Meeting of the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park Board of Trustees (Torla 30-1-2024)

Meeting of the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park Board of Trustees (Torla 30-1-2024)

New members of the Patronato del Parque Naional del Ordesa y Mte. Perdido (PNOMP) and a new President (Manuel Pizarro) is proposed to replace Modesto Pascau. The investment plans of the European funds of the Recovery and Transformation Plan are presented. From the conservation NGOs (FCQ and Ecologistas en Acción) we ask about several actions: maintenance and recovery of the habitat of the mole ant butterfly, conditioning of spaces for fauna and ecological monitoring (they tell us that they will send us the information shortly). In relation to public aid from the recovery funds, different members of the Board of Trustees, including conservation NGOs and local business associations, are of the opinion that the provisional award of 727,380 Euros to the Aragonese Mountaineering Federation (FAM) for the expansion and completion of the works in the mountain refuge of Góriz, is not in line with the objectives and purpose of the aid. Without going into the necessity of the aid, its concession has also meant that other initiatives of the territory are left out of the aid, as 61% of this aid has been granted directly to the FAM, represented by the President of the outgoing Board of Trustees, Modesto Pascau, who is a member of the Board of Directors of the FAM, and responsible for the Committee for the Defense of Nature of this federation, shareholder of PRAMES, founding member and manager of the same company for several decades. This aspect is on the borderline of constituting a “conflict of interest”, despite the fact that the aforementioned President has not taken part in the voting or investigation process. The aforementioned representatives are considering the presentation of an appeal to the aforementioned concession as well as future legal actions. It was insisted that the project must comply with the principle of not doing significant damage to the environment and that this is not assured due to the timing of the possible works coinciding with spring in the Park, as well as the possible future return of European funds if it does not really fulfill the aforementioned purpose (press releases): https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/aragon/huesca/2024/02/01/quejas-patronato-ordesa-subvencion-obras-goriz-huesca-1707826.html https://www.diariodelaltoaragon.en/noticias/comarcas/2024/02/02/02/polemica-por-la-cesion-de-una-ayuda-al-refugio-de-goriz-1708060-daa.htmlhttps://www.heraldo.es/noticias/aragon/huesca/2024/02/02/la-federacion-de-montanismo-defiende-la-subvencion-para-finalizar-la-reforma-del-refugio-de-goriz-1708059.html?utm_source=Whatsapp&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mobile_web Regarding public subsidies in the area of socio-economic influence of the PNOMP 2023, a total of 2,2390,000 euros is distributed among different individuals, landowners and livestock farmers. The Activities Plan 2023 is presented (personnel, facilities, equipment, conservation work, public use and maintenance, and a report on support for extensive livestock farming (endowed with 2,192,911€). The Director highlights the results obtained in terms of research, the efforts made in the ex situ breeding of the Pyrenean frog in the Torla interpretation center, and the free guided tours carried out between July 1 and September 15. Public use of the Park is estimated at 520,000 people, somewhat lower than in previous years, possibly due to the lower number of visitors to the Añisclo sector as a result of temporary road closures.

Regarding the Añísclo parking lot works, the 1st phase of execution has been completed, the 2nd phase will be carried out with the aid granted to the City Council of Fanlo (road widening and parking in American ditch, pedestrian road and 1 traffic circle). The Tella parking lot will also be missing. The works are stopped between November and May. The data on the use of the Las Cutas track is presented. The eternal problem of use and rivalry between the town councils of Torla and Fanlo is discussed, as well as the non-compliance of some cab vehicles. The Mayor of Fanlo asks about the complaints of vehicles in the Cutas and is informed that the processing depends on the Provincial Service. The Autonomous Organism National Parks, comments that it increased in 1 million Euros the endowment to the center of Escalona, derived from the current cost overruns. Six research projects have been carried out in the National Park within its national call, as well as three environmental volunteer projects (ACA, Red Cross and Gaia). Information is provided on actions related to other figures of which the PNOMP is part: the Pyrenees-Monte Perdido World Heritage Site, the Ordesa Viñamala Biosphere Reserve and the Sobrarbe Geopark. The Director explained the recent signature of the Poctefa Dusal project (in which FCQ participates). In the question and answer session, the conservation NGOs ask about the report of the University of Zaragoza on the quality of aquatic ecosystems in relation to the practice of activities for public use, specifically if the field program has increased the number of sampling points and the budget for this purpose. The Director answers that no, it has not been extended to more sampling points. That only the report of the University of 2022 is available.