Cassol, M., Gianolla, P., Lasen, P., and Viola, F. 2006 ... · Cassol, M., Gianolla, P., Lasen, P.,...

Cassol, M., Gianolla, P., Lasen, P., and Viola, F. 2006. Nomination of the Dolomites for inscription on the World Nature Heritage List UNESCO. The management plan - Revised edition. Report: 1-51.

Keywords: 8IT/Alpine region/Alps/conservation/development/Malme/management/management plan/nature/policy/protected area/UNESCO

Abstract: This document is above all the expression of the local authorities' will to plan, with increasing harmony, the safeguarding and development of this land and its exceptional assets. This plan includes the policies collected, already prepared and carried out by the individual Administrations proposing the nomination, which form the normative foundation for the management of the site. These different institutional realities, each with their own statute and normative powers, have agreed to proceed to the nomination of the Dolomites and have signed an Agreement Plan, at the highest political level, according to which "the Presidents agree that in a later phase the management procedure for the "Dolomiti Property" will be defined together with the different provinces on the basis of their competence and autonomy." As a result of this agreement a process of co-ordination has already begun between these Administrations and involvement and awareness of the Communal authority and the local population. An initial technical document has also been prepared that outlines the objectives the different Administrations could pursue in a co-ordinated way as well as useful measures to integrate the activities carried out so far, bearing in mind the new future "World Heritage" 'status' that the Dolomites could be given. It should be noted, however, that these different institutions, each of which has its own charters and regulatory powers, in mutually deciding to propose the candidature of the Dolomites have underwritten, with the top political echelons, a Programme Agreement under which "the Chairpersons… agree that at a second stage the various Provinces shall jointly define the procedures for managing the "Dolomites Property" within the extent of their peculiar competences and administrative autonomies."

NOMINATION OF

THE DOLOMITESFOR INSCRIPTION ON

THE WORLD NATURAL HERITAGE LIST

UNESCO

T H E M A N A G E M E N T P L A N

PROVINCIA DI BELLUNOPROVINCIA AUTONOMA DI BOLZANO – BOZEN

PROVINCIA DI PORDENONEPROVINCIA AUTONOMA DI TRENTO

PROVINCIA DI UDINE

Responsible for the scientific project: dott. Michele Cassolprof. Piero Gianolla, Università di Ferraradott. Cesare Lasenprof. Franco Viola, Università di Padova

Introduction 4 The Dolomites 4 The Logic behind the Plan 6 Which management plan for the Dolomites? 9 The Plan layout 10

The Conservation Plan 12 The objectives and current conservation status of the Dolomites 12 Actions 15 The Monitoring Plan 15 In summary, monitoring envisages: 18 Monitoring of the footpaths network 19 Wild animal health monitoring 20 The control of allochthonous species 20 The safeguarding of exceptional autochthonous species 21

The Communication, Information and Consensus Plan 23 Objectives 23 Actions 25 The access system and the Doors to the Dolomites 26 Research and the quest for knowledge 27 Basic research and monitoring 31 Applied research and technological research 32 Guided dissemination 33 The online population (local authorities, schools and family networks) 34

The Promotion and Enhancement Plan 37 Objectives 37 Actions 38 Towards Sustainable Tourism 39 Conservation approach 39 Improvement of the footpath network of cultural interest 39 Excursionism and historical traces of mankind 40 Advertising tools 41 Culture linked to the use of soil 42 Forestry 43 Alpine farming activities 44 Resources for the concrete implementation of the Management plan 45

Dolomiti – UNESCO World Heritage Programme Agreement for the harmonization of Management Policies of the Dolomites 47 Introduction 47

Programme Agreement 49 Article 1 – Purpose 49 Article 2 – Coordination Committee 49 Article 3 – Tasks of the Coordination Committee 49 Article 4 – Ways of Working of the Coordination Committee 50 Article 5 – Delegate 50 Article 6 – Technical Secretariat 50

NOMINATION OF THE DOLOMITES FOR INSCRIPTION ON THE WORLD NATURAL HERITAGE LIST UNESCO


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INTRODUCTION

The Dolomites

Dolomites. The very word evokes images of vertical rock faces, of vertiginously high pinnacles and aiguilles, of milk-white rock that at sunset dons a pink to violet palette of hues.Classic iconography loves to portray the idea of the precipice, usually inaccessible to any human being, except for cases of extreme temerity, or, at the exactly opposite side of the spectrum, to crown airy, sun-bathed peaks with the deep, dark green of fir woods or the tender and reassuring shades of mountain pastures.Although the appearance of their peaks and valleys and the depth of their horizons may vary, the Dolomites are immediately recognisable thanks to a common feature that very few have succeed-ed in describing and, if so, always incompletely.Dino Buzzati, for example, wrote (in Ma le Dolomiti cosa sono? (What are the Dolomites?), 1956): “One has to pass Feltre, and only then, suddenly, there to the left is the first Dolomite. It’s the Sass da Mur, and not many know it. Anxious to see the more famous peaks, travellers push on without even slowing down. And yet, it’s a perfect Dolomite, with all of the signs of pure breed, with its pink and yellow cliffs, the horizontal narrow ridges powdered in white, the pebble cones, the naked rock, the broken crests. Just look at it for a moment, memorise that hue: you’ll see the very same again in the highest heaven.” “… at the top of the Val di San Lucano, one of the strangest and most impressive corners of the earth, rises with frightening impetus – from the valley bottom one must crane one’s neck to gaze up at it – the maximum architecture of the entire Dolomites range: mount Agnèr, looming up with its cliff one and a half kilometres high (and facing it, just beyond the river, more modest but not less hallucinating, stand the rock walls of the Pale di San Lucano) …when it bursts in flames at sunset and when it seems to rise slowly in the lazy drift of white clouds, one finds it hard to believe that such a thing can exist.”“… sublime architectures that raise their columns up hundreds and hundreds of metres, those crags preserve their solitude. Only the clouds pass them by. Painters stop below them, with their easel and brushes, uselessly trying to reproduce that perfect work of art.”

In actual fact, the Dolomites mountains are only apparently similar, the similarity mostly being due to the shape and colours of the rock. For the most part they compose a totally variegated sys-tem in which the orientation of the valleys, the altitude of the slopes and the related range of tem-peratures, the rainfall height and distribution that give rise to different combinations of meso- and micro-climates, the soil composition, as well as the history of the populations and their rela-tions with the living nature made of pastures and forests, have moulded an incredible variety of ecosystems, almost all of which are of absolute naturalistic importance.The Dolomites area is home to populations belonging to four different linguistic stocks – Ital-ian, Ladinian, Friulian and German – each of which is still deeply protective of its cultural and historical identity, that is actually pointed out as a distinguishing feature in the respective tour-ist offering.Equally complex is the institutional organisation of the Dolomites area, comprising the bounda-


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ries of as many as three Italian regions and five provinces: Belluno, Bolzano, Pordenone, Trento and Udine. It is an area that borders with Austria, and its historical events, deeply scarred by the catastrophic war at the beginning of the 20th century, have led to rather differentiated by-laws.The Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano, that together form the Trentino-Alto Adige region, in fact enjoy a charter that gives them a special-status autonomy ratified by international agreements and representing a unique case in the Italian legislative scenery. The Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, which includes the provinces of Udine and Pordenone, also has obtained a char-ter that envisages forms of definite autonomy, which however do not pass over tout court to the two Dolomites provinces. Finally, the province of Belluno belongs to the Veneto region, that has an ordinary type of charter and therefore much less autonomy in its management compared to the other provinces that are supporting the candidature of the Dolomites for inclusion on the World Heritage List.

The term “Dolomites” is therefore linked to two opposite messages: homogeneity in the land-scape, enriched by a minute variety within the ecosystem, and absolute social, cultural and gov-ernmental complexity that can easily be perceived by anyone who travels these valleys in search of their everyday customs and habits.For centuries, the populations of the Dolomites have given proof of their ability to coexist, de-spite the tragic events that almost a century ago locally marked even the mountains themselves. The scars left by the war are still visible on, and in, the rocks: tunnels, fronts, communication trenches, fortifications as well as memorial plaques and crosses placed at the memory sites.This is an aspect that cannot be overlooked or denied.More importantly, however, the Dolomites have always been a crossroads for peoples, on the val-ley bottoms as well as on the highest bastions. This is why in these ranges it is impossible to sepa-rate nature from mankind, the latter having chosen to live in peace with the mountains’ hostile environment. These traces too must be safeguarded for their intrinsic message: peace and frater-nity among peoples.

This document, that is above all the expression of the local authorities’ will to plan, with increas-ing harmony, the safeguarding and development of this land and its exceptional assets, should be read keeping in mind the equally exceptional cultural and organisational complexity of its peo-ples.This plan includes the policies collected, already prepared and carried out by the individual Ad-ministrations proposing the nomination, which form the normative foundation for the manage-ment of the site. These different institutional realities, each with their own statute and normative powers, have agreed to proceed to the nomination of the Dolomites and have signed an Agree-ment Plan, at the highest political level, according to which “the Presidents agree that in a later phase the management procedure for the “Dolomiti Property” will be defined together with the different provinces on the basis of their competence and autonomy.”As a result of this agreement a process of co-ordination has already begun between these Admin-istrations and involvement and awareness of the Communal authority and the local population. An initial technical document has also been prepared that outlines the objectives the different Administrations could pursue in a co-ordinated way as well as useful measures to integrate the activities carried out so far, bearing in mind the new future “World Heritage” ‘status’ that the Dolomites could be given. It should be noted, however, that these different institutions, each of which has its own charters and regulatory powers, in mutually deciding to propose the candida-ture of the Dolomites have underwritten, with the top political echelons, a Programme Agree-ment under which “the Chairpersons… agree that at a second stage the various Provinces shall jointly define the procedures for managing the “Dolomites Property” within the extent of their peculiar competences and administrative autonomies.”


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The Logic behind the Plan

The purpose of the Management plan is to ensure that future generations may enjoy the exceptional fea-tures on which the application for inclusion of the Dolomites on the World Heritage list are based.From this viewpoint, the plan is the document that defines the criteria by which the candida-ture proposers undertake to implement a process basically involving the safeguarding of the As-set, without overlooking its implications in terms of development as wished for by the popula-tions inhabiting the Dolomites area. The joint reference to ecological and economical objectives is stimulated by the UNESCO Convention itself when it states the importance of focusing on the correct relationship between local populations and their territory.This is why the Plan shall refer to the status quo of the properties included in the nomination by recovering the information given in the dossier, and shall assess their critical parameters with a view to preserving them as well as possible, while also taking into consideration the most quali-fying elements of the Dolomites, and of the vast area that includes them, which could be influ-enced by a process of enhancement of the resources offered by these mountains. By focusing on both aspects, the plan will then propose the strategies required to sinergically achieve the objec-tives of naturalistic and environmental conservation and of economic and social development.The plan will therefore set forth a wide range of diversified actions, all of which aimed at achiev-ing the final objectives and shared by the local authorities involved in the Nomination proposal, that shall provide the necessary resources for it. They shall be based on principles of sustainabil-ity, in compliance with the guidelines suggested for these kinds of plans by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, mipac (2005).The above objectives synergically match those pursued by the same local authorities within the context of the Italian implementation of the European directives governing the protection of the natural environment. To this end, worthy of mention are the Birds Directive (EEC 403/1979) and above all the Habitat Directive (EEC 43/1992), aimed at preserving rare and threatened spe-cies together with the habitats they need for completing their life cycle. This is the same spirit that pervades the UNESCO convention, in view of the fact that the more vulnerable the property, in the mentioned case a naturalistic (ecologic and ecosystemic) one, common to the most part of Mankind, the greater the effort called for.Last but not least is the commitment shared by all of the Dolomites area’s local authorities in preserving and recovering the most significant signs of the history, skill and traditions of local peoples, who have been able to hand down through the generations the principles by which to maintain their territory and preserve their vital resources.The Management plan takes into account these stimuli too, that favour to some extent the bond between nature and humanity with its cultural expressions, between spontaneous processes and principles of rational management.The management of this extraordinary environmental property, well preserved through centu-ries of traditional prudence but also threatened by the expansion of new development models, somehow must also take into account the commitments undertaken by the European Union and

1 To facilitate the comparison between the Alpine Convention and several passages of this Management plan, we set out here below some of the strategic approaches envisaged by the Convention:

– The respect, conservation and promotion of the cultural and social identity of the local populations, boosting mutual comprehension and collaboration amongst them;

– The safeguarding of air quality by reducing emissions and the dissemination of polluting substances down to levels that are not harmful for human beings, animals or plants;

– The conservation of water quality, including that of lakes, rivers and ponds.

This international political approach proposes the following technical instruments:– Planning (also transboundary) aimed at containing risks and at maintaining natural environments;


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by all of the alpine countries in undersigning the so-called “Convention on the Protection of the Alps”. Not all of the countries involved have completed the bureaucratic approval procedures for the single protocols in the Convention, and Italy is one of them. This does not mean, however, that the candidate territories for inclusion on the World Heritage List do not partake of the prin-ciples of environmental and territorial conservation envisaged by the Convention1. None of the guidelines or actions proposed by this Management plan contradict the spirit of the Convention on the Protection of the Alps.In actual fact, the area envisaged by the nomination, and therefore the subject of the Manage-ment plan, is almost totally of a naturalistic nature. The borders of the areas of excellence, in fact, almost always close around the most spectacular Dolomites peaks, where the almost absolute per-pendicularity of the precipices prevents any form of use of the soil, with the exclusion of the most daring of rock-climbing enterprises.The buffer zones, instead, are represented by surfaces including ecological systems that foresee a small degree of agricultural activity, although not inhabited permanently nor concerned by year-round continuing activities. In these cases, the task of the Plan is to identify conflicts between ecol-ogy and economy, if any, and in the event of evident problems to propose the most effective solu-tions.Actually, since the nominated area lies almost entirely within the boundaries of national, regional or provincial Nature Reserves or of other protected area systems (Community Interest Sites, Spe-cial Protection Areas, etc.), the plans already made for them or undergoing preparation, or the juridical and regulatory instruments that ratify their protection, appear to be entirely adequate for the conservation of the Dolomites Property.

– The defence of the soil through the development of agricultural and silvicultural production techniques capable of limiting soil erosion and impermeabilization;

– The strengthening of the ecosystems’ efficiency via the conservation of the flora and fauna with their habitats, and of the regeneration capacity and production continuity of natural resources;

– The conservation of the traditional country landscape, of a kind of agriculture suited to the sites and in harmony with the environment, taking into account the more difficult economic conditions; the improvement of the resistance of forest ecosystems, obtained by applying carefully studied nature-friendly silviculture processes and by preventing “un-sustainable” uses, without damaging local economies;

– The boosting of nature- and landscape-friendly forms of energy production, distribution and use, above all by promot-ing energy-saving measures.

The Dolomites is a territory already enjoying wide protection.


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In other words, this means that the Management plan does not need to suggest to the local au-thorities involved the introduction of new regulations or rules in addition to those already de-fined and applied according to the juridical principles pertinent to each Region or Province.From this standpoint, the Management plan merely acknowledges the effectiveness of the eco-logical and environmental protection instruments currently implemented throughout the terri-tory of the five Provincial districts, seeing that said instruments are deemed totally capable of en-suring the forms of protection envisaged by UNESCO.

The Management plan, however, also has other objectives.As suggested by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, «the inscription on the World Heritage List requires a precise territorial definition of the protection and enhancement actions, while the proposals for enhancement actions, the involvement of local peoples, communications and training in the fields covered by the nomination inevitably go beyond these boundaries [of the areas of excellence and of the buffer zones]. While the limits of the nominated property [areas of excellence and intermediate areas] are clearly defined, the territorial points of reference relating to the enhancement, promotion and development actions – also launched by the UNESCO Man-agement plan – are often intermingled with those of the Municipalities, Provinces and Regions involved in the Nomination process».

UNESCO doesn’t actually propose a model for these other aspects that, together with conservation, could be envisaged by the Plan. It is therefore the responsibility of the individual countries and subordinate authorities to define their format and contents by conforming them to the local ju-ridical and regulatory sceneries, or to the operational capabilities of the technical structures of the various Provinces. In this sense, the Plan shall act as the trait d’union amongst the Authorities which suggest nomi-nation which adapt themselves to comply with the ideas and trends it contains in order to achieve with greater effectiveness the general objectives defined when undertaking to propose the nomi-nation. This is the ultimate goal of the Programme Agreement already mentioned in this intro-duction.This seems all the more necessary in view of the Plan’s wide scope, involving – as it does – diverse

What are the Plan objectives?


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public and private bodies in activities that may even be organised outside of the boundaries of the nominated Property. Indeed, in an area so greatly permeated with humanity, even in its ap-parently most natural elements, it is impossible to tackle the protection aspect without imagin-ing and planning actions involving local communities and without proposing enhancement and promotion initiatives capable of affecting the production of wealth.This does not mean that the Plan, that does not add any constraints to those already existing (laws regulating the opening of parks or the application of European directives), aspires at be-coming an incentive for the uncontrolled development of tourist offers or promotion actions, since the Dolomites postulate equilibrium and sustainability.One hopes, instead, that the Plan may become an occasion for experimenting a new way of “liv-ing the Dolomites” and a stimulus for achieving a greater awareness of their exceptional value and of their manifold resources.As N. Polunin expresses in one of his famous aphorisms (Growth without ecodisaster, 1977), the Plan wants to be the occasion for verifying the possibility to achieve growth without environmen-tal degradation.The aim is not solely – as in the objectives of the UNESCO, of the European directives and of the outline law regarding protected areas – to preserve the landscape, biodiversity and ecological processes also via the safeguarding of the traditional forms of non-intensive agriculture, stock-raising and proper naturalistic sylviculture, but rather to promote and put in place at inter-insti-tutional level a method for evaluating and sharing ideas and proposals.In these terms, the proposed nomination could be an exceptionally strong stimulus for evaluat-ing the applicability of the techniques and principles of environmental, economic and social sus-tainability. “Sustainable development of tourism meets the present needs of tourists and of host countries and regions, while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future. It integrates the management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled, while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biodiversity and life support systems”2. Excellent and promising experiences in this direction are being developed within the Dolomites area with the active collaboration of the nature parks.This is yet another aim of the Plan, that suggests moments of communication and promotional actions as alternatives to a further consumption of the Dolomites’ resources.

Which management plan for the Dolomites?

The Dolomites are already affected by a system of legal protections which is very complex and well organized. Even if there are significant differences between the Provinces, legal provisions, regulations and rules which lead the right way to relate with the territory and to exploit its re-sources, those are sufficient to grant the protection of the property as required by UNESCO and to accomplish the wish of the local people.Even the principles of valorisation and promotion of properties which go through the involve-

2 Definition of “Sustainable Tourism” given by the WTO (World Tourism Organization) and by the European Charter on Sustainable Tourism. Among others, see the plentiful documentation pertaining to the adhesion of the Adamello Brenta Nature Reserve to the European Charter on sustainable tourism.

* Regional Board Decree** Decree by the President of the Provincial Board*** Royal Law Decree


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ment of the populations and base their validity on programs of environmental education, are a firm heritage of the different Administrations even if with different shades, according to the dif-ferent traditions and cultures.In the same way, the involvement in the management of the resources of different figures, from the Administrations and the local Bodies to the familiar communities, from the entrepreneurs to the professionals, from the economical operators to the citizens and to the world of the associa-tions, is a firm and well ruled fact, which in the recent past found fitting ways for a confrontation and a satisfying equilibrium.The Nomination represents a chance for a close confrontation between different views on the theme of protection and valorisation of a property considered vulnerable and precious by everybody.In this sense the Management Plan should not exist. The Dolomites do not need in fact a new rule system, least of all bindings.These and the others already exist and are enough.The political and institutional autonomy of a number of the Provinces and Regions involved is one of the factors contributing to rendering the introduction of a new system of rules, replacing the one that is already operating well, almost impossible. The management system of the more than a hundred municipal authorities does not require fur-ther rules to govern the territory, neither would their citizens understand the purport from a le-gal standpoint. Thus, the new Plan should be viewed from a different perspective, from the standpoint of the objectives that have been set and in relation to this variegated, but efficient, legal and administra-tive set up with which it has to deal. In other words, it should and must be seen as a tool that smoothes out the path, harmonising the relational workings that have already been set up between the Provinces and Regions that are in-volved in the nomination process, with a view to making it more rapid and dependable in help-ing meet shared objectives, promoting an increasing number of synergies between Administra-tions, ensuring that they are in a position to act advantageously in the interests of nature, of the territory and of all those that live and work there.

The Plan layout


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In order to conform to the complexity of the territory and of the social context that qualifies it, the Plan must be developed according to three different fields of action:– One aimed at the conservation of the properties undergoing some form of threat;– One focusing on the resource enhancement principles, so as to give them values and complex

merits, which are not merely economic;– And one dedicated to the social and cultural sphere, aimed at increasing in the local popula-

tions the awareness of the universal significance of their land and of the chance they are given to act in synergy and in a coordinated manner in order to keep those levels high.

Each field is the subject of specific treatises, that assume the form of:– a Conservation Plan,– a Promotion and Enhancement Plan and, finally, – an Education, Communication and Consensus Plan

Each of these three parts, only apparently disconnected, is implemented via specific actions, the description of which, together with the principles shaping each of the three parts, makes up the entire Management plan.


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THE CONSERVATION PLAN

The objectives and current conservation status of the Dolomites

The fundamental purpose of the Management plan is to make sure that future generations can enjoy the exceptional characteristics for which the Dolomites are being proposed for inscription on the World Heritage List. In the booklet by the title “Il modello del Piano di Gestione – linee guida” (The Management plan model – guidelines), the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Ac-tivities indicates the methods applicable for achieving this objective, i.e. the working out and ac-tivation of “prescriptive, administrative, regulatory and financial instruments capable of inducing or of generating new and more aware behaviours [with regard to the Property].”

Actually, as already mentioned, the nominated area is already affected by many such instruments. It does not seem necessary, therefore, to define others that would only be redundant.The Dolomites, in fact, enclose ten parks, all of which endowed with properly structured and proven operational, conservation and control instruments.The Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park was established in 1992 and since 1994 has been apply-ing its own specific plan. Most of the areas of excellence fall within the sphere of integral nature reserve classification, and therefore enjoy 100% safeguard levels. This does not mean, however, that solid safeguard principles are not applied in general oriented reserves, which actually envis-age environmental restoration interventions, where necessary, and excursion activities compat-ible with the value and vulnerability of the environmental systems concerned.Pursuant to Art. 12 of Law No. 394/91 (Outline Law on protected areas), the general oriented nature reserve areas can include production activities (naturalistic forestry, summer pastures), as long as they do not generate significant changes in the territory’s structure and in its systems, i.e. such as to increase their vulnerability.The Dolomiti d’Ampezzo Regional Park includes the homonymous system by the same name, laying on the border between the Provinces of Belluno and the Autonomous Province of Bol-zano. In this case too, the Environmental plan, drawn up prior to the coming into force of the Outline Law, places the areas of excellence under integral reserve conditions and a part of the buffer zones under oriented reserve conditions too (that allow only summer pasture activities and health control interventions in high altitude forests). Excursions are permitted only along the paths indicated in the Plan.Similar regulations and rules are applied in the parks of the Autonomous Province of Trento. The Park Plans, prepared pursuant to provincial Law No. 18/1988 and in accordance with the in-dications of the Provincial Town-Planning Scheme, approved via a law, allow in integral reserve areas (that contain the areas of excellence of the nominated Property) only mountain excursion activities, with limits imposed by the regulations according to the current and local conditions of vulnerability. In the guided reserve zones, that contain some of the buffer zones, the traditional summer pasture activities are admitted too, while only health control activities are permitted in the forests, all of which are protected.A special case is represented by the parks in Alto Adige (Autonomous Province of Bolzano). The Monte Corno (Trudner Horn Nature Park), Puez-Odle (Puez-Geisler Nature Park), Dolomiti di Sesto (Sextner Dolomiten Nature Park), Fanes-Senes-Braies (Fanes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park) and Sciliar (Schlern Nature Park) Nature Reserves in fact have been established via decrees of the President of the Provincial Board (the first, Sciliar, dates back to 1974, while the most recent,


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Dolomiti di Sesto, was established in 1981) that envisage, basically in the same manner for all parks, limitation and safeguarding regulations referring to specific activities and specific areas of high naturalistic or cultural-operational value. Thus they guarantee the Protection of flora and fauna, geological and hydrological, archaeological and paleontological systems, also via the regu-lation of tourism, zootechnical and forest activities, with special focus on entrances to the parks and on the network of roads and paths within them.The Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, via Regional Law No. 42 dated 30 September 1996, estab-lished the Dolomiti Friulane regional Nature Park. This law also indicates the purposes of the park, that can be summarised as follows:– conservation, safeguarding and restoration of the ecosystems– social and economic promotion– scientific research– education and training– experimentation.The protected area of the Dolomiti Friulane is a full member of the Rete Alpina delle Aree Pro-tette (Alpine Network of Protected Areas) and of the Federazione Nazionale dei Parchi Naturali e Aree Protette (Italian Federation of Nature Parks and Protected Areas); it is also a member of the network of Dolomite Parks, since it operates actively in the exchange and co-ordination activities between the protected areas of the entire Dolomite range.The remaining part of the Dolomites nominated area is anyhow a member of the Nature 2000 Network pursuant to the European directives “Habitats”, No. 43/92 and “Birds”, No. 403/79. Any intervention potentially capable of changing the naturalistic conditions of the areas is sub-ject to an environmental impact assessment.As from 1997, the Italian legislation has acknowledged these directives through specific regu-lations. Each Region and each Autonomous Province has then proceeded to issue its own laws about this matter, as the DGR* dated 4 October 2002 by the Veneto region, regional Law No. 13 dated 9 November 1998 by Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Provincial Law No. 10 dated 15 December 2004 by the Autonomous Province of Trento and the DPGP** dated 18 December 2001 No. 52-I/II by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano. Moreover, there are many other equally important orders for the safeguarding of specific territo-rial and mountain environment systems. Worthy of mention are the following, already listed in the nomination dossier.Landscape: Art. 142 of the “Codice Urbani” (Legislative Decree No. 42 dated 22 February 2004, – O.G. No. 45/2004, O.S. No. 28 – “Codice dei beni culturali e del paesaggio” [Code of cultural and landscape properties]) and the Provincial Town-Planning Schemes impose restrictions, ac-cording to their scenic value, on the areas surrounding lakes, on the banks of rivers and streams registered on the lists of public waters, on mountain areas above 1600 metres a.s.l. (that is all of the nominated area), on glaciers and glacial cirques and, finally, on forests.Hydro-geology: all of the nominated land is under hydro-geological restriction pursuant to RDL*** 3267/1923 and of the Provincial Town-Planning Schemes. This means that whatever intervention capable of creating conditions of risk in the stability of the slopes, including the conversion of for-ests into pasture land, is subjected to specially strict authorization procedures.Flora: all of the Regions and Provinces have regulations that protect the floral species of high naturalistic value.Fauna: similar regional and provincial legislation has been activated for the safeguarding of wild animals, in harmony with the Outline Law that safeguards all vertebrate animal species. As re-gards game, subjects eligible for hunting are chosen according to monitoring and the ensuing permitted hunter-kill ratios or the number of animals to be removed are calculated in relation to the size of the populations or anyhow compatibly with the general status of the species. It should be noted also that within the Dolomites, the relationship between hunters and territory is an ob-


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ligated one, a fundamental link that ensures the safeguarding of game.Geology: all Regions and Provinces restrict – or forbid, in some cases – the recovery or removal of minerals and of paleonthological finds.Forests: nowhere within the Dolomites is clear felling allowed, and to make sure that forests con-tinue to thrive, natural renovation techniques are used. This helps keep land-sliding under con-trol and to maintain the ecological quality of forest ecosystems. By focusing on the safeguarding of animal species that live in the forests, the whole territory is under very precise and detailed regulations that govern the use of forests. All public forests and part of the private ones are sub-ject to regular management plans and their use is allowed according to the rules given in these documents, subject to the evaluation and approval by the Regional or Provincial technical de-partments in charge of such things. For quite a few centuries now, it is common rule in the Do-lomites that the quantity of biomass that can be removed from a forest must be smaller than the increase in tree stands; this is one of the most important principles of forest management sustain-ability, in perfect harmony with the principles of Kyoto.Waters: the tapping of water from springs and streams is subject to compliance with the mini-mum vital outflow, the magnitude of which is defined by the Catchment Basin Management Plans prepared by the competent national and regional authorities. The two provinces of Tren-to and of Bolzano are Catchment Basin Management Authorities for their respective territories (D.P.R. No. 470/1999).

The list of all these provisions, that favour the Protection of resources in the Dolomites area, is given in the Dossier, together with the requested documentation. It is, all told, a formidable safe-guarding system for the environment, for the landscape and for nature, certainly sufficient for the Dolomites area, both within and without the boundaries of the nominated Property.An excellent measure for an even more strict conservation policy would be the gradual harmoni-sation of the implementation systems for the regulations indicated above, obviously of those de-fined through local laws and regulations, that could be adopted by the coordinated management body set up by the local authorities involved via a specific Programme Agreement.

Today, the greatest difficulty encountered in proposing a unitary conservation plan lies in the im-possibility of harmonising, at least over the short-medium term, the legislative systems of the var-ious Provinces and Regions as concerns the safeguarding of nature, all the more as some of these systems are quite recent while others have almost reached the end of their legislative course. Only a few spaces for manoeuvre have remained, within which the negotiations taking place within the coordinated management body could send out signals of methodological harmonisation re-garding the Management plans of the SCIs (sites of European community importance) and of the SPZs (special protection zones). From this standpoint, by way of example it is interesting to re-port the remarks of the Italian Ministry of Heritage and Cultural Activities and of the Ministry for the Environment, summarised as follows.The commitment to place a property under protection can be reasonably undertaken only at the simultaneous occurrence of at least two conditions:


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– the property is recognised as having an objective value, and– it is threatened, the threat also being objectively definable.As already remarked in the Dossier, one must refer to the concept of risk, the size of which is connected to the loss in naturalistic value of an ecological system, in its turn being a func-tion of:– the dangerousness of actions capable of producing degradation in the system’s structure or func-

tionality,– the value attributed to the system’s components (e.g.: environmental and biotic components)

subjected to the danger (elements at risk), – the vulnerability of the elements at risk.The dangerousness (p) is defined as the probability that a natural or man-provoked phenomenon capable of creating damage will occur. In statistical terms, it can be defined as the expected fre-quency of occurrence of a given calamitous event. Therefore it depends also on the structure of the territory and on the activities it hosts.The areas or systems affected by phenomena capable of causing damage are vulnerable, i.e. they suffer from a specific vulnerability (V). This means that when the action of a risk producer occurs, each element at risk can suffer damage, the entity of which depends on its sensitivity. Vulnerabil-ity (V) measures this aptitude for suffering damage, and more precisely it indicates what is the system percentage (or of the system’s component) that can be damaged. This quantity is usually described by a number between 0 (no damage) and 1 (total loss).The damage (D) the system may suffer is in proportion to the its value (i.e ecological, environ-mental, economic, social, etc.).The risk (R) is the magnitude that links dangerousness (p), potential damage (D) and vulnerabil-ity (V) according to the formula:

R = D * p * VIt is important, therefore, in planning the safeguarding of a territory rich in highly valuable re-sources (natural, agricultural, environmental, etc.), to identify the factors that can put them at risk, to establish their dangerousness and to provide a measure of the resources’ vulnerability vis-à-vis each one of these factors.Indeed, the greater the risk, the more energetic and well-planned the safeguarding action must be.

This is also why in the system datasheets and in the monitoring datasheets not only the naturalistic value of each area has been highlighted, but also their elements of weakness and fragility (vulner-ability) as well as the trends of change that are affecting them from the environmental, naturalis-tic and sometimes economic and social standpoints. In a word, the sheets indicate the threats (and the risks) that these systems face.The 22 system datasheets attached to the dossier, as well as to this Management plan, therefore are excellent tools for the initial assessment of the value and of the integrated vulnerability of each part of the Dolomites Asset, and for a preliminary identification of risk factors. They can build the base for the anticipated methodological harmonisation of the Management plan for the fu-ture Special Conservation Zones (SIC and SPZ).

Actions The Monitoring Plan

For standard and effective protection of such a wide-ranging and fragmented system such as the Dolomite one, it should be stated that even a small alteration in any of the elements constituting


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alteration in the local communities could put the biological assets and those of the various eco-systems of the naturale heritage at risk, also because to essential links within the ecological net-work of the Dolomites would no longer be available.In order to get an idea of the magnitude of this observation, suffice it to remember that in this part of the Alps, which due to its very nature is greatly fragmented and disaggregated by strongly an-thropized systems, the efficiency of the metapopulation structures acts as basis for the homeostatic capacity of the most important fauna communities. Therefore, the present ecologic balance, and consequently the ability of maintaining and of sustaining biodiversity at the genetic level, greatly depends on the links existing between one part and the other of the territorial complex.Precisely because of the fragility (vulnerability) of these links, great care is required in preserving the small but ecologically almost intact parts (areas of excellence) immersed in the vast matrix of the Dolomites, and in continuously monitoring their structure and their operational status.Monitoring therefore is fundamental in order to keep check of the system’s status. This is why it must be well planned in order to be an effective “emergency” control and management tool, as for example for the immediate activation of recovery interventions, when it is required to react imme-diately against a possible cause of degradation. This is the direction taken by the “Habitats” Direc-tive when it assigns to a Monitoring Plan the function of ecosystem and environment quality con-trol operator within the SCIs should the member states, local bodies or management structures in charge of controlling the SCIs declare that there is no need for a specific Management plan (how-ever, in this case too there are several mandatory conservation measures to be implemented).

In presence of known threats, safeguarding is not ensured by the monitoring plan alone. Moni-toring finely meshes with the Management plan by helping with and perfecting its knowledge collection phase, as if it were a feed-back mechanism that generates a continuing refinement of the objectives, the adjustment of restoration and requalification interventions, the implementa-tion of new activities, and so on. In these terms, the monitoring plan favours not only the peri-odic verification of the sites’ characteristics, but also the assessment of the negative effects caused by the sources of disturbance and ultimately the definition and calibration of the countermeas-ures to be adopted.Monitoring therefore remains a strategic tool for naturalistic, environmental and scenic conserva-tion, by which the managing body – in this case the Provinces and Regions, each with the tools be-longing to its own operational autonomy – determines where, how and when to intervene. In view of the future harmonisation of the technical effort, monitoring can interact with management as-pects because it allows for the perception of threats to the continuity of the values linked to the territory and to the habitats and species, as well as for the measurement of the risk they run.Actually, many institutes involved in environmental protection and naturalistic safeguarding ac-tivities, such as Parks, are currently carrying out naturalistic and environmental monitoring pro-grammes based on criteria and methods that differ from case to case.Therefore, this Management plan can suggest once again a gradual harmonisation process be-tween the bodies and the technical structures already applying monitoring processes, so that in time they may achieve a uniform and therefore much more effective knowledge of the structure and of the functionality of the Dolomites’ ecological systems.

The future monitoring plan should focus on the systems described in the factsheets attached to the nomination dossier, and most of all should refer to the ecosystems known and detected with-in the boundaries of the nominated Property, and of the relevant intermediate areas, as well as to the more valuable components of the ecosystems.These are the elements on which the organisation chart of the observation activities should be defined and planned, namely the areas in which observation activities shall be conducted, the ob-servation procedures, the frequency and the indicators that current knowledge elects as the most


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effective in defining the maintenance of the most precious ecological assets.The structure of the monitoring plan should be divided into three main phases:– identification of the system types that are most critical for territory qualification and for the

subsequent assessment of its preservation status (maintenance of satisfactory equilibria, evalu-ation of ongoing threats, effectiveness of safeguarding actions, etc.);

– choice of the most effective indicators for identifying, in terms of quantity or anyhow paramet-rically, the magnitude of the property’s value and that of the possible damage caused by threats or degradation factors. These indicators should also identify the dynamics under way and the effects of the safeguarding actions, this being the main objective of the nomination;

– the coding of the criteria, methods and execution times for the observations and the choice of forms of data storage, assessment and publication.

The ecological systems that deserve the greatest attention are: – High-altitude grass systems (natural high-altitude pasture and prairie areas)– Moorlands and bushlands– Shrub areas, dwarf pine woods and wooded crags– Watercourses– Lakes– Peat bogs and wetlands– Perpetual glaciers– Naked rock habitats.

Possible indicators are:– vegetation systems

– Areas covered by vegetation systems of the types indicated above, including naked rock habi-tats;

– wild fauna systems– Aquatic and wetland fauna: fish, amphibians and water reptiles

– definition of a check list for the species present in the site under observation;– Birds:

– Rock ptarmigan, Black grouse, Golden eagle– distribution of indicator species and estimate of their populations

– Other faunistic emergencies– landscape systems

– panoramic cones and changes in quantity of landscape components– anthropic systems

– presence of tourists and excursionists.


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In summary, monitoring envisages:

INDICATOR MONITORED SITES

MONITORING TECHNIQUES

AND AUTHORITES IN CHARGE

FREQUENCY AND PERIOD SIGNIFICANCE

Rock ptarmigamLagopus mutus helvetica

Game preserves Provinces.Spring census on song

Every year Vulnerable species, classified as being of Community interest based on the Birds Directive; populates the entire nominates area and, as it is sensitive to tourist activities and to human presence in general, is a good indicator of the “load capacity” of high-altitude natural systems

Black grouseTetrao tetrix

Game preserves; Dolomiti BellunesiNational Park

Provinces.Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park.Spring census at song arenas; summer census on sample areas to assess reproductive success

Every year Vulnerable species, classified as being of Community interest based on the Birds Directive; indicator for forest systems and especially for those ecosystems that develop on the boundary between the forest upper limit and high-altitude prairies (dwarf pine woods, alder tree woods, rhododendron shrub areas, subalpine woods – used or not for grazing – etc.). Since it is used as game throughout the area, the black grouse can also be considered an excellent indicator of congruity of the fauna management systems with the nomination’s inspiring principles

Golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos

Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park; Dolomiti di Fanes, Senes and Braies National Park

Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park; Dolomiti di Fanes, Senes and Braies National ParkSearch for nests and their monitoring with assessment of reproductive success

Every 3 years Vulnerable species, classified as being of Community interest based on the Birds Directive; it is a super-predator that as well as being of intrinsic value can be used as an “umbrella species”: the status and dynamics of its populations are good indicators of the conditions of the fauna community and, in general, of the conditions of mountain ecosystems

Number of species of Community importance

Natura 2000 Network areas (SCIs and SPZs) of each system

Provinces and Regions, Nature ParksField observations together with data from “ad hoc” research studies

Every 5 years The abundance of species of Community interest is a good indicator of the condition of the fauna systems, in turn correlated to the overall health of the ecosystems and to their tolerance of human presence

Natura 2000 sites

Natura 2000 Network areas (SCIs and SPZs) of each system

Provinces and Regions, Nature ParksField observations together with data from “ad hoc” research studies. Indications on surface areas and vegetation species of each habitat

Every 3 years Monitoring of the most significant habitats of Community interest for each Natura 2000 Network site is an excellent indicator of the ecosystems’ health, and in particular of how management systems are capable of ensuring the safeguarding of the most sensitive and vulnerable sites

Surface area of glacial systems

Agola, Fradusta and Marmolada glaciers

Province of Trento, CAI

Every 2 years Climate changes; loss of resources


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Evolution of high-altitude grass systems

Malga Flavona, Malga Arza

Parks, permanent areas, photographs

Every year Climate changes; evolution in the man-to-mountain ratio

Variety and integrity of landscape components

Each system Provinces and Regions.Photographs taken from fixed observation points, representative of landscape types of each area, and their subsequent evaluation

Every year This is a good indicator, easy to use thanks to the facility with which data can be collected and processed. Joint analysis of the various photos over the years can define evolution trends, both at local and at general levels (e.g: forest expansion, buildings, infrastructures, changes in optical cones and in panoramic viewpoints, etc.)

Water quality Travignolo, Canali

Province of Trento, samplings

Every 2 years Pressures and environmental changes

Presence of tourists/excursionists

At the mountain refugesAlong paths (one path per park)

Provinces and Regions, Parks Number of visitors (meals, overnight stays)

Every year, every week in August

Monitoring of humans travelling along one or more paths, repeated over the years, is a formidable and yet simple indicator of tourist presence in peak human pressure periods (August), when the impact on ecosystems can reach danger level

In addition to the data listed above, it is advisable also to collect indications on other aspects of the territory, such as, for example, the description of the perceived threats and their nature, es-pecially when they tend to exert a negative impact on the habitats and on the species of interest to the European Directives, and the signalling of dynamics under way, including impairment of the hydro-geological equilibrium.

Monitoring of the footpath network

The network of footpaths is the fundamental web along which most excursion itineraries and ac-cess trails to Dolomite crags for rock climbing and alpine activities develop. In the buffer zones, this same network of footpaths often remains the backbone of residual but fundamental primary activities. Beyond the network of CAI/AVS, the Dolomite territory indeed features an infinite number of paths, often reduced to faint tracks, opened and marked in order to facilitate the use of the land’s primary resources. In many cases, they represent one of the last examples of man’s activity in these mountains (woodsmen, shepherds, coal makers, hunters, poachers, as well as wayfarers, traders, pilgrims, etc.) and are itineraries of exceptional value as witnesses of the an-cient relations between man and mountain and of the balance they achieved in centuries of care-ful, difficult and dangerous work.Giovanni Angelini wrote about mountain paths (Sentieri, 1972): “I believe that not many of those who walk the mountains ever give much thought to footpaths, that live of the life of men. How many … ask themselves how a footpath is born and progresses, how it is confirmed and consolidated, develops deviations or variants or breaks, or how it falls into disuse, deteriorates, is lost or cancelled, and finally disappears? And yet, each footpath has its history and, shall we say, its reason for being, that dates back in time, all the way back to the first settlements in the valleys”.The Plan therefore suggests to the local authorities, as well as to the structures anyhow involved in the management of the territory, the monitoring of the minor kinematic network, which is also an action of primary importance both for calibrating the bearing capacity of the sites, for


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verifying the risks that threaten highly vulnerable priority resources and for periodically verifying the opportunities connected with the enhancement of the Dolomites area, in terms of responsi-ble use and naturalistic and environmental education provided via the use of specific guides. Ref-erence is made, to this regard, to the Promotion and Communication Plans.Mountains, and the Dolomites in particular, would lose part of their ancient charm if mankind should lose the memory of the fact that they have never been barriers but often safe communi-cation pathways.

Wild animal health monitoring

The Plan reports the existence of several emergencies among the animal species that demand at-tention due to their possible adverse effects on the subsistence of the current naturalistic values. This mainly regards the presence of allochthonous species, that have as of now colonised the ter-ritory, but also indicates the possibility of further entries of species that, although of great natu-ralistic interest per se, may cause disruption due to changes in the vegetation. Finally, it stresses the need to reach, through the harmonisation of the technical actions developed by each single local authority, an agreement among the protocols for the control of the health aspects of domes-tic as well as wild animal species, so as to prevent the onset and dissemination of dangerous dis-eases. The recent and devastating sarcoptic mange epidemic that hit the chamois and steinbock populations is proof of the risk constantly run by the Dolomites’ dense populations. The monitoring action suggested here obviously is intimately connected with the scientific re-search sector, considered in the enhancement plan, and in any case requires collaboration with qualified specialised centres, such as Universities, especially those with structures dedicated to the management of the greater fauna (veterinary medicine, zootechny), as well as with the Istituto per la Fauna Selvatica and with the Istituto Zooprofilattico delle Tre Venezie.

The control of allochthonous species

Moufflon (Ovis musimon)Introduced in the Seventies, this species expanded its distribution area into many environments of great naturalistic value, especially in the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park (Erera-Brendol-Ag-neleze area), that has already launched a research programme on the consistency of the popula-tion and on its potential.Competition of the moufflon with other ungulate species has already been reported in other con-texts, and seems to increase heavily in the winter months when this species competes even with the roebuck at lower altitudes.The Plan therefore backs the need to hold the dissemination of the allochthonous species under con-trol, to the advantage of the populations of indigenous species, also in order to safeguard biodiversity.

Mink-otter (Mustela vison)Its presence has been reported in the Dolomites area (Val Cordevole, Val di San Martino-BL), and indications of this species’ possible expansion are cause for concern about the safeguarding of autochthonous biodiversity due to possible interspecific competition, for example with the stone-marten and with the pine-marten.


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Fish speciesInvestigation on the biological quality of the water ways and basins allows to define, albeit sum-marily, several types of adverse impact caused by:

– Environmental changes linked to water withdrawals and to the creation of dams, obviously only within the buffer zone, but with sure repercussions at higher altitudes too;

– Apparently complete artificialization of the populations of brook trout caused by the introduc-tions in the past, and consequent reduction or even disappearance of populations with pheno-type characteristics referable to the autochthonous brook trout (Mediterranean stock);

– Presence in several streams of trout only, a species originating in North America, derived from ancient introductions;

– Widespread presence in the lakes of other allochthonous or introduced species.The Plan therefore suggests the activation of a system for controlling the autochthonous popula-tions with a view to containing the allochthonous ones, not least through harmonisation of the certified re-introduction strategies.

The safeguarding of exceptional autochthonous species

Corncrake (Crex crex)This is the only bird species of the Dolomites area that is considered globally threatened at Euro-pean level, so much so that its regular presence at a site, no matter how abundant the population, is deemed sufficient reason for inserting that site in the list of areas of international importance for birds (Important Bird Areas).It is therefore advisable that the coordinated management body of the local authorities involved address the issue of safeguarding this species, and that it suggest the development of synergic strategies for pasture management, so as to ensure the maintenance and possibly the increase in the populations of this species living in the Dolomites.The indications already prepared by the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park can be used as an ex-ample for the common document that, it is hoped, will be drawn up by the local authorities in-volved.

Bearded vulture (Gypaëtus barbatus)This large vulture once populated the Dolomites, as witnessed by sightings dating back to the 19th century. Following a successful re-introduction programme conducted by the Hohentauern Park in Austria, the species has started repopulating the skies over the Dolomites and it is fairly often sighted, especially in the Ampezzo area and in the northern part of the nominated area. The availability of food (wild and domestic ungulates) is a good omen for this species’ return, al-though such a re-colonisation should take decades.

Bear (Ursus arctos)The first reappearance of the bear in the Dolomites, with the exception of the Adamello Brenta park, in which the species never went extinct, dates back to a few years ago, in the Val Tovanel-la nature reserve (Belluno), within the core area of the Bosconero range. The phenomenon falls within the broader context of the “return of the large predators” process currently under way; these animals are actually favoured in their expansion westwards by environmental conditions that are once again suitable for them. Man’s abandonment of vast areas of land and the availabil-


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ity of prey (especially ungulates) are certainly some of the more relevant factors in these dynam-ics. Bears are now often observed, even outside the Brenta area and, although they are isolated specimens, their numbers seem to be increasing in the Dolomites area. This re-colonisation is occurring both in some of the areas of excellence proposed and in many buffer zones, as well as in external areas closer to human settlements, where the bear appreciates the crops, the livestock and the apiaries. The maintenance of an efficient, extended and continuous ecological network is a fundamental condition favouring the further growth of this population species.

Lynx (Lynx lynx)After disappearing from the Dolomites many years ago, the lynx too is making a come-back, starting from the Slovack and Austrian populations. This re-colonisation is involving basically the entire Dolomites area, although in the last few years the signs of its presence have started to fade. It is not known whether this fact is due to a slow-down in searching activities or to an ac-tual decrease in the population, perhaps caused by poaching.Anyhow, the environmental conditions and the availability of prey (especially the roebuck) are op-timal in many parts of the Dolomites area and in its buffer zones. This bodes well for the future, in the hope that the lynx may return to these forests and resume its role as a priority predator.

Golden Jackal (Canis aureus)This is a very elusive species, although its presence has often been reported in the Dolomites in the last few years. The first specimen to be found officially in Italy was reported in San Vito di Cadore, in the Mount Pelmo area. This species is now penetrating the Italian territory in a north-eastern direction, coming from the Balkans, an area that for the last few decades has already been involved by a northerly migration coming from Greece and from Anatolia. Other sightings, very difficult to verify, have been reported in the areas adjacent to the Dolomites area, especially in the neighbouring mountains of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.


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THE COMMUNICATION, INFORMATION AND CONSENSUS PLAN

Objectives

The Ministerial notes give the following guidelines for the Management plan: “In preparing the Plan, special attention should be paid to the involvement of local communities and actors, with a view to let them take part in the decision-making process and to obtain bottom up verification.Within the framework of a plan-process continuously honed through the monitoring of the results ob-tained and the adjustment of strategies connected with the periodical verification of such results, the opinion of the local communities is an essential stage that the Management plan must go through”.The note then adds that: “In order to involve the local actors, we recommend to organise infor-mation and awareness actions. Indeed, the acquisition of social support is essential for the success of enhancement initiatives if one wishes to avoid that the plans “overwrite” social reality and to have them blend in well with local experience”.The growth in identity awareness, linked to the feeling of belonging to a special land, that some-how helps mitigate any differences in culture, language or customs typical of valley societies, is an essential tool in making effective the conservation strategies for the Dolomites’ values, and not only at normative level. This aspect shall be a priority objective of the Environmental Education Programmes to be prepared by the Provinces and Regions in collaboration with the local authori-ties and with the environmental protection agencies.Obviously, it is also necessary to demonstrate with facts the economic effectiveness of cultural promotion, or at least the absence of any restraints or renunciations linked to the adoption of the UNESCO strategies. But the long-lasting success of the initiative would be difficult to achieve with-out the participation in choice-making and the joint preparation of projects that take into account the different expectations of the populations and of the economic operators in each Province, mak-ing them compliant with the European directives and with UNESCO’s recommendations.This is why there is a common front that pushes for the reinforcement of the information and awareness-building initiatives, requesting that the management plans be implemented through an involvement process that generates consensus among citizens and their representatives in pub-lic bodies, among entrepreneurs and among the other public and private subjects and opinion groups called to express their thought on the various issues touched by the plan. Many are the methods for activating and sustaining this kind of participation, ranging from the more simple and immediate information conferences and debates to the more complex methods involving scientific procedures taken from the fields of sociology and psychology.


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In the case at hand, the first path seems to be the easiest. Indeed, to date it has been often used through the organisation of many public meetings to discuss the problems and opportunities linked to the nomination. This process first involved the Provinces and then, in close sequence, the Regions and the municipal authorities. In any event, it is hoped that the opposite process will be the case, via which citizens and stakeholders such as the various associations that are active across the area, the other public and private entities and persons that are in someway involved or affected by the UNESCO initiative, make their expectations and suggestions known to municipal, provincial and regional authorities.

Equally important is communication with the world beyond the Dolomites territory and popula-tions. In this case, the process actually consists in the promotion of these mountains, riding the thin line between tourist promotion and exhaustive information on the various aspects of local culture.This is a well-trod path, using all of the traditional systems for presentation and promotion, such as the participation in media events, exhibitions and fairs, the development of advertising cam-paigns, the printing of publications, books and articles in papers and magazines, as well as the use of the many other tools for information dissemination and circulation put at the disposal of this sector’s professionals by the current means of communication, including technological networks. In this context, the UNESCO websites, at regional, national and international level, are the first in-stitutional stepping-stones of the Communication Plan together with the ministerial websites.

There is one priority objective, however, that although less immediately achieved is certainly more qualifying for the effort made by the general government, and namely that of the education and training in environment and nature issues, i.e. in the principles of sustainable development and of the conservation of the Planet’s non-renewable resources.This is the main issue addressed by the Communication Plan. While referring to the activities al-ready planned and launched by individual provincial and regional authorities, the Plan also sug-gests the strengthening and harmonisation of the activities, projects and actions intended for the wider range of users: residents, children and school pupils, researchers and nature lovers, and most importantly tourists, to all of whom many strong and firm messages should be sent stating the need to respect the values of nature, of the environment and of the landscape of the Dolomites, in other words of the outstanding values that are being only temporarily placed at their disposal.

The Communication, information and consensus plan therefore invites the Provinces involved to strive towards the gradual and synergic planning and activation of a whole range of different sys-tems for a conscious involvement of people in a respectful attitude towards the nominated Prop-erty. These systems are:


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– organised on structural bases, i.e. concretely hosted by reception, welcome and escort buildings and infrastructures, in which it will be possible to come into direct contact with the user-target of the communication. This envisages, where not already available, the organization of several structures and itineraries to be used in functional support of specific information and training activities;

– based on the circulation of written material specifically prepared for the inscription on the list of World Heritage sites and meant for a generic and unknown user-target (dissemination pub-lications, videos, exhibitions, leaflets, etc.);

– founded on the direct participation of the user-target in information and cultural training activi-ties based on issues concerning the identity of valley populations and on the values common to the entire Dolomites area. As already mentioned, this prevailingly translates into the adjustment of the environmental education programmes and plans already envisaged by the local authorities involved in the nomination and to be implemented through the involvement of the municipali-ties, the schools, the cultural associations, local experts and, most importantly, local families.

All of the above require that the local authorities decide to assign and distribute the various struc-tures and activities uniformly throughout the valleys of the nominated Dolomites area, so that the populations and subjects active within the territory fully perceive and approve the initiatives and the opportunities they bring.In compliance with the principles of the “science of risks”, the activities shall be developed in lo-cations with the lowest environmental vulnerability, as defined in the Conservation Plan, and the projects shall be differentiated based on the characteristics of the possible beneficiaries.

Finally, the Plan also suggests the identification and setting up of the places deemed most suitable for supporting the communication and dissemination activities defined in the first category. The authorities, at various levels shall then have to make the actual political choice of activating the communication process, without prejudice to the fact that said choices must not be conditioned only by the onerousness of the interventions but in the first place by the quantity of objectives to be achieved.

Actions


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The access system and the Doors to the Dolomites

Due to its peculiar morphological and structural characteristics, the territory of the Dolomites can be accessed from the valley bottom carriage roads. A thick network of paths then allows ac-cess to almost the entire area of naturalistic value, including the buffer zones, and sometimes even to the areas of excellence, except for the rocky massifs that are so steep as to prevent access to any-one who is not an expert in vertical rock climbing.The access points to the Dolomites feature two different aspects. On the one hand, the relative facility of transit on the major roads leading in allows even the occasional visitor visiting the area – driven by reasons that go beyond the nomination or a specific information about the values of the places of destination – to fully perceive the charm and the attractions that the landscape is capable of expressing with immediacy. On the other hand, the myriad paths of varying levels of difficulty lead to places of exceptional value, not only of a scenic kind, the multiformity of which can be enjoyed only by enhancing one’s mountain experience through the choice of tar-geted preventive information or through the presence of an expert escort or of a specialised and qualified guide. In this case, the excursion is enriched by flora and fauna sightings or by stimuli for research or study or anyhow involving on-location learning.

Thus the Plan bases on these two types of access the first and more immediate communicational and educational measures.The first measure consists first of all in the quick, almost immediate indication that one is enter-ing an area of exceptional naturalistic and scenic value. In the easiest manner possible, the ob-jective is reached through the carefully studied and discrete positioning of a set of road signs an-nouncing the so-called Doors to the Dolomites. In general they will be posted at the entrances to the valleys, and bear the valley name to attest local identity, as well as – where possible – the name of the main mountain ranges that represent the Dolomites asset in that location.At the passes, in the rest and parking areas, at the restoration structures, the simple communica-tion that one is now in the Land of the Dolomites can be further enriched, always using specific and discrete posters and signs, by additional messages such as the indication of the mountain ranges and peaks visible from that specific location, of the morphological details, of the naturalis-tic revelations in store for those who decide to trek a few of the footpaths in the immediate area.The information could be completed by indications on the welcome and escort services avail-able in the valley, as well as on the structures put in place for guiding the visitor in his logistic and cultural choices.A third and richer information level can take place in towns and tourist hospitality and service facilities (hotels, restaurants, bars, newsstands, etc.), where information points should be installed for the distribution of illustrative material such as leaflets and brochures, good quality general in-formation publications and specialised books.


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This level of information is closely related to the second type of access and to the relevant infor-mation and training system, based on the footpaths themselves and, if necessary, on the accom-paniment by expert guides.As regards the naturalistic accesses, the Plan suggests that the institutions in charge of the tour-ism sector:– locate such accesses along itineraries that feature high quality and low vulnerability;– reduce to a minimum the service infrastructures (parking areas, rest areas, etc.), in order to

eliminate or at least mitigate their impact as much as possible, while explaining to the benefi-ciaries the motivations of such choice;

– envisage and encourage the use of expert figures, therefore possibly giving rise to derived eco-nomic activities.

In this case, too, the Plan does not override in any way the processes and actions already launched by local authorities, but rather encourages harmonisation among them so that they may achieve the highest level of efficiency in terms of virtuous behaviour on the part of those who in some way use the Dolomites and its surrounding areas.For this reason, the information points should be located preferentially at the Nature reserves’ visi-tor centres, which could conveniently place the logo of the Dolomites next to that of the host-ing structure.

Research and the quest for knowledge

The nomination of the Dolomites offers a few ideas for reasoning about the scientific research that has developed in that area and about the opportunity of identifying and of defining further study, observation and research lines.At least two aspects of the vast and diverse scientific world should be considered: the first con-cerns the researchers, the second the issues to be studied, namely the themes of importance for


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the development and conservation of the Dolomites, for the enhancement of the scenic and nat-uralistic heritage that qualifies them and for the organisation of the monitoring based on the in-terpretation and quantification of the results obtained with the launching of the enterprise.Much has already been said about the Dolomites in their role as a subject of scientific research and as an exceptional natural laboratory. Botanics, zoology and geology, in their many aspects, have found cause for spectacular progress from the variety of environments and from the multi-plicity of conditions that these mountains offer in the changing evolution of life, of which they show breathtaking signs dating back to various hundreds of million years ago.The international scientific literature abounds in articles by researchers who have seen and lived the Dolomites as a place for observation, experience and experimentation. The references at-tached to the dossier and to the Plan are only a small example of the most significant contribu-tions in such literature.

Research centresEqually important proof of the scientific value of the Dolomites as venue for pure and applied research is the basically uniformly distributed net of research centres and of other structures dedi-cated to the collection of specific scientific documentation concerning the fields of study involv-ing the Dolomites. Among these, it is noteworthy to mention here at least the ones emanating from university structures, or anyhow institutionally connected to universities or to national re-search centres (CNR, Ministries). Among the former is the Laboratorio di Ecologia Montana (Mountain Ecology Laboratory) of the University of Padua, located in San Vito di Cadore (Bel-luno), the Dolomites’ oldest research structure (established in 1960) and specifically dedicat-ed to the study of forests, of the environment and of the man-nature relationship. Around San Vito there are many sites in which research is conducted in specifically fitted areas: Croda Da Lago, Cinque Torri, Santa Fosca and Bacino del Rio Cordon, Santo Stefano di Cadore, are the place names that identify the areas equipped for these research projects. The Agrarian Faculty of the University of Viterbo runs a branch in the Tesino (Trento) plateau that, although outside the Dolomites area, has launched quite a few scientific activities reaching into the heart of the nominated Property. For the last 40 years, the University of Florence has been developing re-search projects stably relying on the forestry structures that the Province of Trento owns inside the boundaries of the Paneveggio-Pale di San Martino Natural Park. The Province of Trento at institutional level also develops research studies at the Centro di Ecologia Alpina (Alpine Ecol-ogy Centre) in the Viote locality of Monte Bondone, a neighbour mountain of the Brenta Do-lomites. In this case too, the Centre is a coordination structure for a myriad research projects de-veloped in the Dolomites area (Brenta, Carega), concerning sectors such as high altitude plant eco-physiology, alpine fauna, soil, as well as sociology-related issues and the conditions of women in mountain communities.The Universities of Trento, Bolzano and Innsbruck, the European Academy with headquarters in Bolzano and the Universities of Udine and Trieste organise most of their scientific and teaching activities with reference to the mountain territory surrounding them. University courses envis-age experimental and practical lessons, and this makes the Dolomites the place of excellence for many topics. Padua, with its faculties of Agrarian (Forest and Environmental Science), Scientific (Biology, Natural science, Geology) and Engineering (Environmental and Territorial Engineer-ing, Hydraulics) studies, entrusts a very large number of its frontal teaching hours and on-the-field lessons to its branches in San Vito and Bressanone. The Fondazione Angelini and, through it, the Municipality of Belluno, offer that university and its faculties fundamental logistic sup-port for intensive courses that are held, for the open-air part, in the Dolomites area of the Na-tional Park. A similar approach is implemented by the Adamello Brenta Natural Park, with its guest houses and logistic structures. The Dolomites are a classroom venue also for the Faculty of Agrarian studies (Forest and Environmental Science) and the Faculty of Science and Engineering


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of the Universities of Ferrara, Ancona, Bari and others, as well as of the obvious ones of Trento and Udine.A site of excellence is the Laboratorio di Ecologia (Ecology Laboratory) in San Vito di Cadore that hosts the PhD School “Territorio, Ambiente, Risorse e Salute” (Territory, Environment, Re-sources and Health), specialising in six different lines of study, including medicine, hydraulics, economy and ecology. This is one of the most important and prestigious PhD schools of the Uni-versity of Padua, the more so as it entertains high-level international relationships.The Veneto region has established in Arabba di Livinallongo del Col di Lana (Belluno) a very important research centre dedicated to nivology, hydrology and alpine meteorology. This centre is networked with a large number of other centres active in the other Provinces and within the Alps, that are in charge of the meteorological service for the Dolomites area and of the funda-mental service of protection against and prevention of avalanches.Trento hosts the quite dynamic “Istituto sperimentale per l’assestamento e l’alpicoltura” (Experi-mental Centre for forestry management and alpine farming) of the Ministry of Agricultural and Forest Policies, where pure and applied research is conducted in the field of forest and prairie monitoring, among other things.Many Natural Science museums, such as the ones in Trento (Museo Tridentino), Rovereto (Mu-sei Civici), Bolzano, and Udine (Museo di Storia Naturale), in addition to their traditional re-cording and documentation roles, statutorily carry out important research activities, in our case well documented, in the botanical, zoological, geological and hydro-lymnological sectors. More-over, they are often entrusted with dissemination and scientific training tasks, intended for adults as well as for young people, often hosted by peripheral structures of valley towns.This is why museums should be entrusted with a primary role in the achievement of the objec-tives of the Communication plan.

Study and documentation centresThe fact that scientific culture and the thirst for knowledge of the natural processes and phenom-ena are a vital part of mountain populations is demonstrated by the large number of study and documentation centres operating even at great distances from major cities. It is worth mention-ing at least a few of them, although one should never underestimate the grassroots cultural ac-tion developed by town clubs or libraries or the curators of the small theme museums scattered in each valley, which is essential for the upkeep of the local culture and strong identity frequently referred to in the address document of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities.Suffice it to mention, one for all of the equally worthy: the Foundation established in memo-ry of Giovanni Angelini, a medical doctor and a cultivator of natural science, CAI scholar and promoter of the Parco Nazionale Dolomiti Bellunesi. He gave the city of Belluno a collection of books, articles, documents, prints and paintings as well as many other types of documents con-cerning the mountains, and the Dolomites in particular, that has no equal in the entire Alpine area. This Foundation has organised for the last ten years international conferences and semi-nars in collaboration with the Universities of Padua, Ferrara, Innsbruck, München and Gréno-ble and with CEALP of Trento. The Foundation also promotes and runs university level courses, one of which is offered yearly on the geography and ecology of the Dolomites. Equally active in organising scientific and cultural activities are many other foundations, too, such as the Fon-dazione Antonio Berti that dynamically promotes the safeguarding of the Dolomites, the Società Filologica Friulana, the Museo di Tolmezzo, the Centro Etnografico of Sauris di Sopra that col-lects the most significant aspects of the local community, the Museo Geologico of Ampezzo, the Museo dell’Orologio of Pesariis and the Museo dell’Occhiale of Cadore, supported by the foun-dation by the same name, as well as other institutions in the Belluno province, such as the Mu-seo Provinciale of Seravella and the Arca of Agordo. The Magnifica Comunità di Cadore hosts an archeological museum in its headquarters in Pieve, also home to the “Centro Studi Tiziano e


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Cadore” foundation. The Comunità Montana Centro Cadore has also inaugurated the museum network “Rete Museale del Centro Cadore” by opening the Museo del Legname e del Cidolo” in Perarolo.Especially important is the Museo Archeologico Provinciale of Bolzano. In the field of paleon-thology, considerable is the activity carried out by the Regole d’Ampezzo, that have one of the richest Dolomites fossil collections ever and renowned worldwide. Among the many institutes mainly concentrating on social and cultural themes but not neglecting “nature issues” connected to local community life, noteworthy are the Istituto Culturale Ladino di Fassa and its homon-ymous in Borca di Cadore, the Società Botanica Zennari in Pordenone, the Istituto Culturale Mocheno – Cimbro in Palù del Fersina (Trento), the Museo degli Usi e dei Costumi della Gente Trentina in San Michele all’Adige, the Fondazione-Museo di Arti Popolari in Tolmezzo, the Cesa di Ladins and annexed Museum of Val Gardena, in Ortisei, the Museo Ladino di Ciastel de Tor and the Istituto Ladino, both located in S. Martino in Badia, the Pic Museum Ladin in San Cas-siano and last but not least the Società degli Alpinisti Tridentini in Trento.The Plan suggests attributing to Museums, as well as to the (only apparently) minor Centres and Foundations, a leading role in the grassroots dissemination of information and scientific knowl-edge through an intervention as harmonised as possible among all local authorities. Such inter-vention should envisage common efforts of mutual knowledge as an indispensable requirement for the formation of a strong cultural Dolomite identity. This is the direction taken already, for example, by the project “Anguana – Museo dell’uomo e della montagna” (Museum of Mankind and the Mountains), financed by the Istituto nazionale per la ricerca scientifica e tecnologica sul-la montagna (National Institute for Scientific and Technological Research on the Mountains), by the Ministry of Education, University and Research and by the municipality of Erto-Cas-so (Pordenone). This project envisages the organisation of a system for disseminating the local knowledge about Italian mountains via the Internet, through a dedicated portal that should also act as “incubator” for peripheral sites-portals working, in their turn, as local telematic laborato-ries. The project also plans to create an eco-museum located in the Vajont disaster area1 as well as the creation of an Italian Mountain Archive, a tool to be used for the acquisition, organisation and systematisation of the knowledge and cultural heritage concerning the mountains.

Scale and border issuesThe area to which the plan refers is anyhow destined to exert its influence on neighbouring ter-ritories, that is on the plains or other mountain ranges with which the Dolomites often share ele-ments of criticality, values, conditions and threats, all questions to which Research can and must give answers – equally complex in some cases, but certainly rapid and exhaustive.This leads to the distinction of at least two aspects regarding the themes to be set forth.The first is the need to gain knowledge about the area’s structure and functions, taking into ac-count the obligation of safeguarding its values through well calibrated actions harmonised on the basis of the institutional prerogatives of each single local authority, while staying focused on the objectives of dynamic management and sustainable development. The second theme instead concerns more applicative problems, namely how to transfer to poten-tial users the technique emerging from the basic research.

1 To this regard, see the datasheet regarding the Dolomites site.


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Basic research and monitoring

Considering therefore that the management of the Dolomites focalises on the safeguarding of the landscape, of the naturalistic values and of the ecological processes that characterise them, special priority should be given to the research studies that add knowledge to the sectors characterising the outstanding value of the property, and therefore its nomination, in addition to those that witness to good governance of the Dolomites resources in the past, and those that help identify the dangers that threaten them and to develop the methods for eliminating such dangers or for keeping them under control.In these terms, some of the more interesting studies concern:– the dynamics of the systems undergoing natural evolution– the ecological equilibria of natural ecosystems– the indicators that best qualify their nature and quantify their level, also via – the analysis of inter- and intraspecific relations within the biocenoses that develop around– the carryng capacity imposed by the environment, or by the territory as a whole.It is necessary to further refine the definition of carrying capacity (the measure of which is re-quested by the dossier format), which is the most controversial and culturally most fascinating is-sue of all, especially when focused on the slippery territory-tourism relationship.In any case, although the trend is to progressively privilege scientific research over mere investiga-tion, that is observation and description albeit based on quantitative measurements, taking into account that the Plan is an ongoing process, constantly updated on objectives that are refined as knowledge progresses and the instruments for acquiring it are perfected, the following is proposed:– studies that help define the real structure of the territory and the development of effective

monitoring systems;– surveys capable of producing results that are quickly transferable to the operational level and

that consequently can be used for safeguarding measures or for the region’s sustainable devel-opment;


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– the development and fine-tuning of indicators for the results obtained by the Administrations of different levels in carrying out their territory control and management assignment, especial-ly as regards the interventions suggested in the plan and enacted by such authorities.

Quite helpful for the organisation of cultural, communication and information activities, as well as of environmental training and education activities, are the studies and research projects con-cerning:– the area’s history, with special reference to human settlement, alpinism and the Great War;– the populations of the Dolomites valleys – and the Ladinian populations in particular – with

reference to their social, demographic and economic aspects, to their culture, customs and tra-ditions, to the techniques and technologies they used to transform and obtain resources from the territory and to inhabit it, etc., with special emphasis placed on the systems called “Regole”, “Comunità familiari” and “Comunità”1 that were of such great help in preserving the area;

– the archeological aspects as well as ancient signs of Man, which are resources that need to be enhanced in promoting tourism and the culture of the territory;

– the geological and geo-morphological systems, with special focus on slope stability and on hu-man safety;

– water, its cycle and its possible uses, from the viewpoint of the conservation of scarce resources and the enhancement of the landscape;

– the vegetation systems, investigated both from the purely naturalistic viewpoint (the Natura 2000 habitats), and from the viewpoint of the assessment of the ecosystems’ equilibria and dy-namics, also in view of a more careful management of the pastures and forests;

– the fauna and zoocenotic systems, taking into account non-sedentary species, migration and transfer routes, the effects that changes in the vegetation scenario exert on wild animal compo-nents;

– the meteorological and climate systems, in relation to global change and to the ecosystem-re-lated dynamics under way. As an example, noteworthy is the study on the Marmolada massif promoted by the Autonomous Province of Trento through the Tridentine Museum of Natural Sciences.

Applied research and technological research

With regard to the sectors most important for their social implications and their impact on the life of local populations, but always within the framework of sustainable development, the follow-ing issues may be recommended: – water management and hydraulic safety in connection with weather-related events, water down-

flows, floodings, hydro-geological deterioration, water management works, past works and works that, as a rule, are deemed necessary to reduce the region’s current vulnerability, etc.;

– but also water, a resource that should be protected and saved for the benefit of everybody, which is becoming more and more valuable, not only due to the amount available but also, and especially, for its quality, which in non-mountain areas is decreasing;

– hydro-biological and ichthyological systems with respect to the impact of human activities (dams, offtake channels, changes in the hydrological regime, pollution, etc.), but also with re-spect to the risks inherent in the loss of autochtonous biodiversity following the introduction of foreign species;

1 Respectively: rights of use of a given territory, family communities, district communities


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– the development of techniques and technologies with a low environmental impact and a high ecological value, aimed specifically at mountain areas, in accordance with the principles of sus-tainable growth; in particular, account shall be taken of the objectives of energy saving and production, solid waste and wastewater disposal, food processing and preservation, and of the optimal use of forests and the logging breeding techniques with the lowest possible impact on soils, ground stability, animal and plant life;

– the determination of the ecological compatibility of the uses of the territory and its resources, such as, for example, those relating to infrastructures, buildings, roads. A very strongly felt is-sue is that of the road system for livestock breeding and forestry activities, which may also fa-cilitate access to areas of great natural value and, consequently, increase the risks impending on their preservation.

Of great importance, in all the Dolomites area, is also the problem of the diffusion of ticks and of diseases related to certain species of ixodides, with serious implications for the extension of the area threatened by the Lyme’s disease and by encephalitis.Of equal importance is the monitoring of animal diseases affecting wild ungulates, especially when they share the same territory – and the related ecological niches – with livestock species. In this and in many other cases, all the possible synergies must be implemented with the local re-search and monitoring institutions, with a view to further developing research. Besides those already highlighted, the issues on the agenda require co-operation with the Area Health Authorities, the Catchment Basin Authorities, the Regional and Provincial Engineering Departments competent for the various sectors, the bodies responsible for the optimal use of water resources, and many others. Lastly, we must re-iterate that government heterogeneity within the Dolomites region imposes a scientific challenge too: to jointly address an investigation, and even more so a research project, means to share information, study criteria, instruments and protocols. This is especially the case for monitoring activities, which prospectively should concern not only the indicators identified in order to evaluate the conditions of the heritage property and its po-tential transformations. In the near future, in fact, these activities should also concern broader areas and issues with a high social (and, at times, emotional) impact, such as hydro-geological de-terioration, and the consequent stability and safety issues, and the spread of diseases and of new animal species, such as large predators. This challenge must be tackled as has been done in the past with respect to Alpine meteorology, which is a state-of-the-art field because of its repercus-sions, economic and otherwise, on so vulnerable a territory, largely devoted to tourism. Therefore it deserves a further co-operation effort aimed at the achievement of new common goals, such as the organization of adequate defences against forest fires, the definition of dispersion models for air pollutants, and the evaluation of the hydrological and water management models needed to protect the soil, the infrastructures and the residents.

Guided dissemination

There are subjects that can be more easily disseminated than others, by means of both confer-ences with the projection of pictures and drawings, and of specific itineraries to be travelled with the help of scientific intermediaries, that is qualified and skilled guides – which is unquestionably the most important, stimulating and generally suggestive means. The Dolomites, and the surrounding green slopes, are an exceptionally important backdrop for such activities, which, moreover, have already been planned and implemented by a number of public and private bodies and organisations in the region, through special Natural and Environ-mental Education Plans.


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Several topics have a special relevance with regard to the UNESCO spirit. In particular, when devel-oping dissemination activities susceptible of being shared, and even jointly managed, in the en-tire Dolomites region, we recommend a focus on the following subjects:– rock formation; observing minerals and crystals; mines and mining;– the Earth’s “calendar”; stratigraphy and the perception of the past in the Dolomites region;– karst landscapes: water and its cycle, surface run-off and underground waters, caves and the

underground environment; life in caves; ice and the future of glaciers;– climate and meteorology; the climate in the past, as observed through rocks, fossils, peat bogs,

tree rings; experiences in dating events and more recent changes (dendrochronology); the in-teraction between man and the climate (global change);

– energy, its manifestations, collection and exploitation; water, wind, sun, biomasses; dams and catchment basins; ice and the disappearance of glaciers, in relation to the energy accumulated by the Earth;

– the Earth and its surroundings: discovering the sky, planets and stars; techniques and technolo-gies for observing the night sky;

– hydro-geological hazards; from climate to versants; from glaciers to torrents; from dams to bar-rages; ground stability and people safety systems;

– the flora and vegetation in relation to the environment; adaptation and changes under way; the upper boundary of forests and trees; from prairies to rocks;

– the fauna and its habitats; protected species and extinction; the ecosystems and their dynamic processes; selection and limiting factors;

– the history of humanity and life in the Dolomites; from the shrink age of the mountain glaciers to hiking;

– the history of humanity and life in the Dolomites: from the receding of the mountaineering glaciers to hiking;

– man and the ecological systems: from exploitation to preservation; managing the equilibrium of plant species in pastureland (livestock breeding) and forests (forestry).

The online population (local authorities, schools and family networks)


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If we rank the development of a common awareness of our belonging to a unique system world-wide among the fundamental objectives of the communication plan, the best way to achieve, this is to promote the most widespread possible circulation of the principles sanctioned by UNESCO, and of the efforts made to implement them. With respect to this task, the most state-of-the-art communication techniques are proving increasingly effective, although we cannot neglect the more conventional forms, such as handouts, journals and books. In this type of activity, the Parks have proved to be highly efficient, deploying their technical skills, and knowing how to reach those segments of the general public prejudicially opposed to the initiatives aimed at protecting and respecting the common good.Of course, this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t tread new paths, such as computer-based com-munication and the Internet.According to the Plan, therefore, it is of fundamental importance to develop and implement joint actions and synergies through the ad hoc establishment of a network comprising and group-ing different partners. In particular, we recommend the development of projects relating to:– A local authorities network. This can be implemented by creating and sharing a website ded-

icated to the Dolomites and the Dolomites area. The website, linked to Local Governments and to superordinate institutions (Provinces, Regions, Ministries, and the UNESCO itself ), could act as a source for retrieving and exchanging information on all the activities related to the UNESCO project, on the cultural/training activities and initiatives put into place by local authorities, on the related opportunities and on the drawbacks and shortcomings en-countered. Such network should promote forums among the local authorities’ personnel, enabling them to share their experiences and provide solutions to the problems, in connec-tion with land management aimed at the preservation of natural resources.

– A schools network. The most effective means of information and training are those that are dis-seminated and developed at school. Therefore, the educational system may be viewed as one of the most effective instruments for spreading knowledge and a proper awareness of and re-gard for the Dolomites as a World Heritage Site among young people in the region. In this re-spect, the schools network can play a significant role from at least two different viewpoints.

The first is connected with the habitual use of the Web as a tool for circulating information; dedicated websites on and links to the Dolomites can assist and support teachers with respect to detailed exchanges of experiences, competencies, and contacts in connection with general and customized training pathways on the subjects taught and with an interdisciplinary (not just a scientific) approach to the Dolomites identity.

The second could be designed as a virtual itinerary for students, where, guided by their peers from other schools and countries, they can explore and discover the Dolomites and the cul-ture, customs and traditions of the region from different perspectives and points of view. This could be considered a special form of twinning, so to speak, between the schools in the Do-lomites region, a project capable of establishing a relationship that might develop over the years, picking up new and diverse contents as it goes along, which should always add on to – and never cancel – the previous ones. This twinning project might even develop into actual student exchange programmes, based on the cultural and emotional incentives transmitted by the teachers and pupils, with entire classrooms taking part in the educational activities – bet-ter still if on the field – designed and carried out by the correspondents from another province or region.

– A citizens and families network. This is the closest link we can think of within a non-institu-tional communications system, grounded on the possibility that the citizens especially the young, and in particular students, may benefit from privileged (and subsidized) Internet con-nections with correspondents on the other side of the Dolomites region. The connections, of temporary character, should be grounded on a project for exchanging information on specific topics, with a view to producing a report, at the end of the scheduled period, as a joint effort


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by the youngsters with the help of their families and schools, also providing for an exchange of correspondents, albeit for a short time.


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THE PROMOTION AND ENHANCEMENT PLAN

Objectives

The Promotion and Enhancement Plan, aimed at highlighting the quality of and opportunities linked to the Dolomites as a World Heritage Site, has many points in common with the Com-munications Plan, or makes use of this Plan to achieve its goal. This goal, in fact, is to highlight and make known, and therefore to further disseminate and cir-culate, the peculiar characteristics of the Dolomites region, and the opportunities that would come from its being included among the World Heritage Sites, thus paving the way for creating new wealth in the region. In order to achieve this goal, the main focus should be on disseminating information outside the Dolo-mites region, with a view to encouraging potential visitors to come to the area and spend resources here.On the other hand, a series of actions could be designed through which the various stakeholders in, or those in any way related to the area may be motivated to dedicate additional concern or re-sources to it, with a view to improving the area’s visibility to the outside world.As a rule, therefore, the preferred theatre of action for the promotion and enhancement of the territory is tourism. Nowadays, the tourism industry is more specifically geared towards produc-ing wealth and generating economical prosperity among the local population, with indirect re-percussions on all other activities, from agriculture and commerce to instruction and education.The Plan, from this point of view, can only encourage and enhance partnership between the local authorities concerned by the Nomination and the tourism industry, so that acquiring World Her-itage Site status will not result merely in the imposition of constraints and restrictions on the area, but may lead to an effective policy of integration between tourism, on the one hand, and strategies for preserving the environmental and natural qualities of the Dolomites, on the other hand.


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From another point of view, the Plan may become a tool for reconciling opposite tendencies, i.e. development (and the consumption of resources) and conservation. It must identify the region’s actual bearing capacity, beyond which there would only be deterioration of the environment and the consequent loss of capital resources – not just of returns on investments – and propose dif-ferent pathways, compared to those travelled to date, along which the tourism offer and the use of natural resources may be redesigned and improved according to the principles of compatibil-ity and sustainability.Therefore, the Promotion and Enhancement Plan cannot recommend predefined pathways. The dy-namics of the tourism industry, the ongoing changes to the economic scenarios and user profiles, the uncertainty about the current environmental situation, and how it may develop in the future, can hardly guarantee the conditions for permanent investments, which means that identifying even only strategic guidelines in this field is a very difficult task indeed. It will be up to the local authori-ties – acting within the framework of the proposed Agreement – to take on the responsibility of setting up a forum with all the tourism industry stakeholders, within which to design and develop a possibly stable and steady future for the economy of the Dolomites region as a whole.From this point of view, the Plan may:– recommend differentiated “attention” approaches within the areas of excellence and buffer

zones, highlighting any hazard factors, for the neighbouring areas too, based on value and vul-nerability criteria;

– recommend the location of functional and/or supporting facilities and systems at naturalistic and environmental sites that are highly attractive but not as vulnerable, with a view to achiev-ing quality of use, and not just consumption, of the natural and environmental resources;

– identify a series of actions targeting a broader area than the concerned, such as to further im-prove the economy of the tourism area of interest, thus highlighting the hazard mitigation and damage limitation function which is the priority of the Management plan.

Actions


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Towards Sustainable Tourism

As highlighted in the introduction, the most important action, with regard to the enhancement of the locations and their traditional hospitality, should be the gradual acceptance, by all stake-holders, of the principles of sustainable tourism. The goal is to guide all economic and social partners, the local authorities, but above all the population, towards a “systemic” management of tourism, capable of taking account of both the benefits and the costs that affect local economy, society and the environment, and apportioning them fairly among all actors involved. In this connection, the UNESCO principles on which the Nomination is based should lead to a full, reasoned awareness of the actual “heritage” that may be taken into consideration and mo-bilized, so to speak, for tourism purposes. As indicated in the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism, it is necessary for all to become aware of the values at stake, such as sensitive natural environments, fauna, flora and other natural peculiarities, but also the values of local culture and traditions and of the towns and settlements; it will then be necessary to assess the need to pre-serve or protect these values as concerns the use granted to others in the context of the relevant tourism offering (in other terms, to become aware of the area’s bearing capacity), in order to agree to maintain such use within specific vulnerability limits.In this case, too, the technical system for harmonizing the strategic choices of the local authori-ties involved should also consider the definition of common application criteria for the European Charter for Sustainable Development.

Conservation approach

The Conservation Plan itself highlights the sectors of the Dolomites area that, due to the vulner-ability of the resources and the presence of potential damage generators, are subject to the greatest hazards. As concerns these sectors, which are, moreover, among the most important in the Dolo-mites and precisely for this reason, among the most visited too, the Plan may only recommend:– monitoring, as accurately as possible, the frequency of visitors along the access routes to the ar-

eas of excellence, or to their immediate surroundings;– discreetly, albeit visibly, highlighting the risks and irreparable, or hardly repairable, damage

that any inappropriate behaviour may produce;– controlling the parking and other short-stay areas as well as the passive reception (such as picnic

areas, equipped areas, etc.) or logistical support (refreshment points, refuges, etc.) facilities;– controlling and restricting vehicle access off the road network, while at the same time imple-

menting public transport systems;– limiting tourism to activities that are sustainable and respectful of the environment, with a view

to supporting a tourism offer aimed at the preservation and credibility of the areas involved.

Improvement of the footpath network of cultural interest

Conversely, in many areas where important naturalistic factors are not characterised by particular vulnerability conditions, it is advisable to “make room” and provide incentives, be they only of a structural nature, for increasing the naturalistic guide activities and the related information. This is a field still in the early stages of development, but one which, in many protected areas, shows a tendency for enormous growth with a consequent extremely favourable economic impact. The


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support by Administrations of every level, and the backing by existing tourist facilities, would be fundamental for the success of this kind of initiatives, which are often set up by local young ex-perts. Usually, this involves organising the following promotional activities for potential users:– Visitors’ Centres and Information Points, mostly linked to the Parks, but which can also act as bas-

es for naturalistic guided excursions and sites for promoting cultural accompaniment activities;– equipped areas for resting and for observing the Dolomites’ typical features: the landscapes as

well as the more minute aspects of nature;– nature trails and themed itineraries, or rather, a choice, within the range of the usual and more

well known network of footpaths, of trails specifically dedicated to observation and to the ac-quisition of new information. These tracks should be subjected to specific and regular main-tenance in order to create suitable safety conditions, bearing in mind the objective of ensuring that at least some part should be accessible to disabled or “less able” persons. A logo and sign, translating the concept “nature is for everyone”, should represent a concrete and significant in-strument in this phase of the Plan;

– even in the absence of a specific local project for cultural guided visits to the Dolomites, con-sideration should be given to the signalling of important but less vulnerable naturalistic pecu-liarities. Unobtrusive description panels in the most significant sites, and “footpath” brochures made available at the reception and refreshment structures, are effective and low-cost methods for promoting awareness of the significance of the area and its natural peculiarities, and at the same time for generating the same spirit of consideration and respect that visitors have for mu-seums and other cultural places.

Excursionism and historical traces of mankind

The Plan also offers suggestions for activities promoting excursions along classic itineraries, which can be illustrated and advertised in such a way as to reduce to a minimum their impact on the most valuable aspects of the nominated Property.In this context it is possible to place the high Dolomites paths; all on a southern course, including one across the western section (the “Pale”), one across the central section (from Braies to Belluno) and a third across the eastern section (the Friulian Dolomites), such paths form a sort of web ide-ally “covering” the nominated area. In this connection, it is worth mentioning the logistic support areas scattered along this network of footpaths, often developing at very high altitude, such as ref-uges, bivouacs, shelters, mountain dairies and others, some of which represent important witness-es of historic mountain events or of the hard life once experienced in this part of the Alps.Of an entirely different nature are the marks left by the Great War, even in the most remote and inaccessible of the areas of excellence. As far as promotional initiatives are concerned, an impor-tant amount of time and space should be dedicated to the legacy they represent, to their docu-mentary significance and to the remembrances and mournful message they convey. One or more of the Great War footpaths deserve to be included, always with an eye on the conservation objec-tives, and in combination with the recovery of the enormous literary and iconographical docu-mentation, in the plans by the provincial authorities.As well as the traces left by the Great War, it is also important to bear in mind the marks left by man in connection with the tragedy of Stava and Vajont, mentioned in the dossier1.

1. As exhaustively indicated in the Dossier, one cannot forget the catastrophe that occurred when, on October 9th, 1963, a mass of earth and rock amounting to 250 million cubic metres, after detaching from the side of mount Toc, crashed into the artificial Vajont lake. The resulting wave invaded the Erto locality, jumped the dam and swept away the town of Longarone as well as the other towns standing along the embankments of the Piave river, taking the life of 2000


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Almost entirely outside of the nominated areas, but closely linked to them both for cultural and or-ganizational reasons, are the myriad signs left by man, literally carved in the rocks or attractively set in the landscape of the Dolomites. They too must be considered basic elements in the planning of potential promotional and tourist itineraries. These are for example: the places of worship (shrines, chapels, churches, crosses etc.), the sites linked to myth and legend such as castles and forts, watch-towers, bridges or fords, boundary stones or signposts, refuges and shelters, ancient dairy mans-es, posthouses, fountains, wells, remains of old mills, pipelines and sawmills, ancient quarries and mines, ancient burial grounds, stone quarries, and many others, which, shown on a map, could il-lustrate how the life and history of man and of the Dolomites are one and the same thing.

Advertising tools

The Plan recommends that Local Authorities, in harmonic synergy as foreseen by the Pro-gramme Agreement, provide for the realisation of – a Guide to the Dolomites, or rather a multi-theme guide illustrating the most significant characteris-

tics of the systems, the curiosities they can arouse, the fundamental traits of local history, the links between the systems and the surrounding territory, the accommodation opportunities, the overall logistics, the most important excursions, and the internal links within the Dolomites area;

– a Dolomites brochure, that is the most immediate method for arousing interest and stimulating further attention. The brochure should contain addresses of all useful websites and of all infor-mation and documentation systems dealing with the Dolomites area;

– small maps of cultural itineraries around the Dolomites, dedicated to local aspects, with a brief description of elements of interest regarding places and systems. Importance should be given to historic itineraries, including those linked to recent history and the Great War;

– a choice of documentary, informative and educational material (various types of signs, posters, notice boards, construction materials, forms etc.) which should be displayed at visitors centres and information points;

– CDs and DVDs with pictures, films and accompanying descriptions, to be also used in the educational activities provided for in the Communication Plan;

– educational material for schools, examining in depth the same topics taken into consideration for the enhancement of themed itineraries.

people. This is a tragic example of how any important human project must first of all be not only well-designed but equally well assessed in terms of possible repercussions on the fragile equilibrium between the components of the phys-ical and biological systems of the territory involved. Since then, the Vajont bears the marks of the tragedy and stands as a warning against human presumption.


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Culture linked to the use of soil

The UNESCO convention recommends that countries proposing sites to be included on the World Heritage List “adopt management strategies aimed at giving their assets a function within com-munity life”; among these strategies it is also possible to place “the development of scientific and technical studies aimed at the identification of activities that could help defuse possible threats to such assets”. Where the question is of natural property, and of the conditions for their nomi-nation, first of all the operational guidelines require that “the bio-physical processes and the char-acteristics of the property should be more or less intact. However – so the operational guidelines – it goes without saying that no area can possibly remain totally intact, as all natural areas are in an active condition and involve some sort of exchange with human beings. Man-related activi-ties, including those connected with traditional society and local communities, are often present in natural areas. Such activities may coincide with the exceptional universal value of the area in which they are ecologically sustainable”.This report has already stressed the deep significance of these words, the spirit of which goes hand in hand with the motivation behind the national Outline Law on protected areas. As a result it is imperative that the Management plan also take into consideration districts outside of the nomi-nated zones (both of excellence and intermediate), in order to recommend that the administrators of the Dolomites regions lend to the “Dolomites man”, and to those among his activities showing a sustainable use of the soil, the environment and nature, the attention and consideration they de-serve in their role as actors and factors of valid and valuable equilibria.In this connection, the choice has fallen on rural activity, like the remaining mountain agricul-ture and on activities linked to the use of woods and of Alpine meadows and pastures, as these activities concern the largest section of the areas involved, are the most ancient and as such char-acterised by the most mature technical and scientific experience, and last of all, are linked to some of the most pressing problems related to the Dolomites area, such as slope stability and people’s safety.Although agricultural activity does not particularly concern the specific mountain territories, we must not forget the valuable evidence of many signs of the hard life of the peasants which, until not long ago was spent in an attempt to obtain resources from every inch of land fit for cultiva-tion. Today one admires, in an almost nostalgic way, these signs (terraced land, shelters, water capture work, command interventions etc.) often forgetting the effort and risks of this lower al-


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titude agriculture. Still today the peasants do their best to protect the territory and keep it intact and viable. This is why all the existing agricultural-forestry-pastoral activities, including those started and promoted by the ‘Regole’ and communal families are all excellent expressions of the good management of this land. Their active support is essential for the protection of the territory and the permanence of the population, without whose presence and care the proposed territory would undergo significant degradation.

Forestry

The history of forestry in the Dolomites is ancient. Even without making reference to document-ed forest-related activities in Roman times, when the dendrofori associations organised the trans-port of precious wood (larch) from these mountains to the shores of the Tiber, it is impossible not to mention how, from the 15th century onwards, the forest management standard known as “taglio cadorino” was the practical basis for the definition of forestry regulations, which, over time, the Serenissima Republic of Venice gradually refined and made into laws. The principles of alternate felling, of an uneven-aged, mixed forest, of curazione (selective felling) as an instrument for guaranteeing stability of the woods and mountain slopes, was all conceived at least four hun-dred years before the naturalistic silviculture was invented as an ecologically sound forestry prac-tice in the 20th century.To be noted that it was again in the Dolomites region that the latest theoretical and practical re-visitation of Venetian forestry regulations was made by Lucio Susmel; this latter actually re-founded the Forestry School of Padua University 200 years after it was first established by the Se-renissima Republic, which set up the Faculty of “Naval Architecture and Forestry Science” just a few years before the end of its millenary history.In his “Riordinamento su basi bioecologiche delle abetine di San Vito di Cadore” (Bio-ecological reorganisation of the fir woods in San Vito di Cadore) (1955), Susmel defines forestry as the art and science of “modelling the woods into eco-systems which, making use of natural resources (solar energy, water and trophic resources), have ensured over time maximum stability in line with the direct (eco-nomic) and indirect (social) functions of which are capable”.Almost all woods in the Dolomites area fully comply with this cultural and forest management model; this is particularly true for high-altitude woods, largely responsible for the contrast be-tween living elements and minerals that is one of the most fascinating elements in the landscape of the Dolomites.As has already been mentioned, the forest planning activities apply to these woods management guidelines that are living proof of the near-natural balance on which the very essence of true nat-uralistic forestry is based.In the sub-alpine areas, where forests are required to operate as efficiently as possible to safeguard the natural environment and help stabilise the slopes and defend against landslides, it is common practice to always maintain the wood’s natural profiles and bio-masses, which are the essential expression of a balanced environment.What is more, all over the Dolomites, woods are entrusted with another purely eco-systemic func-tion: in fact, they represent the habitat for important natural species and act as a support for ecologi-cal niches that are highly useful in maintaining a consistent and firmly established bio-diversity.This information is more or less unknown to those who are not familiar with forests and their management. Therefore, it would be useful to explain and share the principles of forestry and its technical and practical instruments, not so much with the local population, who nonetheless are losing a considerable part of their rural mountain culture, but rather with tourists and visitors, who should be made aware of just how difficult, demanding and tiring it is to keep the territory


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vital and stable by way of a balanced administration of its eco-systemic resources.As a result, if tourists and visitors to the Dolomites valleys are made aware of the historic impor-tance of safeguarding resources, a practice in which the science of forestry excels, then the UNESCO principles will also be upheld.Indeed, the principles of naturalistic forestry state that the capital (that is the forest) should be reduced, at the most, of only as much as it produces between two subsequent selective fellings, a measure that corresponds to accrued interest. In this way the capital (the forest) is preserved over time and can guarantee continuing, predictable and programmable production.In collaboration with those entrusted with forest planning, a number of informative and forma-tive processes could be integrated with the activation of rapid, immediate, but nonetheless highly suggestive communication tools, such as the identification, classification and recognition of no-table trees, especially of monumental form and dimension, but also of particular age or location; or even the identification of educational examples of forest species present in the sectors near-est to the nominated areas of excellence. Another activity which could however help to develop awareness of management principles focused on ecology and the equilibrium of the eco-system, is the presentation of felling criteria compatible with the protection of the most vulnerable ani-mal species (especially woodpeckers and grouses), and of logging systems compatible with the de-fence of bio-diversity and the well-being of plant species of great naturalistic worth, in line with the relevant European Directives.The Dolomites area has at times, in the past, been damaged by fire. Generally fires, which are usually accidental, have not caused any serious damage, although the loss of small animals and of valuable flowers/plants has never been quantified.The very nature and character of the area present serious technical difficulties for fire fighting activities. To the intensity and the great speed with which fires on steep hillsides progress, come the great difficulty encountered in the narrow valleys by large fire-fighting airplanes, the difficult and slow progress of the land-based fire brigades, as well as the enormous danger of the fire fight-ing activities themselves.Consequently, in these circumstances full synergy and co-ordination of all the competent sub-jects, with the objective to identify high risk situations, that is sites most frequently subjected to possible causes of fire, and vulnerable due to the presence and quantity of highly combustible materials. Extremely beneficial to this end would be a commonly established definition of effec-tive indicators for weather or vegetation conditions that may be considered as “risk generators”, the planning of preventative measures – both structural and infrastructural – as well as of infor-mation activities, and the organisation of intervention and fire-fighting strategies in full co-op-eration with the competent provincial departments.Likewise, a number of Guidelines should be drawn up to harmonise interventions, e.g. those tar-geted at re-establishing the systems destroyed by fire, above all in the areas of greatest naturalistic worth, where it may be necessary to choose between a speedy recovery of the vegetation and a slow, but ecologically balanced and spontaneous revolution of new eco-systems.

Alpine farming activities

In the higher altitude areas and where prairies are present, the Dolomites territory features a large number of buildings once dedicated to zootechnical activities. In some areas, these buildings are still used for alpine farming purposes or are occupied for periods of time by their owners for rec-reational purposes. In other cases still, due to the depopulation of the mountains, affecting sev-eral areas in particular, the buildings have been abandoned and crumbled away, with only a few being conveniently restored and used for purposes differing from their original ones. This is yet


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another example of the fading of local rural culture and of the fundamental relationship between man and land that for centuries has been the generator of control, maintenance, stability and of a natural balance quite close to the original one.Where the tough agro-zootechnical tissue of mountain economy has disappeared, as for exam-ple in the German language areas, the functionality of most of these areas has deteriorated, also due to the environmental changes that in the years have affected the prairies and pastures once abounding in cattle, horses and sheep.On the one hand, it is deemed of fundamental importance – for scenic and sometimes even nat-uralistic reasons, considering their testimonial aspect – that the residual zootechnical activities be maintained according to the criteria and strategies that each Administration at every level, has given. Finally, in this context the ancient tracks and signs of transumance that still survive here and there in the Dolomite area deserve to be remembered, maintained and enhanced.On the other hand, it is important to transmit to visitors the sensation of the bond – often deep-ly felt and always difficult – between the ancient populations and the mountains. The rediscov-ery of the summer pasture locations, of the animal shelter, cheese-making and produce storage buildings, and of the water collection structures, as well as the distinction between pastures and fields and the understanding of primitive but effective and labour organisation and optimisation procedures, have much to teach regarding the concept of sustainability and the respect for the environment, for the land and for nature.It is a valid occasion, too, for giving a practical meaning to research, such as that aimed at render-ing energetically self-sufficient the malga (mountain dairy) with the use of local power genera-tion systems (photovoltaic, solar thermal, wind, biogas), or that aimed at optimising waste water drainage techniques and the quality control of river water.

Resources for the concrete implementation of the Management plan

The Plan is formulated and built almost like a reasoned and commented list of problems and opportunities, the former to be found in the area being proposed for nomination and the latter offered a society that lives and produces on a territory that is wider and more complex as well as deeply transformed by century upon century of gradual exploitation.As we have seen, the Plan does not propose or suggest restrictions or limitations to the enjoyment of the land by local populations. The nature reserve regime, as well as the indirectly restricted regime deriving from the application of the European directives (in the SCIs and SPZs, now called SCZs – Special Conservation Zones) are sufficient for safeguarding the Dolomites property, especially if the achievement of this goal is shared also by the Municipalities, the Communities, the Regole and all other subjects holding the competence and legitimate power for governing the territory and its re-sources.On the other hand, the Plan does suggest actions and interventions capable of creating job op-portunities or anyhow generate attention and curiosity for this land and thus become factors for the promotion of a new, different form of exploitation of the scenic and naturalistic assets of the Dolomite systems.All, or almost all, of the ideas proposed in the Plan are based on Culture, on its formation or its dissemination. Ours is a historically important moment, in which humanity, especially in rich countries, is starting to become aware of environmental degradation affecting the quality of life, and of the crisis in values once attributed to the growth in richness not founded on respect and on perception of the scarcity of resources; therefore, to pursue along the path of consumerism


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and not along that of resource-saving and respect would be proof of blindness and egocentrism, and these faults would inevitably fall on the heads of our children.The Plan does not provide complex, complicated or unusual solutions. To the contrary, it lists possible and simple interventions, ready for immediate application, designed on a prudential ba-sis, according to criteria that were once of any good pater familias.Obviously, the proposals envisage a cost, sometimes a high cost, but anyhow sustainable and per-haps in some cases already planned by the local authorities involved in the nomination.We are dealing here with a theme that goes beyond the technical dimension and into the realm of political assessments and choices. It is the same realm in which local authorities will be called to debate, to define the levels of integration and provide concrete meaning to the necessary syn-ergies. This is the case of research, for example. Although it is a universally accepted fact that one must have proper knowledge of the naturalistic, cultivation and cultural systems in order to man-age the territory efficiently, it is a less obvious fact that it is necessary to go from the description to the interpretation of the phenomena and processes that characterise natural life. As written in the Plan for the Dolomiti Bellunesi Natural Park, “we no longer need answers to the question “what is there?” but rather the start-up of more complex and stimulating studies aimed at under-standing why Nature has organised herself into the shapes apparent today and how Mankind can live together with them and obtain from them, where required, the most benefits without caus-ing damage to the territory and its systems”.This guideline should be followed not only by the Parks but also by the technical structures of all the Regions and Provinces involved, in a fully shared effort.This is perhaps the real challenge of the nomination now being proposed.Mankind cannot do without a liveable world. And technology is not enough to contain the damags or prevent it.The solution is to avoid damages, or at least to avoid entering conditions of unacceptable risk.The solution is to truly acknowledge the risk equation and the variables that qualify it.The solution is to possess the right kind of laboratories in which to experiment that equation.The Dolomites, as well as the rest of the sites of the World Heritage List, serve this purpose, too.


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DOLOMITI – UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE

PROGRAMME AGREEMENT FOR THE HARMONIZATION OF MANAGEMENT POLICIES OF THE DOLOMITES

Introduction

CONSIDERING the Convention concerning the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage (Paris, November 16th 1972);

CONSIDERING the Decree of the Undersecretary for Cultural Heritage Activities and Nicola Bono of October 1st 2004, which updates the composition and tasks of the Permanent Interde-partmental Working Group for the UNESCO World Heritage, founded by the Ministerial Decree of October 15th 1997 and entitled to coordinate the tasks resulting from the Convention concerning the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage;

Considering that:

– the Permanent Interdepartmental Working Group for the UNESCO World Heritage, taking into consideration the exceptional geological, environmental and cultural value of the Dolomites, has proposed to start the nomination process for inscription of the Dolomites on the UNESCO World Heritage List;

– this represents an undisputable opportunity for growth of prestige of the Dolomites area and Italy and a commitment to guarantee, as decreed by current local, regional and national legis-lation, the protection and evaluation of the Dolomites in conformity with international pro-tection as established in the Convention concerning the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage, ratified by Italy in 1977;

– the nomination of the Dolomites would be, at the same time, of high significance for the pro-motion and sustainable development of the area involved;

This said,

The Province di Belluno, Pordenone and Udine and the Provice Autonome di Bolzano and Tren-to:

– drew up a joint memorandum on June 10th 2005 to propose the nomination of the Dolomites, considering that they represent an environmental resource of extraordinary beauty, which sig-nificantly distinguishes the territories of the above-mentioned Provinces; the memorandum also provides for the following: 1. the adoption of a common procedure that might lead to the nomination of the Dolomites as


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a natural heritage on the UNESCO World Heritage List, within a wider project involving the entire alpine area;

2. the initiation of every useful action for the achievement of the objectives of the respective Provinces, which correspond to the demands and requirements of UNESCO;

3. the preparation a Dossier for the nomination of the Dolomites on the UNESCO World Herit-age List and the consequent Management Plan;

4. the presentation the Dolomite area in its “entirety”, characterized by geographical, geo-mor-phological and environmental conditions which are different but integrated with each other, in accordance with the pre-defined UNESCO criteria for a natural site;

5. the definition of heritage the agreement between the Provinces concerning the methods of managing the “Dolomite” according to each Province’s competence and autonomy of man-agement.

– prepared, within nomination proposal, the Management Plan, to be intended as a technical orientation and coordination instrument which can be useful for all the subjects interested in the protection and promotion of the Dolomites as UNESCO World Heritage;

Considering that:– it is necessary to guarantee, in accordance with the competence and planning activities of the

single institutions, areas of possible harmonization of the management policies of the Dolo-mites, at a regional and local level, within the Management Plan;

– the representatives of the Provinces commit themselves, through autonomous processes of par-ticipation and sharing, to present to the Coordination Committee the petitions of the relevant territories (Municipalities, Nature Parks, Institutions, Associations etc.)

– all the involved subjects to set aside financial resources, equally shared them between, for the achievement of the objectives of the Management Plan, through actions that will be decided each time by the Coordination committee;

For this purpose the Provincia di Belluno (decree of the Provincial Council n. 290, 15.09.2005), the Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano, the Provincia di Pordenone (of the Provincial decree Coun-cil n. 228, 15.09.2005), the Provincia Autonoma di Trento (of the Provincial decree Council n. 1996, 16.09.2005) and the Provincia of Udine (decision of the Provincial Council n. 276, 20.09.2005) drew up the following Programme Agreement. The Presidents of each Provinces subscribed it on the 19th September 2005.


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PROGRAMME AGREEMENT

Article 1Purpose

1. This agreement aims at defining and promoting forms of harmonization in the management activities concerning the Dolomites, as a natural heritage nominated for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List, in accordance with the principles and indications resulting from the Management plan and respecting the autonomy and different regulations of the institu-tions involved.

Article 2Coordination committee

1. For the purposes of article 1, a special “Coordination committee” is established, constituted by one representative for each Province signing this Programme Agreement;

2. Within sixty days from the signature of this agreement, each Province Board nominates its rep-resentative in the Coordination committee;

3. The Chairmanship of the Coordination committee is assigned, in rotation and for a term of one year, to the representative of the Provinces of Belluno, Pordenone, Udine and of the Au-tonomous Provinces of Bolzano and Trento in alphabetical order, considering the names of the Provinces;

4. The Coordination committee takes decisions concerning the representatives of municipalities, Nature Parks and other institutions that might be interested in the nomination, in order to de-fine their participation in the Committee.

Article 3Tasks of the Coordination committee

1. The Coordination committee has the following tasks:a) to foster the cooperation between the parts signing this agreement, in order to guarantee

harmonization in the management policies of each involved institution regarding the Dolo-mites, respecting the lines established in the Management Plan;

b) to monitor the state of implementation of this agreement, of the Management Plan and of the management policies regarding the Dolomites carried out by each of the signatories;

c) to foster or supervise the diffusion, between the parts involved, of information concerning the subjects of this agreement;


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d) to organize special theme meetings with local authorities, governments of nature parks and involved public bodies and/or with experts;

e) to prepare periodic informative dossiers on the state of implementation of this agreement for the parties, to be sent to the Ministry for Cultural Activities and Heritage and to the Minis-try of the Environment and of the Protection of the Territory.

Article 4Operational management of the Coordination committee

1. The ways of working and accomplishment of the tasks of the Coordination committee are de-termined with special internal acts, which are proposed by the Committee itself and ratified by the respective provincial boards;

2. The organizational acts described in paragraph 1. also define the work methods of the theme meetings described in article 3, paragraph 1, letter d).

Article 5Delegate

1. The Chairman of the Coordination committee is the delegated person for the institutional re-lations with UNESCO, once the nomination on the World Heritage List is obtained.

Article 6Technical Secretariat

1. The Province which each time chairs the Coordination committee, guarantees the constitution and functioning of a special technical secretariat supporting the Committee itself, constituted by internal staff of the single Provinces.

Provincia di Belluno

Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano-Alto Adige/Autonome Provinz Bozen-Südtirol

Provincia di Pordenone

Provincia Autonoma di Trento

Provincia di Udine

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