San Glorio
Encyclopedia
San Glorio is a mountain pass
in the Cantabrian Mountains
of Northern Spain
. The pass reaches an altitude of 1609 metres along the national highway N621 which connects the city of León
with Cantabria
and which passes through Asturias
.
The pass is situated some 800m from the southern border of the Picos de Europa National Park
, a park included in UNESCO
's World Network of Biosphere Reserves
and shared by the provinces of León
, Asturias and Cantabria.
The valleys of this part of the Cantabrian Mountains include sites in the European Union
's Natura 2000
network and Special Protection Areas for the conservation of wild birds. San Glorio is used as a corridor
by the Cantabrian brown bear
Ursus arctos, catalogued in Spain as being in danger of extinction. Moreover, the slopes of the glacial valleys making up the surrounding region are home to an important variety of plant life.
s, the development was first suggested in the 1970's. The current project was presented in 2003 and has so far not gone ahead due to legal challenges related to the environmental value of the area. The scientific community warned of irreparable damage that would result to the habitat
from the construction of large facilities. Much of the land in question belongs to the Natural Park of Fuentes Carrionas y Fuente Cobre-Montaña Palentina.
According to a 2006 report published by the Ministry of the Environment, the Picos de Europa has "conservation problems at local level" due mainly to the role tourism plays, but also because there are
While the latest estimate puts the Cantabrian Brown Bear population at around 140, these bears are divided between around 100-110 in the Western section and 25-30 in the Eastern. Leading Spanish experts have warned that despite an evident rise, the bear population will not be viable until there are "several hundred". Asturias only has a 25% forest
coverage, the lowest for any existing bear region in Europe (other bear areas have more than 50% forest coverage) and habitat improvement is therefore a key issue. Another problem is that of infrastructures. According to Jon Swenson, vice-president for Eurasia of the International Bear Association
(IBA), the effect of a ski station would cause the same environmental impact as a town of 3,000 inhabitants and bears would keep at least 10km away from such facilities.
Likewise, in a paper presented in February 1989 at the Eighth International Conference on Bear Research and Management, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Christopher Servheen of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stated that the continued reduction in habitat further isolates the two subpopulations in the Cantabrian Mountains, "making them more susceptible to the demographic and genetic consequences of small population size."
has adopted major changes in regional planning
which may permit future development, including the removal of a prohibition from March 2006 on the construction of ski resorts in the protected area of Fuentes Carrionas.
At the beginning of 2008, Spain's Defensor del Pueblo
, with a direct mandate to initiate proceedings at Spain's Constitutional Court, submitted the following to Castilla and León's department of the environment:
(That the department [of the environment] take the necessary steps to repeal Law 13/2006, as it contravenes legislation in force regarding Natural Spaces and Environmental Assessment through there not having been a prior evaluation of the modification to the development plan of the Natural Park of Fuentes Carrionas y Fuente Cobre-Montaña Palentina which is contained in the Law in question.)
In March 2008, the High Court of Castilla y León ruled that the regional government’s sudden change in its own planning regulations, solely with the intention of permitting a ski resort, not only went against its own regional law, but both the national law on nature conservation and the European Natura 2000 regulations. The Court accepted the results of research submitted by the University of Salamanca
and Spain’s Higher Council for Scientific Research
(CSIC), both of which strongly criticised plans to develop within protected land.
The regional government attempted to respond to the legal challenge with a plagiarised report which had to be withdrawn. At the end of 2009 it produced another report which proposed that Fuentes Carrionas and Picos de Europa should be considered together as an area where ski resorts are possible.
aims.
Both sides, on the one hand, the promotor and on the other hand, the association of NGOs opposing the development, have been collecting signatures in support of their respective initiatives.
As of August 2007, the association of NGOs defending the protection of the nature park claimed to have collected 11,780 signatures, while the consortium of developers claimed to have collected 3,000 signatures.
A conference held August 2007, organised by SEO/Birdlife (Birdlife International
’s Spanish section) together with WWF/Adena (the World Wildlife Fund's Spanish office), and two Spanish bear conservation organisations (Fapas and Fundación Oso Pardo), reaffirmed these organisations' opposition to the project.
The issue has been raised before the European Parliament
, with Euro-MP David Hammerstein
requesting the European Commission
to look into the funding of the project, claiming that the regional government receives EU funding because of the park's required protection as a most seriously threatened habitat, while at the same time applying for subsidies for the jobs at the projected ski resort and hotel complex.
43°04′00"N 4°46′00"W
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
in the Cantabrian Mountains
Cantabrian Mountains
The Cantabrian Mountains or Cantabrian Range are one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.They extend for more than approximately 180 miles across northern Spain, from the western limit of the Pyrenees to the edges of the Galician Massif close to Galicia, along the coast of the...
of Northern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The pass reaches an altitude of 1609 metres along the national highway N621 which connects the city of León
León, Spain
León is the capital of the province of León in the autonomous community of Castile and León, situated in the northwest of Spain. Its city population of 136,985 makes it the largest municipality in the province, accounting for more than one quarter of the province's population...
with Cantabria
Cantabria
Cantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
and which passes through Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
.
The pass is situated some 800m from the southern border of the Picos de Europa National Park
Picos de Europa National Park
The Picos de Europa National Park is a National Park in the Picos de Europa mountain range, in northern Spain. It is shared by the autonomous communities of Asturias, Cantabria and Castile and León.-History:...
, a park included in UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
's World Network of Biosphere Reserves
World Network of Biosphere Reserves
The UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves covers internationally-designated protected areas, known as biosphere reserves, that are meant to demonstrate a balanced relationship between man and nature The UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves covers internationally-designated protected...
and shared by the provinces of León
León (province)
León is a province of northwestern Spain, in the northwestern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León.About one quarter of its population of 500,200 lives in the capital, León. The weather is cold and dry during the winter....
, Asturias and Cantabria.
The valleys of this part of the Cantabrian Mountains include sites in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
's Natura 2000
Natura 2000
Natura 2000 is an ecological network of protected areas in the territory of the European Union.-Origins:In May 1992, the governments of the European Communities adopted legislation designed to protect the most seriously threatened habitats and species across Europe. This legislation is called the...
network and Special Protection Areas for the conservation of wild birds. San Glorio is used as a corridor
Wildlife corridor
A wildlife corridor or green corridor is an area of habitat connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities . This allows an exchange of individuals between populations, which may help prevent the negative effects of inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity that often occur within...
by the Cantabrian brown bear
Cantabrian brown bear
Cantabrian brown bear refers to a population of Eurasian brown bears living in the Cantabrian Mountains of Spain. Females weigh, on average, 85kg but can reach a weight of 150kg. Males average 115kg though can weigh as much as 200kg. The bear measures between 1.6 – 2m in length and between 0.90...
Ursus arctos, catalogued in Spain as being in danger of extinction. Moreover, the slopes of the glacial valleys making up the surrounding region are home to an important variety of plant life.
Environmental issues
San Glorio is also the name of a projected ski resort in the area. Involving some 60 kilometres of pistePiste
A piste is a marked ski run or path down a mountain for snow skiing, snowboarding, or other mountain sports. The term is European, from the French for trail or track, synonymous with trail, slope, or groomed run in North America....
s, the development was first suggested in the 1970's. The current project was presented in 2003 and has so far not gone ahead due to legal challenges related to the environmental value of the area. The scientific community warned of irreparable damage that would result to the habitat
Habitat conservation
Habitat conservation is a land management practice that seeks to conserve, protect and restore, habitat areas for wild plants and animals, especially conservation reliant species, and prevent their extinction, fragmentation or reduction in range...
from the construction of large facilities. Much of the land in question belongs to the Natural Park of Fuentes Carrionas y Fuente Cobre-Montaña Palentina.
According to a 2006 report published by the Ministry of the Environment, the Picos de Europa has "conservation problems at local level" due mainly to the role tourism plays, but also because there are
"...no planning regulations for this unequalled territory. The regional government of Castilla and León has commenced construction of a ski resort (Esla 2000), near the San Glorio mountain pass. A new road is also projected between Valdeón and Liébana, in Cantabria. The regional government of Asturias is already constructing another road from Sotres to Bulnes along the summits. Several mountain cable cars are also projected: the final assault has commenced."
While the latest estimate puts the Cantabrian Brown Bear population at around 140, these bears are divided between around 100-110 in the Western section and 25-30 in the Eastern. Leading Spanish experts have warned that despite an evident rise, the bear population will not be viable until there are "several hundred". Asturias only has a 25% forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
coverage, the lowest for any existing bear region in Europe (other bear areas have more than 50% forest coverage) and habitat improvement is therefore a key issue. Another problem is that of infrastructures. According to Jon Swenson, vice-president for Eurasia of the International Bear Association
International Bear Association
The International Association for Bear Research and Management , also known as the International Bear Association, is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization open to professional biologists, wildlife managers and others dedicated to the conservation of the world’s eight bear species.With over 550...
(IBA), the effect of a ski station would cause the same environmental impact as a town of 3,000 inhabitants and bears would keep at least 10km away from such facilities.
Likewise, in a paper presented in February 1989 at the Eighth International Conference on Bear Research and Management, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Christopher Servheen of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stated that the continued reduction in habitat further isolates the two subpopulations in the Cantabrian Mountains, "making them more susceptible to the demographic and genetic consequences of small population size."
Legal issues
Although Spain's Ministry for the Environment has opposed the development of San Glorio, the regional government of Castile and LeónCastile and León
Castile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile...
has adopted major changes in regional planning
Land use planning
Land-use planning is the term used for a branch of public policy encompassing various disciplines which seek to order and regulate land use in an efficient and ethical way, thus preventing land-use conflicts. Governments use land-use planning to manage the development of land within their...
which may permit future development, including the removal of a prohibition from March 2006 on the construction of ski resorts in the protected area of Fuentes Carrionas.
At the beginning of 2008, Spain's Defensor del Pueblo
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
, with a direct mandate to initiate proceedings at Spain's Constitutional Court, submitted the following to Castilla and León's department of the environment:
"Que esa Consejería realice las gestiones pertinentes para que se proceda a derogar
el Decreto 13/2006, al ser contrario a la legalidad vigente en materia de Espacios
Naturales y Evaluación Ambiental, por no haber sido evaluada previamente la modificación del PORN de Fuentes Carrionas y Fuente Cobre-Montaña Palentina, que contiene tal Decreto".
(That the department [of the environment] take the necessary steps to repeal Law 13/2006, as it contravenes legislation in force regarding Natural Spaces and Environmental Assessment through there not having been a prior evaluation of the modification to the development plan of the Natural Park of Fuentes Carrionas y Fuente Cobre-Montaña Palentina which is contained in the Law in question.)
In March 2008, the High Court of Castilla y León ruled that the regional government’s sudden change in its own planning regulations, solely with the intention of permitting a ski resort, not only went against its own regional law, but both the national law on nature conservation and the European Natura 2000 regulations. The Court accepted the results of research submitted by the University of Salamanca
University of Salamanca
The University of Salamanca is a Spanish higher education institution, located in the town of Salamanca, west of Madrid. It was founded in 1134 and given the Royal charter of foundation by King Alfonso IX in 1218. It is the oldest founded university in Spain and the third oldest European...
and Spain’s Higher Council for Scientific Research
CSIC
The Spanish National Research Council is the largest public institution dedicated to research in Spain and the third largest in Europe...
(CSIC), both of which strongly criticised plans to develop within protected land.
The regional government attempted to respond to the legal challenge with a plagiarised report which had to be withdrawn. At the end of 2009 it produced another report which proposed that Fuentes Carrionas and Picos de Europa should be considered together as an area where ski resorts are possible.
Initiatives
The consortium backing the San Glorio resort claims that its proposal is the only means of preventing the villages of the region from becoming depopulated. Similarly, the local population of the villages affected has come out in favour of the project, basing their arguments on what is claimed will be a boost to the local economy. However, the economic benefits are disputed by the NGOs leading the campaign against the project, who, in turn, accuse the promotors of the development of having merely speculativeSpeculation
In finance, speculation is a financial action that does not promise safety of the initial investment along with the return on the principal sum...
aims.
Both sides, on the one hand, the promotor and on the other hand, the association of NGOs opposing the development, have been collecting signatures in support of their respective initiatives.
As of August 2007, the association of NGOs defending the protection of the nature park claimed to have collected 11,780 signatures, while the consortium of developers claimed to have collected 3,000 signatures.
A conference held August 2007, organised by SEO/Birdlife (Birdlife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
’s Spanish section) together with WWF/Adena (the World Wildlife Fund's Spanish office), and two Spanish bear conservation organisations (Fapas and Fundación Oso Pardo), reaffirmed these organisations' opposition to the project.
The issue has been raised before the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
, with Euro-MP David Hammerstein
David Hammerstein Mintz
David Hammerstein Mintz is a Spanish politician and former Member of the European Parliament for Los Verdes, part of the European Greens...
requesting the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
to look into the funding of the project, claiming that the regional government receives EU funding because of the park's required protection as a most seriously threatened habitat, while at the same time applying for subsidies for the jobs at the projected ski resort and hotel complex.
External links
- Spanish Catalogue of Threatened Species
- Flora and fauna in San Glorio (in English)
- Discussion at the iberianature forum (in English)
- BirdLife International Home Page (in English)
- Consortium of promotors for the development, Tres Provincias S.A (in Spanish)
- Association of NGOs defending the protection of San Glorio (in Spanish)
- Euro-Mp David Hammerstein's web site (in Spanish)
- Official web site of Spain's Ministry of the Environment - National Parks (in Spanish)
- Birdlife International Spain (in Spanish)
- World Wildlife Fund Spain (in Spanish)
- Google map
43°04′00"N 4°46′00"W