The Catalan government has formally requested the Spanish government to expand Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, Catalonia's only national park. The proposal, submitted by Minister Sílvia Paneque, aims to increase the protected area of the 41,000-hectare park, particularly towards the south-east to include parts of Vall Fosca.
Minister for Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition, Sílvia Paneque, sent a letter to the Ministry for Ecological Transition to start the process. She stated the need to modify the park's boundaries to "improve the representativeness of its natural systems, as well as to favour ecological continuity and connectivity and conservation objectives."
The national park currently covers 40,852 hectares, with 14,119 hectares of strictly protected land and an additional 26,733 hectares in a peripheral protection zone. The proposed expansion seeks to strengthen the park's territorial and ecological coherence, incorporating areas like the headwaters of Vall Fosca and completing the western perimeter in the Besiberri sector, within the EMD of Senet. This Besiberri area is already part of the Natura 2000 Network as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA).
Boosting Biodiversity and Connectivity
According to the Catalan executive, the expansion will increase the extent of natural systems and improve the park's capacity to sustain ecological processes, promoting greater population continuity. It includes distribution areas for various threatened plant and animal species, such as the white partridge and the bearded vulture. Both are listed as vulnerable and endangered, respectively, in the Catalogue of Threatened Native Wild Fauna.
Paneque highlighted that the potential expansion zones include "geologically interesting areas such as ridges, lakes, and valleys of great landscape and environmental value that ensure the continuity of habitats and the preservation of the park's most relevant natural elements." The Besiberri valley area would also add new features, such as yew tree stands and high-mountain lakes.
Proposed Areas for Inclusion
The initial proposal, now subject to a preliminary public consultation, suggests incorporating specific lands into the national park and its peripheral protection zone, based on proposals from local councils:
In La Torre de Capdella, Pallars Jussà, the headwaters of Vall Fosca would be included. This involves public lands currently designated as a peripheral zone, specifically the southern slope of the Mainera, Saburó Peguera, Subenuix, Dellui, and Mariolo peaks, excluding lakes used for hydroelectric power. Additionally, the territory between the Flamisell and Riqüerna rivers, the village of Capdella, and the Espada peak, all part of the Natura 2000 Network as SAC and SPA, would become a peripheral protection zone.
In Vilaller, Alta Ribagorça, the Besiberri valley, currently a Natura 2000 SAC and SPA belonging to the EMD of Senet, would be included as a peripheral protection zone.
Parallel to these proposals, officials are studying the viability of incorporating other public lands owned by the Generalitat, currently in the peripheral protection zone. This includes a partial inclusion of the Serra del Rei forest in Sort, Pallars Sobirà, recognised for its connectivity, ecological, and landscape values.
Sources from the Territory department indicate that the exact surface area of the expansion, including the precise number of hectares, will not be finalised until this initial phase concludes. The consultation process will gather feedback before any definitive decisions are made.
