Abruzzo Region Parks May Soon be UNESCO Sites
Four parks in the Abruzzo region may become unesco world heritage sites. The parks have long been recognized for their environmentalist efforts and their wealth of plant and animal diversity.
The Director of the National Park of Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga, Domenico Nicoletti, met recently with the directors of three other parks in the Abruzzo region. Many topics were discussed and Nicoletti announced that he had submitted a request for the Abruzzo parks to earn the title of a UNESCO world heritage site. The rest of the directors fully approved this move as they have been committed to revamping the governance of their respective territories for many years.
The four parks that are under consideration to join the list of UNESCO protected world heritage sites are Parco Nazionale Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga, Parco Nationale of Abruzzo, Parco Nazionale della Majella, and L’area Marina protetta Torre del Cerrano. These territories mark land that is rich with both plant and animal biodiversity.
The National Park of Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga was established in 1991 and is the third largest National Park in Italy containing more than two thousand plant species, some of which are only found in this region of the world.
The National Park of Abruzzo has previously fought for the conservation of two important species: the chamois Abruzzo wolf and the Marsicano brown bear. This park has also spearheaded several initiatives related to environmentalism.
L’area marina protetta Torre del Cerrano is the first marine protected area of Abruzzo and the middle adriatic and harbors many different types of sea animals.
The parks have already done major work in the field of tourism and cultural policies to gain support for initiatives for the protection of the Abruzzo region.
