Pilot project for innovation and sustainable development through the recovery of endangered species 2009 – 2012

The Pilot Project “Innovation and sustainable development through the recovery of endangered species”, financed by the Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs within the framework of the National Rural Network, is presented as a work initiative that seeks to activate innovative mechanisms for social promotion capable of promoting sustainable rural development initiatives linked to the conservation of endangered species.
Traditionally, species recovery projects do not contemplate the active social participation of the local population living in the natural areas where such projects are developed.
This pilot project, in force from 2009 to 2012, has its scope of action in the provinces of Cantabria, Asturias and León, creating direct links between the local population of the Picos de Europa environment and the bearded vulture reintroduction project.
In short, this initiative aims to promote an innovative and sustainable economic development model in rural areas of special ecological value, hand in hand with a unique species threatened with extinction, the bearded vulture. GENERAL OBJECTIVES

  1. Generate employment in the rural environment from the revitalization of natural and cultural heritage.
  2. Consolidate jobs in the livestock sector by improving productivity linked to biodiversity conservation, generating new products.
  3. Consolidate service sector jobs by creating a flow of qualified visitors (biocultural, scientific, educational and training tourism) throughout the year.
  4. Integrate the different economic and socially disadvantaged sectors in the project, especially women, through the “stays in rural areas” initiative.

More specifically, the project aims to:

  1. Improve the professional competence of the working population.
  2. Improve the capacity of the rural population to serve new foreign-language tourism sectors.
  3. Encourage the creation, promotion and sale of new markets for qualified nature and scientific-cultural tourism based on the exposure of unique natural and social processes.
  4. To set up, together with the livestock social bases, agricultural processing companies and catering establishments, a brand that certifies quality products generated in areas of special ecological value (pre-negotiated agreement).
  5. To generate, through the recovery of valuable wildlife species such as the bearded vulture, a qualitative non-seasonal labor complement to help stabilize the segment of the rural youth population.

Overall, the project promotes innovation and sustainable development in rural areas through the recovery of endangered species, providing:

  • Economic diversification, through the promotion of job creation for environmental educators and nature guides-interpreters, and specific training for different sectors of the rural population.
  • Modernization, generating and promoting new forms of marketing traditional products, new tourism market niches, specific training for local sectors, and/or international fairs on rural development demonstration programs, among others.
  • An improvement in the quality of life in rural areas, through advisory services for mountain sheep and goat farmers, facilitating the incorporation and maintenance of rural women in the labor market, favoring greater social recognition of both sectors of the population, and increasing the productivity of extensive livestock farming, among others.
  • Multifunctionality, through the promotion of a rural environment that conserves and manages biodiversity, is a sustainable producer of quality raw materials and a provider of tourism and educational resources.

MAIN LINES OF ACTION

Revitalization of the livestock sector This line of work includes a set of actions aimed at revitalizing the extensive sheep and goat livestock sector in the Picos de Europa, developed around the creation of a seal of environmental recognition linked to the bearded vulture.

Revitalization of the tourism sector This block of actions proposes the creation of a new tourism offer based on the attractive promotion of the most valuable singularities of the natural and rural environment and the active participation of various sectors in the design and development of the tourism product.

Training for rural development The Pilot Project takes advantage of the facilities of the “Las Montañas del Quebrantahuesos” Center to offer a training program for adults that aims to train participants in matters related to specialized tourism management in nature and the development of innovative initiatives in the rural environment, so as to improve their chances of job placement or stability.

Promotion of municipal initiatives Meetings are held periodically with municipal representatives of the pilot project area to analyze the availability of economic, public and private resources and to study possible collaborators for the implementation of rural development initiatives related to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.