- Declaration: The Sierra de Guadarrama is proclaimed as a new National Park
- Declaration: National Park of the Sierra de Guadarrama: birthday with controversy
Six and a half years after its creation, the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park finally has a Master Plan for Use and Management (PRUG). After a complex administrative process, the Community of Madrid has just approved the set of rules and guidelines that will now govern access to this protected area and that are identical to those that also apply in the Segovian side.
"There has been a regulation in accordance with the demand, but being aware that it cannot be infinite," explains the General Director of the Environment of the Madrid Government, Luis del Olmo, who highlights the "merit" of having achieved a only document for the two regions through which the perimeter of this green lung of 34,000 hectares runs. "It is an instrument based on common sense with the application of criteria that facilitate the organization," he summarizes.
The regulations will have a validity period of one decade and throughout 2020 a series of complementary programs will be developed, such as one for improving accessibility, which will have to be developed within a maximum period of five years, in which the Community of Madrid will invest 50.6 million euros . Below, we offer a summary of the activities that will be allowed in the Sierra de Guadarrama, with its limitations, and those that are considered incompatible.
Trekking
Yes. In the restricted use area - 10% of the total - you can walk without prior permission as long as a maximum of 14 people do it together . Groups of 15 to 60 hikers will have to submit a responsible statement in advance and after 61 an authorization will be required.
In the rest of the park access is free up to a maximum of 25 mountaineers . For larger groups, a responsible statement is also necessary.
Sport activities
Yes. The PRUG establishes two modalities: the extraordinary ones that are not competitive and the competitions of low environmental incidence. Among the first are, for example, walks organized by groups of scouts or associations on the occasion of a town party. In the Ministry of Environment they specify that as long as they “do not contravene the regulations” they can be carried out normally if the number does not it exceeds 150 participants , although the tendency is to "allow small groups". Equestrian activities are also authorized up to a maximum of 15 riders.
In the case of competitions, the criterion that has been used has been the «historical-traditional» one of «respecting those that have been held uninterruptedly», as a route that the Peñalara Mountaineering Society takes. "They are around a dozen tests organized by entities that have attachment to the park and a lot of mountain culture up to a maximum of 400 people , but the idea is that it tends to reduce the number and impact over time," says a spokesman Autonomous, which recognizes that this is one of the issues that generates "more diversity of opinions."
Cycling
Yes. This has been another of the conflicting issues in the regulation of the uses and finally it has been decided to restrict the use of bicycles in already open paths of a minimum of six meters wide, explicitly prohibiting the routes through the mountain. The PRUG includes an annex with a “basic mapping of suitable vials” to facilitate its identification.
In addition, it has been decided to allow the entry of all electric bicycles - another of the debates was whether or not to authorize those with more than 250 w - because «the erosion is the same», according to the same official sources.
Sleeping outside
Only in winter. «The general criterion is that you can not sleep outdoors because that can encourage bottles , fires, camping .... However, outside the fire season and in certain areas that are not integral reserve you can make bivouac with the in order to preserve the mountainous spirit that the national park has. You cannot sleep in a tent, but you can take refuge when the fog falls or there is snow », they specify in the Ministry of Environment.
Refurbishment of shelters
No. According to the Community of Madrid, the regional regulations «do not contemplate the creation of hotel facilities or restaurants , because they are incompatible uses», and new constructions are not foreseen. To which they add: «Another thing is that some groups want to make a somewhat tortuous interpretation of the PRUG. The park has been drawn up with rigorous criteria so that it does not collide, so Valdesquí and the urban centers are out to avoid such conflicts.
Mushroom picking
Yes. And the rest of «forest uses», such as fruits and firewood, are also allowed. The general criterion has been to prioritize the premises , such as the residents of Rascafría and Alameda, who can collect without the need for an authorization. The rest have to ask permission.
Drone flight
No. It is completely prohibited , as is the movement with aircraft and motor vehicles - except those for park management -, navigation and use of canoes in aquatic areas.
Maximum capacity
No. Except for some La Pedriza locations such as Canto Cochino and Charca Verde, as required by the Ministry of Environment, the areas of maximum affluence are located in the preparque, such as La Fonfría and La Barranca. For this reason it is not considered necessary to establish in general a limited number of people who can access the park on the same day.
Future actions
The development of programs to improve accessibility, sustainability, the extraction of exotic animals and the introduction of species that have disappeared, such as the Iberian desman of the Pyrenees, is planned.
Ecologists will resort to the plan
Ecologists in Action and Grama have announced that they will appeal to the courts the Master Plan of the National Park of the Sierra de Guadarrama (PRUG) to request their annulment considering that “it will generate a scenario of greater protection”, reports Efe. Both groups criticize "the incompetence and laziness" of the Ministry of Environment of the Community of Madrid with respect to the plan and point out that any activity that occurs in the protected area "must be compatible with the conservation of their natural and cultural values ». However, they consider that “the approved PRUG is contrary to the conservation objectives of the national park, mainly because it allows incompatible activities and contrary to the existing regulations; for not being able to regulate its main uses and activities with guarantees; and for ignoring local populations, focusing on the interest and benefit of visitors and external companies ».
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