[FINISHED] Regulation of overcrowding in Les Planes d'Hostoles

CALENDAR

START: 2017

FINAL: 2021

GOALS:

  1. Regulate access to the busiest spaces to control the number of visitors and the impact on the environment Install signage and interpretive signs on space use and good practices
  2. Restore the most degraded areas
  3. Study and manage spaces for the maintenance and improvement of natural habitats, ecological processes and biodiversity

 

FINANCERS:

  1. Ajuntament de les Planes d'Hostoles
  2. Agència Catalana de l'Aigua
  3. Departament d'Acció Climàtica, Alimentació i Agenda Rural

 

SUMMARY:

L'Espai Natural Protegit del Brugent is part of XN2000 and follows the Brugent river as it passes through Sant Feliu de Pallerols, Les Planes d’Hostoles and Amer, until it joins the Ter river. The stretch of the river Brugent that passes through the Planes d’Hostoles is a very rich habitat and, among the species that live there, we find some that are in danger of extinction. The uniqueness and scenic beauty of this area, especially the gorges that make up the river, attracts thousands of visitors year after year.

The overcrowding of this space and the behavior of visitors who arrive there pose a significant threat to the flora and fauna that inhabit it. The massive influx into this area puts a lot of pressure on the ecosystems of the Brugent River and adjacent to it. When overcrowding was first detected in 2017, pressures created mainly by visitor behavior were described, such as leaving rubbish, noise disturbing wildlife present, intrusion on private, agricultural or livestock property, erode roads and open new ones, outside the signposted route, among others. On the other hand, there were also pressures in the field of public use planning such as cars parked on the side of the road, the saturation of the enabled parking areas or the lack of road signs. In addition, when there was no regulation in the space, conflicts between owners and visitors were frequent, due to the type of behavior described.

Ultimately, the lack of order and regulation in the space had an impact on the river and the riparian forest, worsening the ecological status of the river and the riparian forest. To reduce the impacts, this management has been carried out from 2017 to the present, it has been possible to quantify the influx of visitors to the space and substantial changes have been observed in their behavior in the natural environment. As a result of the regulations implemented, there have been some changes in the dynamics of visitors and an improvement in the organization of public use, which has led to several improvements in recent years.

 

ACTIONS CARRIED OUT AND RESULTS:

YEAR 2018

  • Exotic elimination (Robinia pseudoacacia and Arundo donax) Zona la Plana.
  • Revegetation with riparian forest La Plana area
  • Creation of an information point for visitors to the Brugent EIN.
  • Usage regulation
  • Adequacy and regulation of access.
  • Space signage
  • Leaflets on the importance of natural space
  • Attendance (from Easter to the end of August): about 25,000 people

YEAR 2019

  • Study of the natural environment of Les Planes d’Hostoles
  • Elimination of exotic species Robinia pseudoacacia and Arundo donax in the section of Can Poeti (Phase 1).
  • Revegetation with riparian forest in the stretch of La Plana.
  • Adequacy of access and regulation of uses with identification of new affected bathroom spaces.
  • Space signage and improved visitor flow regulation.
  • Attendance (from Easter to September 15): about 20,000 people

YEAR 2020

  • Elimination of exotic species (Robinia pseudoacacia and Arundo donax) in the Espai de Molí de Murris and Can Poeti (Phase 2).
  • Revegetation with riparian forest in the area of ​​Can Poeti.
  • Adequacy of access and regulation of uses.
  • Participatory process with the residents of the gorges of Les Planes d’Hostoles.
  • Attendance (from Easter to the end of October): 21,165 people
Gorgs les Planes d'Hostoles