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Salviamo L\u2019Orso, together with Mountain Wilderness and AIGAE, met with representatives of the Lazio Region and the Park\u2019s management to raise concerns about shortcomings in the management of the protected area. Logging, inadequate enforcement and quad biking excursions: concrete answers and timely action are now needed.<\/p>\n
The Simbruini Mountains Regional Natural Park should, in fact, represent one of the key areas for the expansion of the Marsican brown bear. Yet we continue to witness a management approach that, rather than ensuring the tranquillity of wildlife and the conservation of biodiversity, allows activities and forms of disturbance that are incompatible with the long-term presence of such a rare and threatened species.<\/p>\n
As we had already reported last July, the results of the latest estimate of the Marsican brown bear population once again confirm the species\u2019 presence in the Park. This is important news, but it must not make us forget just how fragile that presence is. Unless current conditions change, there is a risk of permanently undermining the possibility of the Simbruini Mountains becoming an area of stable presence for the species.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor years, we have witnessed a management approach that prioritises economic activities, unregulated and uncontrolled tourism, forestry exploitation and events designed to attract visitors over the very mission for which a protected area exists: to conserve biodiversity and ensure the tranquillity of wildlife,\u201d said Stefano Orlandini, President of Salviamo L\u2019Orso.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we have already stated on other occasions, even more concerning,\u201d Orlandini continued, \u201cis the fact that the Park Authority appears to limit itself to certifying the administrative compliance of the interventions set out in forest management plans, relinquishing its role as guarantor of the highest level of environmental protection. A Park should ask not only whether an intervention can be authorised, but whether it is truly compatible with the conservation objectives for which that protected area was established.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was to address these concerns and call for a change of direction that, last Friday, 23 October, we met with senior officials from the Lazio Region\u2019s Environmental Directorate, alongside representatives of Mountain Wilderness (MW) and AIGAE (the Italian Association of Environmental Hiking Guides) in Lazio. Both organisations share our concerns about the troubling direction being taken by the region\u2019s largest and most important protected area.
In addition to Stefano Orlandini, the meeting was attended by Fabio Bisogni, Head of the Biodiversity Protection and Management Department; Alberto Foppoli and Federico De Angelis, President and Director of the Simbruini Mountains Park, respectively. Mountain Wilderness was represented by Gianluca Ugolini, while Ilaria Maccarrone attended on behalf of AIGAE.<\/p>\n
Logging: Stricter Requirements and Effective Monitoring<\/strong><\/p>\n The meeting addressed the main concerns we had raised, starting with forestry exploitation and the methods used for logging, timber extraction and transport.<\/p>\n The need to introduce stricter requirements for forestry operations was acknowledged, with particular attention to timber extraction and transport methods, as well as the enforcement of penalties against companies that fail to comply with the applicable regulations.<\/p>\n Equally important is coordination between Park Rangers and the Forestry Carabinieri. We reiterated the need for the two bodies to work together more effectively, ensuring thorough checks on forestry companies\u2019 operations and verifying that authorised activities comply with the relevant requirements, both in terms of the volume of timber extracted and the methods used for timber extraction and removal.<\/p>\n It is not simply a matter of verifying formal compliance with the rules: forestry activities must be ensured to be compatible with ecosystem conservation needs and the protection of wildlife.<\/p>\n The meeting also acknowledged the need to halt forestry exploitation in certain areas of the Park. One option worth considering is leasing woodland areas, thereby compensating municipalities for the loss of revenue resulting from the decision to forgo forestry activities, as is already the case in many protected areas across Italy. Quad Biking: The Park Will Investigate the Reports<\/strong><\/p>\n Another issue addressed during the meeting concerned the quad biking excursions we had reported within the protected area. We were informed that these activities are not authorised by the Park, which undertook to investigate the matter further and take the necessary corrective measures. Open to Dialogue, but Now It\u2019s Time for Action<\/strong><\/p>\n During the meeting, together with Mountain Wilderness and AIGAE, we reiterated our willingness to work with the Park\u2019s new director to rebuild trust in the Park Authority. Dialogue is essential, but it must not become an excuse for postponing decisions. These issues have been known for a long time, and conservation needs can no longer be sacrificed. Good intentions must translate, within a very short timeframe, into verifiable measures and concrete signs of a change in direction. For the highly threatened Marsican brown bear, the opportunity to expand into new suitable territories is crucial. We cannot allow this opportunity to be squandered by management that fails to control disturbance and put biodiversity conservation at the heart of its decisions.<\/p>\n Civic Uses: Meeting with Local Committees in Cervara di Roma<\/strong><\/p>\n Discussions continued on Saturday, 24 October, in Cervara di Roma, where our president met with representatives of several committees recently established within the Park\u2019s territory, in Livata and Subiaco. The committees\u2019 involvement highlights the importance of ensuring that decisions concerning the Park\u2019s management are accompanied by transparency, access to information and dialogue with the people who live in these areas. Environmental protection, the management of collectively owned land and the future of local communities are not separate issues: they must be addressed consistently within a comprehensive vision for the territory.<\/p>\n The Future of the Simbruini Mountains Must Be Rooted in Conservation<\/strong><\/p>\n The discussions with the Lazio Region and the Park\u2019s management provided an opportunity to raise issues that require clear and concrete answers: forestry exploitation, the effectiveness of monitoring and enforcement, harmful and unsustainable tourism activities, and the management of land subject to usi civici (traditional communal land-use rights). \u201cWe will continue to monitor the situation, hold the relevant authorities accountable for the commitments they have made, and work with local organisations that share our goal of protecting this area. A park cannot be viewed merely as a resource to be exploited: its very purpose is to conserve nature, both for today and for future generations\u201d.<\/p>\n > Download the press release<\/a> sent by Salviamo L’Orso on October 2026 to shed light on the case<\/p>\n
This is an approach that deserves serious consideration: biodiversity conservation must not be subordinated to the economic exploitation of forest resources, particularly in areas that are crucial to the conservation of threatened species.<\/p>\n
We believe it is essential that the announced investigations lead to concrete action. The disturbance caused by motorised activities must be taken seriously, especially in an area that should provide suitable conditions for wildlife. A protected area cannot limit itself to acting only after incidents have been reported: it must be able to prevent abuses and ensure that the rules are respected.<\/p>\n
We will judge the willingness to change expressed during the meeting on this basis. We are not asking for statements of principle, but for management that is consistent with the very purpose of a regional park: protecting natural heritage and ensuring that wildlife has the conditions it needs to live and survive undisturbed.<\/p>\n
We discussed with them the meeting held the previous day with the Lazio Region, as well as the initiatives the committees are pursuing to understand what is happening on numerous plots of land subject to usi civici (traditional communal land-use rights). This is an issue that requires full clarification as soon as possible. The management and exploitation of these lands must be examined in greater depth and made transparent, so that the implications of ongoing activities for both the local environment and the communities concerned can be properly assessed.<\/p>\n
We have expressed our willingness to cooperate, convinced that a change of direction is still possible. But the time for statements must now give way to decisions and concrete action.<\/p>\n