
Reptiles > Minuartia Estudis Ambientals (2005), "Estudi de la tortuga de rierol (Mauremys leprosa) i retirada d'exemplars al·lòctons al PNZVG".
Amphibians > Minuartia Estudis Ambientals (2004), "Seguiment de les poblacions d'amfibis del PNZVG".
Birds > Naspleda, J.(2005), " Anàlisi comparativa dels diferents transectes del projecte SOCC a la Garrotxa. Període 2002-2005". > Minuartia Estudis Ambientals (2004), "Seguiment de les poblacions d'aus al PNZVG". > Centre Tecnològic Forestal de Catalunya (2005), "Distribució hivernal del picot garser petit (Dendrocopos minor) al PNZVG". > Centre Tecnològic Forestal de Catalunya (2005), "Distribució primaveral del picot garser petit (Dendrocopos minor) al PNZVG".
> ICO (2009), "Seguiment de l'avifauna al PNZVG. Informe 2008". > Trabalon, F. (2009?), "Estudi sobre la migració postnupcial de rapinyaires al PNZVG. Any 2009" > Minuàrtia (2010), “Check-list de les aus de la ZVG: darrera actualització desembre 2010”.
Nesting raptors > Trabalon, F. (2007), "Rapinyaires nidificants a la Garrotxa" > (2004), Estudi sobre la població de rapinyaires nidificants al PNZVG. Fish > Clavero, M [et al.] (2008), Els peixos i la llúdriga a la Garrotxa: poden esdevenir una eina per avaluar al qualitat ambiental?. Beques Ciutat d'Olot 2006
> Prospecció de les poblacions de peixos del municipi de Sta. Pau. 2009
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FLORA AND VEGETATION
> PNZVG (1995), "Mapa de vegetació del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa"
> Campos Llach, Miquel(2001), "Catàleg de flora vascular de la zona volcànica de la Garrotxa". > Salvat Saladrigas, Andreu (2005), "Avaluació botànica de la proposta de juliol de 2004 de revisió del Pla Especial del PNZVG". > Salvat Saladrigas, Andreu (2005) "Estratègia per a la gestió de la flora i la vegetació al PNZVG". > Fontanet Briansó, Estefania (2006), "Campanya de control de tàxons introduïts o invasors al PNZVG – Memòria de l’any 2005". > Salvat i Saladrigas, Andreu; March i Pascual, Sílvia (2009), "Seguiment i millora de l'hàbitat de l'espècie de flora Oplismenus undulatifolius al Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa : 2009" > Salvat,A.; March, S. (2010), "Seguiment i millora de l'hàbitat de l'espècie de flora Isopyrum thalictroides al PNZVG: 2009". > Salvat i Saladrigas, Andreu; March i Pascual, Sílvia (2008), "Pla de millora de l'hàbitat de l'espècie de flora Isopyrum thalictroides al Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa : 2007". > Salvat, Andreu; Bassols, Emili (2008), "Estratègia per a la gestió de la flora i la vegetació al Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa". > Salvat i Saladrigas, Andreu; March i Pascual, Sílvia; Monje i Vega, Xavier (2009), "Cartografia 1:10000 dels hàbitats d'espais oberts del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa".
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GEOLOGY, HYDROLOGY AND SOIL
Geology and Soils Informative > (1991),El Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa: El vulcanisme estrombolià de la Garrotxa [póster]. > (2001), El Vulcanisme: guia de camp de la zona volcànica de la Garrotxa. > (2002), Guia per a visites: Educació ambiental... > (2006), Fichas de los Espacios de Interés Natural Preferente del PNZVG (volcanes...) > Toponimia de los volcanes de la comarca de la Garrotxa > Inventario de espacios de interés geológico de Catalunya > Cartografía geológica digital
Technical Information > (2000), "Estratègia per a la gestió del vulcanisme al PNZVG". > Axial (2005), "Geologia i medi ambient: Cerca, compilació i anàlisi de la bibliografia existent entorn a la cronologia de la zona volcànica de la Garrotxa". > Axial. Geologia i medi ambient (2005), "Geocronologia del vulcanisme recent al Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa a partir de les datacions absolutes a través del mètode de l'anàlisi isotòpic del carboni 14".1a part. > (2007), Carta vulcanològica de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa 1: 25 000 > Climent, Ferran; Poch, Joan (2007), "Reconstrucció de l’ambient deposicional vulcano-sedimentari de la zona de Santa Pau a partir del llinatge de les fàcies vulcano-clàstiques (Volcà del Croscat, Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa)" > Bach Plaza, Joan (2007), "Estudi i caracterització dels bufadors de la zona volcànica de la Garrotxa". > Bach Plaza, Joan (2008), "Possibilitat de divulgació dels bufadors. Annex de l'estudi i caracterització dels bufadors de la ZVG". > RISKNAT Grup (2008), "Estudi de caigudes de blocs a la cinglera basàltica de Castellfollit de la Roca: Informe de tancament de les activitats realitzades durant el 2006-2007". > Abellán, A. ; Vilaplana, JM (2008), "Estudi de caigudes de blocs a la cinglera basàltica de Castellfollit de la Roca". > Arbat i Bofill, Marina (2008), "El vulcanisme freatomagmàtic del PNZVG". > ICTJA. Martí, J.[et alt.] (2009), "Estudi gravimètric del PNZVG". > Martí, J.[et alt.](2009), "La caracterització eruptiva del volcà del Croscat". >Mapa de sòls (1:25.000) de Catalunya: TM de la Vall de Bianya (La Garrotxa): versió II. 2010
> Axial (2010), “Mapa de sòls 1:25.000 del PNZVG i la plana agrícola de la Vall d'en Bas”. 2010.
Hidrology > Serra Gasa, Alexandra; Tornés Bes, Elisabet (2005), "Elaboració d'una eina d'avaluació de l'estat tròfic de la conca del riu Fluvià a la Garrotxa". > Bach Plaza, Joan (2005), "Tasques de control de les aigües subterrànies al PNZVG, 2005".
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> Moreno, V. (2006), "Nivells de radó en recintes tancats de la zona volcànica de la Garrotxa i la falla d'Amer". > Bach Plaza, Joan (2007), "Estudi de les concentracions de radó a les aigües subterrànies de la zona volcànica de la Garrotxa". > Bach Plaza, Joan (2008), "Gestió d'aigües subterrànies". > Bach Plaza, Joan (2008) "Seguiment de l'oscil·lació piezomètrica amb registre continu: aqüífers quaternaris PNZVG". > Bach Plaza, Joan (2008), "Pla de fertilització: control de nitrats a nivell de conques. Anys 2007 i 2008" > Bach Plaza, Joan (2009), "Mòdul de seguiment de gestió de les aigües [...] 2005-2008".
Restoration of pools > Vila, Xavier (1992), "Estudi del aiguamoixos de la zona volcànica de la Garrotxa". > Stefanescu Bonet, Constantí (1993), "Seguiment anual de l'ornitofauna de les zones humides del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa", 1993 > Stefanescu Bonet, Constantí (1994), "Aproximació al coneixement dels macroheteròcers de les zones humides del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa (Lepidoptera: macroheterocera), 1994 > Quintana, X. [et. Al.](1995), "Introducció a l'estudi dels culícids dels aiguamolls del Parc Natural de la zona volcànica de la Garrotxa", PNZVG, 1995 > EGAM (2000), "Projecte de restauració i millora d'aiguamolls al PNZVG: Estanys de Jordà", PNZVG, 2000 > EGAM (2000), "Projecte de restauració i millora d'aiguamolls al PNZVG: Estany del Camp d'en Broc", PNZVG, 2000 > (2003) Presentación en power point de la inauguración de los Estanys de Jordà (cat. i cast.) > Boix, Dani [et al.] (2004),"Estudi de la comunitat aquàtica en una llacuna de nova creació en els Estanys de Jordà", 2004 > Minuartia Estudis Ambientals (2004), "Seguiment de les poblacions d'amfibis del PNZVG". > Minuartia Estudis Ambientals (2005),"Estudi de la tortuga de rierol (Mauremys leprosa) i retirada d'exemplars al·lòctons al PNZVG".
Articles > Bassols i Isamat, Emili (2007), "La gestió de les llacunes del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa", EN: Simposi científic sobre gestió i conservació de les llacunes temporànies mediterrànies. Banyoles: Consorci de l'estany; Diputació de Girona. > Mallarach i Carrera, Josep Maria; Estarellas i Fernández, Jaume; Grau i Tort, Salvador (1992), "Restauració d'aiguamoixos en el domini de la roureda de roure pènol a la Garrotxa", en La recerca científica al Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa 1982-1992. Olot: PNZVG. p.78-90
Soil Science > PNZVG (1999) Mapa de sòls del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa > Palou, Oscar; Puiguriguer, Marta (2009), "Guia de la jornada Sòls de la Garrotxa : zona volcànica i la Vall de Bianya"
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MANAGEMENT
General information about conservation ► Abarquero Zorrilla, Fernando.(2006), “Evaluación de reducción de amenazas del Parque Natural de la Zona Volcánica de la Garrotxa”, UdG.
► PNZVG, Revisió del Pla Especial de la ZVG: Unitats visuals 2v., memòria i normes PNZVG (2011), “Memoria 2010”, PNZVG. Articles ► Bassols, E. (2007), "PNZVG, 25 anys de gestió del territori", dins Annals del Patronat. Olot : Patronat d'Estudis Històrics d'Olot i Comarca. ► Bassols Isamat, E. (2010), "La gestión del patrimonio natural del PNZVG", EN: Máster en Espacios Naturales Protegidos: La gestión activa en marcha. 10ª ed. Olot: [Fundación FGB]; FES; PNZVG; CAG. ► Puig, Xavier (2010), "Instrumentos de gestión y ordenación de usos: El Plan Especial de la Zona Volcánica de la Garrotxa", EN: Máster en Espacios Naturales Protegidos: La gestión activa en marcha. 10ª ed. Olot: [Fundación FGB]; FES; PNZVG; CAG.
Quality and management ► TOSCA, Equip d'Educació Ambiental (2000), “Estratègia per a la gestió del vulcanisme al Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa”. ► Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa (2000), “La Gestión del Parque Natural de la Zona Volcánica de la Garrotxa”. (Documentos de Gestión ; 1) ► Minuartia Estudis Ambientals; Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa (2000), “La Proposta d'ampliació del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa al terme municipal de Sant Feliu de Pallerols : document per a les sessions de participació”. ► Vicens Perpinyà, Jaume (2001), “La gestión integrada en el Parque Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa”, PNZVG. ► Germain, Josep; Campos, Miquel (2002), “Auditoria operativa del Pla Especial del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa”. ► PNZVG (2004), "Mapa de processos del PNZVG". ► Aprèn, Serveis Ambientals (2005), "Seguiment de les espècies de flora Isopyrum thalictroides i Oplismenus undulatifolius al PNZVG". ► Salvat, Andreu; Bassols, Emili (2008), "Estratègia per a la gestió de la flora i la vegetació al PNZVG". ► Falgarona Bosch, Jordi (2008), “Valores inmateriales de los espacios naturales protegidos: la Iniciativa Delos”, EN: 13º Congreso de Europarc-España [ESPARC 2008], Avances en la gestión eficaz de las áreas protegidas: retos hasta el 2013, Baiona: Europarc-España, [13] f ► Grupo de conservación de Europarc-España (2008), " Calidad en la gestión para la conservación en espacios naturales protegidos: Estandar de proceso", Euoparc-España. ► PNZVG (2011) "PNZVG: Memòria 2010" ► PNZVG (2010), "Manual de qualitat i medi ambient ISO 9001:2008, Q Qualitat turística per a espais naturals protegits UNE 187002:2008 i Reglament 761/2001 del Parlament Europeu i del Consell (EMAS)".
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Articles ► Falgarona Bosch, Jordi; Vicens i Perpinyà, Jaume (1996), “La Gestió del territori avui: El Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa”, La Punxa. Girona : Col·legi Oficial d'Aparelladors i Arquitectes Tècnics de Girona, núm. 23, p. 50- 57 ► Vicens Perpinyà, Jaume (1996), “La gestió dels espais rurals: El cas concret del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa”, EN: Treb. Cent. Hist. Nat. Conca de Barberà, v.1, p.207-220 ► Falgarona Bosch, Jordi (1998), “Herramientas de prevención de conflictos en el Parque Natural de la Zona Volcánica de la Garrotxa," EN: Cooperación y resolución de conflictos en Espacios Naturales Protegidos: 16 al 26 de septiembre de 1998: Parque Regional Adda Nord y Parque Regional Alto Garda Breciano (Lombardia, Italia).Madrid: Fundación Fernando González Bernáldez, p.10-13. ► Bassols i Isamat, Emili (1999), "La investigación científica en el PNZVG", Urdaibai. ► Falgarona, Jordi ; Prats Santaflorentina, Josep M.(2001), “La Gestión del paisaje y de la arquitectura tradicional en el Parque Natural de la Zona Volcánica de la Garrotxa”, EN: Boletín de la sección del estado español de la F.P.N.N.E.. Madrid : Centro de Investigación de Espacios Naturales Protegidos "Fernando González Bernáldez", nº 11, marzo 2001, p. 28-33 ► Falgarona Bosch, Jordi; Bassols i Isamat, Emili (2005), “Hunters and fauna management at the Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa (PNZVG) (Catalonia, Spain, 1989-2004), EN: Achieving Environmental Objectives [S.l.]: UICN, p.97-102 ► Bassols i Isamat, Emili (2007), "La gestió de les llacunes del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa", EN: Simposi científic sobre gestió i conservació de les llacunes temporànies mediterrànies. Banyoles: Consorci de l'estany; Diputació de Girona. ► Falgarona Bosch, Jordi, “Valores inmateriales de los espacios naturales protegidos: la Iniciativa Delos”, EN: 14o Congreso de Europarc-España [ESPARC 2008], Avances en la gestión eficaz de las áreas protegidas: retos hasta el 2013, Baiona: Europarc-España, 2008 [13] f ► Batiste, Mireia (2010),"Implantación de un sistema de calidad en la gestión de un espacio natural protegido", EN: Máster en Espacios Naturales Protegidos: La gestión activa en marcha. 10ª ed. Olot: [Fundación FGB]; FES; PNZVG; CAG. ► Gil, J. (2011), “Ciència i medi ambient a Catalunya: la gestió del PNZVG”.
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FORESTRY > Caritat i Compte, Antònia (2002), "Regeneració del vern en diferents boscos de ribera del PNZVG".
> Montserrat Reig, Joan (2002), "Interaccions de la flora i la fauna dels boscos", EN: Curs de postgrau en estratègies per a la gestió sostenible dels boscos a Catalunya.
> Solà-Morales i Capdevila, Faustina de (2004), "Necessitats principals de la gestió forestal a la serra de Sant Julià i possibilitats de millora en el context de la gestió conjunta".
> Caritat i Compte, Antònia (2004), "Producció de glans i virosta en diferents boscos del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa – any 2003-2004".
> Agelet, Antoni; Montserrat, Joan (2004), "Situació, delimitació i paràmetres de valoració dels “boscos madurs” al PNZVG".
> Agelet, A. (2005), "Catàleg florístic dels "boscos madurs" del PNZVG",1a fase.
> Agelet, A (2007) "Catàleg florístic dels "boscos madurs" del PNZVG".
> Armadàs, R.[et al.] (2007), "Projecte de gestió conjunta de la serra de Sant Julià i les valls de la Miana. II fase: memòria de les enquestes realitzades als diferents actors.
> ANG (2008), Revalorització i protecció dels boscos madurs de la Garrotxa.
> Avaluació de la qualitat del bosc de ribera al riu Ser i a la riera de Sant Martí (TM Santa Pau). 2009
> Pla tècnic de gestió i millora forestal. Can Jordà. Del municipi de Santa Pau
> Saura, S.; Benejam, Ll. (2010), "Avaluació dels impactes provocats per les nevades als boscos madurs del PNZVG". > Llop, E.(2011), “Aplicació de la diversitat liquènica com a indicador de la qualitat ambiental de les fagedes de la Garrotxa”. > Zapata, J; Mazón,J. (2011) Descripció dels factors geoclimàtics sobre el medi natural i el paisatge de la Garrotxa: identificació d'espais d'interès i l'escalfament global sobre el territori... 3 vol.
More… > Exemples de boscos singulars a Catalunya que recull el CREAF (web)
> Projecte del CREAF de boscos singulars (web) > Espai web dedicat a arbres monumentals i singulars creat per l'Observatori del Paisatge de Catalunya (web) > Treballs elaborats i financiats per l'ICHN-Garrotxa sobre boscos madurs (web)
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VISITORS MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
Visitors management > (2007), "Manual d'ús públic del PNZVG". > PNZVG; Turisme Garrotxa (2011), "Punts d'informació del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa. 2010", PNZVG; Turisme Garrotxa.
> Repte (2010), "Treball de digitalització de l'inventari de camins del PNZVG".
> Serveis de recepció de visitants als centres d'informació i Serveis educació ambiental del PNZVG. Memòria anual 2010
Sustainable Tourism European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (CETS) > Texto oficial de la Carta Europea de Turismo Sostenible (CETS) > Página oficial de la CETS > Página web de Europarc-España (incluye base de datos de empresas españolas acreditadas con la CETS) > (2009), Ecoturismo en España: guía de destinos sostenibles. Espacios naturales y empresas acreditados con la CETS. Madrid: Instituto de Turismo de España. > Preguntas más frecuentes sobre la CETS The CETS in la Garrotxa > [Prats, JM](2003), "El turismo en el PNZVG: Turisme Garrotxa y la CETS". > "Evaluación del programa de actuación de la CETS en los ENP (2001-2006)". Primer borrador > Prats, Josep M; Junqueta, Isabel (2008), Carta Europea de Turisme Sostenible a la Garrotxa: 2006- 2010.Olot: PNZVG. (Programa de actuaciones de la CETS) > "Trabajar con las empresas turísticas situadas en el interior o alrededor del espacio protegido con la CETS (II parte de la CETS)"
> Prats Santaflorentina, Josep M. (2008), "Magic numbers in La Garrotxa: Involving local tourism businesses", EN: Linking tourism anb biodiversity: Regional development and benefits from the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas. Brussels: EUROPARC.
> Prats, JM (2010), "Acreditación de empresas turísticas con la Carta Europea de Turismo Sostenible en espacios naturales protegidos: ventajas y compromisos", EN: Máster en Espacios Naturales Protegidos: La gestión activa en marcha. 10ª ed. Olot: [Fundación FGB]; FES; PNZVG; CAG. >Estratègia de la CETS a la Garrotxa (2011 >Programa d'actuacions e la CETS a la Garrotxa (2011) > (2011) Estimació de l'impacte econòmic de la CETS sobre el turisme de la Garrotxa durant el període... > Prats, JM, Les prestataires touristiques, interprètes de leur territoire: Le PNZVG. 2011
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GIS, DOCUMENTATION CENTRE AND ARCHIVE. Information Management in the Park
Products > Catàlegs col·lectius especialitzats > Col·lecció digital temàtica > Servidor interactiu de mapes ambientals SIMA-ZVG > Cartografia en format Miramon (SIG) > Publicacions del Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa > Col·lecció d'imatges i vídeos de la Galeria Multimèdia > Llistat de publicacions periòdiques > Llistat model de publicacions de la Biblioteca mòbil bàsica del Parc > Butlletí del Parc > Fons documental de la Xarxa de Custòdia del Territori
Rules Documentation Centre > (2003), Manual de uso y funcionamiento de la red de Centros de Documentación ENPC > (2009), Carta de servicios del Centro de Documentación del PNZVG Archive > (2009), Manual de gestió de la documentació administrativa al PNZVG > (2009), El quadre de classificació de la documentació administrativa al PNZVG > (2010), Registre de transferències de documents a l'arxiu Cartography > Cartografia ambiental del DMAH > Miramon: Sistema d'Informació Geogràfica i Teledetecció. Pàgina del CREAF
Projects > (2005) La Xarxa de Centres de Documentació d'ENP de Catalunya > Seminario de formación de centros de documentación ambiental y espacios naturales Protegidos > Portal RECIDA (Red de Centros de Información y Documentación Ambiental) > Lista de distribución RECIDA
Information flow Documentation Centre
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> Grabolosa, M. (1998), "Proyecto de creación de una red de información y documentación entre centros de documentación de espacios naturales protegidos de España y Europa", Boletín de la Sección del Estado Español de la FPNNE.Madrid: Centro de Investigación de Espacios Naturales Protegidos "Fernando González Bernáldez", núm.8(1998).p.24-27 > (1999) “Centros de documentación de espacios naturales protegidos de Cataluña: una experiencia de trabajo conjunto”, EN: Actes de les 7es Jornades catalanes de documentació-EXPODOC 99. Barcelona: Col•legi Oficial de Bibliotecaris i Documentalistes de Catalunya, p. 183-193. > Grabolosa, M. (2002) “Calidad en los centros de documentación de espacios naturales protegidos/ medio ambiente”, EN: Seminario sobre Información y Documentación en Centros de Documentación de ENP/MA. Valsaín: CENEAM, 2002. 2p. > Grabolosa, M. (2003), “Plan de marketing en el Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa”, EN: II Seminario sobre Información y Documentación en Centros de Documentación de ENP/MA. Valsaín: CENEAM, 2003. 12p. > Grabolosa, M. (2003), “Experiencia de Gestión del conocimiento en el Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa”, EN: II Seminario sobre Información y Documentación en Centros de Documentación de ENP/MA. Valsaín: CENEAM, 2003.15p. > (2004), "Coordinación y colaboración existente entre centros de documentación de espacios naturales protegidos y medio ambiente", EN: III Seminario sobre Información y Documentación en Centros de Documentación de ENP/MA. Navarra: CENEAM. 10p. > (2004), “Bibliotecari@s y documentalistas ambientales sin fronteras: propuestas”, EN: III Seminario sobre Información y Documentación en Centros de Documentación de ENP/MA. Navarra: CENEAM, 2004. 6p. >Grabolosa Sellabona, Montserrat; Toril Moreno, Rosario (2005), “Experiencias de colaboración y coordinación entre centros de documentación de espacios naturales protegidos y medio ambiente”, EN: 9as Jornadas Españolas de Documentación. Madrid: FESABID, 2005. Póster (actualización 2009) > Toril, R.; Grabolosa, M. (2009), “RECIDA: Red de Centros de Información y Documentación Ambiental” (en col•laboració), A: XI Jornadas Españolas de Documentación. Zaragoza: FESABID. 7p.+14p. > Toril, R.; Grabolosa, M.; Sánchez, A.(2009), “RECIDA: Red de Centros de Información y Documentación Ambiental”, EN: World Library and Information Congress: 75th IFLA General Conference and Council. Milan: IFLA. 11p. > Grabolosa, Montse (2010), "25 años de gestión de un Centro de Documentación vinculado a un espacio natural protegido", EN: Máster en Espacios Naturales Protegidos: La gestión activa en marcha. 10ª ed. Olot: [Fundación FGB]; FES; PNZVG; CAG, 5p. > Grabolosa, Montse (2010), "Centro de documentación del Parque Natural de la Zona Volcánica de la Garrotxa: consultas personalizadas, calidad, virtualidad y trabajo en red", A: XII Jornadas de Gestión de la Información Mesa redonda: realidad contra ficción. Madrid: SEDIC, 18 de noviembre de 2010 http://www.vimeo.com/26259393 (min.36-55) Archives > Navarro Pérez-Dolz, Muntsa (2010), "Implantación del Sistema General de Gestión de la Documentación Administrativa en el PNZVG", EN: Máster en Espacios Naturales Protegidos: La gestión activa en marcha. 10ª ed. Olot: [Fundación FGB]; FES; PNZVG; CAG, 2p. Cartography > Pijuan, Joan (2010), "Sistemas de información geográfica como herramienta de ayuda a la gestión y planificación de un espació natural protegido. El ejemplo del SIG VULCÀ", EN: Máster en Espacios Naturales Protegidos: La gestión activa en marcha. 10ª ed. Olot: [Fundación FGB];FES; PNZVG; CAG.
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