Life Oreka Median

Conservation and management of mountain pastures in the Basque Country, taking as a starting point the maintenance of the traditional use of pastures, which will make it possible to recover, in the Basque context, a favourable state of conservation for 12 types of habitat in Annex I and 2 species in Annex II of the Natura 2000 Network.
Specific objectives include:

1. Establish habitat/species management criteria, shared by all the agents involved, favouring coordination and efficiency.
2. Ensure compliance with the conservation objectives defined in each SAC by planning livestock management.
3. Achieve a balance between the forage supply of pastures and the demand for livestock use, involving owners and users in conservation, through integrated and sustainable management.
4. Recovery of surface area, structure and functionality in pasture habitats where altered areas are detected, due to scrubbing, overgrazing or impacts of a specific type.
5. Achieve a balance between livestock and forestry use, limiting grazing to areas where the risks of forest regeneration or soil erosion are minimised.
6. Recovery of vulnerable azonal habitats and endangered flora species, immersed in grazing areas.
7. Elimination of invasive flora in target habitats.
8. To test innovative tools that facilitate the management of grazing habitats and provide valuable data for the monitoring and assessment of the EC of these habitats.
9. Establish Good Practices that facilitate decision making by managers when authorising uses and actions.
10. Transmit to society the socio-economic and environmental interest of the conservation of mountain pastures, revaluing the role of the farmer in their maintenance.
11. Ensure the financial complementarity of this project with other European aid (FEADER).
12. To exchange experiences between European regions with different Natura 2000 management models.