Life ARCTOS Project

The Adamello Park, with an Executive Council Resolution of the Comunità Montana of Vallecamonica No. 176 dated 04/10/2011 approved the "Outline of  Memorandum of Understanding between the Lombardy Region, the Province of Bergamo, the Province of Brescia, the Province of Lecco, the Province of Sondrio, the Stelvio National Park, Comunità Montana  of Vallecamonica/Adamello Park, the Comunità Montana  of the Parco Alto Garda Bresciano,  the Bergamo Orobie Regional Park and the Valtellina Orobie Regional Park for the implementation of the actions of Project life09 nat/it/000160 " Brown Bear Conservation: coordinated actions for the Alpine and the Apennines range (ARCTOS)."

The Brown Bear Conservation project: coordinated actions for the Alpine and Apennines range is an initiative which aims at protecting the populations of brown bear (Ursus arctos) in the Alps and Apennines and at supporting an increase in numbers, by adopting management measures compatible with the presence of the bear, reducing conflict with human activities, and increasing information and awareness of the main stakeholders.

The project is implemented under the financial programme of the European Commission LIFE + Nature.

In the Alps, the project provides for intervention in two distinct geographical areas. The first includes the main distribution area of ??the bear, which is localized in the Autonomous Province of Trento, and the surrounding areas, where the presence of the species is restricted to individuals in expansion. The second area consists of a large area part of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, along the border with Northwest Slovenia.

In the Apennines the area of ??intervention covers a large area that includes the entire range of the Marsicano bear, both where there is a stable presence of bears as well as areas of connection and expansion. This area is bordered to the north by the Sibillini National Park, to the east by the National Parks of Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga e Maiella, to the south by the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise and its Outer Protection Area, to the west by the Natural Regional Park of Monti Simbruini.

The project aims to achieve the following objectives:

identify and implement livestock husbandry practices which are more compatible with the presence of the bear;

assess the risk of transmission of pathogens from domestic livestock to the bear and implement compensatory measures;

analyze the current policy of providing compensation for damage caused by bears and identify innovative solutions;

significantly reduce the incidence of bear damage in selected areas;

increase the availability of trophic resources in the Apennines;

manage the issue of problem bears;

increase the level of knowledge of the species in the general public.

The actions of the project can be grouped into six main categories:

01. Make livestock husbandry practices more compatible with the presence of the bear

02. Reduction of conflicts with human activities

03. Management of natural resources of interest for the bear

04. Information and awareness

05. Teaching Activities

06. Monitoring of project action effectiveness