The Alpine Network of Protected Areas
For many scientists dealing with nature protection and ecology, biodiversity, glacier research, the global change, sustainable development or long-term research in regions largely unaffected by humans, the 5th “International Symposium for Research in Protected Areas” of the Hohe Tauern National Park and the National Parks Austria was a must:
79 speakers and more than 100 posters set the scene for the conference programme under the theme “Dynamics and conservation in protected areas - challenges for research and management”, organised in parallel in numerous themed sessions.
This international scientific and protected area conference has been held every four years since 1996 and is now highly regarded within the scientific community. The interest has therefore been great to join in with an own contribution.
Around 300 delegates from over 20 nations used the opportunity to exchange ideas and network about current research results, hypotheses and project ideas directly related to protected areas in an intense and productive atmosphere of this three-day event in the Mittersill National Park centre.
Hence the symposium once again acted as a successful trans-regional platform beyond the boundaries of different expert areas, research tasks and protected areas.
A public evening event formed the closure of this year’s expert conference with the first-time presentation of the results of the research project “100 years National Park Idea in the Hohe Tauern”, and the announcement of the winners of the National Parks Austria Science Award 2013.
ALPARC obtained together with international partners a new Alpine Space Project valorizing former project results within regional and European policies.
GreenAlps shapes the framework for a sustainable and efficient European nature and biodiversity conservation policy for the Alps. It relies on two key projects covering essential issues how to best conserve alpine biodiversity by integrating the concept of an ecological continuum in European and regional policies (ECONNECT ) and how to avoid negative impacts of renewable energy production on nature (recharge.green ).
The further integration of results from these projects and other topic related projects in policy strategies is based on the valuation of ecosystem services and on a reliable definition of the carrying capacity of Alpine natural habitats. An intact alpine biodiversity is calling for long-term orientated land use planning, new ways of cooperation and a precautionary approach of other key sectors. The successful governance model of pilot areas working beyond protected sites will help to verify the practicability of the proposed strategies and their possible implementation in European policies.
Partners of this project are : ALPARC (The Alpine Network of Protected Areas, Lead Partner) (F); CIPRA International (FL); EURAC (European Academy of Bolzano) (I); FIWI (Wildlife Institute of Vienna) (A); Berchtesgaden National Park (D); Kalkalpen National Park (A); Prealpi Giulie Nature Park (I); Triglavski Narodni Park (SI).
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Dear colleagues, dear friends in the Alpine protected areas, |
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On 18th January 2013, the „ALPARC“ association was founded with more than 30 founding members from all categories of protected areas and regional institutions. I am very pleased, and also a bit proud, about this strong interest in the now formalised structure of the Network of Alpine Protected Areas, which has already existed as an informal trans-Alpine network since 1995 also promoting the cooperation between our parks and protected areas. And it has done so across all language boundaries! |
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This has given us an own legal entity from this year onwards allowing us to act independently as a network and to represent the protected areas more strongly in the international arena. After many discussions about the statutes of the network, we can in particular progress more vigorously the international cooperation between protected areas and our partners with certainly new, interesting and pioneering projects for the Alps. |
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From the 1st January 2014, our Task Force Protected Area team, which currently still belongs to the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention, will also be grouped under the ALPARC association and then be available as the branch office of the association as the direct contact. Up until the end of 2013 there are a number of formalities to be completed with the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention, which we will do in a very constructive way. |
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The foundation for further close cooperation with the Alpine Convention has already been laid through the drafting and signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation and will now be defined in detail and implemented together with the new Secretary General of the Alpine Convention, Markus Reiterer. After all, the ALPARC network was created from its inception – on French initiative – as a contribution to implement the Alpine Convention. |
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I therefore look forward with great pleasure to a strong and constructive cooperation with the Alpine Convention, which should develop more concretely in the coming months and years giving our protected areas a more prominent place within the Convention in accordance with our slogan “Together for the Alps”. |
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I would like to take the initiative again at this point to ask all protected areas of the Alps that are not yet members of ALPARC to register with the association, in order to further increase the weight of the protected areas in the joint responsibility for the biodiversity and sustainable development of this unique area of the Alps. |
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Dr. Michael VOGEL, ALPARC President |
The GreenAlps project has been recently approved in the frame of the 5th call of the ETC Alpine Space Programme. The main aim of the project is to capitalize on the results of previous projects in order to draft a long term, sustainable and integrated environmental policy vision for the Alps. GreenAlps will go beyond classical policy recommendations by giving concrete perspectives for several key sectors, in order to explain how ecological connectivity and sustainable use of natural resources are the basis for the provision of Ecosystem services.
The Lead Partner (LP), the Alpine Network of Protected Areas, launches a tender for management support for all tasks of the overall transnational project administration, co-ordination and financial management. Find the procurements, the terms of reference and all other relevant documents below. Participation is open to all legal persons who are established in a Member State of the European Union or in a country or territory of the regions covered and/or authorised by the specific instruments applicable to the programme under which the contract is financed. Deadline for tender submissions is the 28. 10. 2013.
Le REEMA, CIPRA France et ALPARC sont relais du programme international "Youth Alpine Dialogue" pour les Alpes françaises. A ce titre, nous recherchons des jeunes (15-18 ans et 18-30 ans) pour participer à ce projet original, convivial et porteur d'idées ! Nous comptons sur vous pour nous aider à créer un dialogue alpin vivant !
Plus d'information dans l'appel ci-joint.
Photo legend, from left to right : the Secretary General of the Alpine Convention, Markus Reiterer ; the deputy governor of the Land of Tyrol, Mrs. Ingrid Felipe ; the ALPARC president Michael Vogel ; the representative of the Danilo Re steering committee Martin Šolar and the director of the National Park Hohe Tauern - Tyrol, Hermann Stotter.
The deputy governor of Tyrol, Mrs. Ingrid Felipe, officially announced it on March 17th, 2014 in Innsbruck in presence of the ALPARC President and the Secretary General of the Alpine Convention: the National Park Hohe Tauern - Tyrol will host the General Assembly 2015 of the Alpine Network of Protected Areas - ALPARC and the Memorial Danilo Re.
The National Park Hohe Tauern organizes for the first time in the history of ALPARC its General Assembly. The park, who is one of the founding members of the network and very active since the beginning, will so welcome the two most important events of the ALPARC calendar 2015 in the Defereggental in the valley of St. Jacob, where the Memorial sport event as well as the gatherings of field agents and managers of the protected areas will take place.
ALPARC and also the Danilo Re Memorial will both celebrate their 20th anniversary next year: one more reason to offer, beside thematic exchanges and sports events, also festive moments. A central theme of the General Assembly will be the future evolution of the network and its priorities for ....the next 20 years.
2025
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France launches the idea of establishing a European network of Alpine Protected Areas.
Organisation of the 1st International Conference of the Alpine Protected Areas in Les Ecrins National Park (FR).
Drafting of the rules for ALPARC's procedural regulations;
Official recognition of ALPARC - The Alpine Network of Protected Areas as a contribution to the application of the Alpine Convention.
Conference of the Protected Areas of the European mountains.
The Steering Committee of the Alpine Convention gives ALPARC the responsibility to carry out a study on ecological networks and transboundary areas.
ALPARC celebrates its 10th anniversary.
ALPARC’s staff becomes attached to the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention under the name 'Task Force Protected Areas'.
Official partnership between CIPRA, ISCAR and WWF on the Ecological Continuum Initiative.
With the goal of creating a genuine ecological network, ALPARC launches a large-scale project on ecological corridors in collaboration with partner organizations.
Contracting parties of the Alpine Convention, the Carpathian Convention and the Biodiversity Convention sign the Memorandum of Cooperation.
ALPARC coordinates the activities of the Alpine Convention’s Platform 'Ecological Network'.
In January, ALPARC acquires the legal status of ‘association’ in France and separates from the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention.
In February, ALPARC and the Alpine Convention sign a Memorandum of Cooperation in order to facilitate cooperation between the two organizations and benefit from potential synergies.
20th anniversary!
ALPARC launches the first edition of the international event ‘Youth at the Top’ to help reconnect Alpine youth with nature and their mountain heritage.
ALPARC starts to work on the working field 'Regional Development and Quality of Life' under the framework of the project InnovAlps and WeWild.
ALPARC leads the 3-year EU Alpine Space project ALPBIONET2030 for Alpine wildlife and habitat management and the YOUrALPS project to give structure to the field of Mountain-oriented Education and incorporate the values and knowledge of mountains more fully into practice.
ALPARC becomes a partner of the 2-year EU Alpine Space project GaYA on implementing youth participation in the Alps.
Launch of the communication campaign 'Be Part of the Mountain' to reduce the impact of winter sport practitioners on Alpine fauna.
On April 11th, the new regional platform of the Alpine Network ‘ALPARC CENTR’ALPS’ is officially founded in Nagelfluhkette Nature Park (Balderschwang, DE) to ensure a regional presence and proximity of the network.
ALPARC celebrates its 25th anniversary in Le Monêtier-les-Bains, Les Ecrins National Park.
Together with 5 partners within the project OpenSpaceAlps and with 10 partners within the HEALPS2 project, ALPARC and the project partners have successfully completed these Alpine Space projects.
The regional platform ALPARC CENTR'ALPS is present with a contact point with its own staff in Immenstadt (DE).
Alpine Space project ‘PlanToConnect’ (project builds on the results of ALPBIONET2030). Objective: Integration of ecological connectivity into spatial planning in the Alpine region.
Launch of two Alpine Space projects: ‘LiveAlpsNature’ (ALPARC LeadPartner). Objective: Visitor guidance measures for Alpine protected areas through innovative offers (OneHealthApproach) and modern digital platforms for outdoor activities. ‘AlpsLife’ (ALPARC, central project partner). Objective: Provision of methods for joint biodiversity monitoring and an Alpine early warning system for species and habitat loss.
30 years of international cooperation of Alpine protected areas within the network ALPARC.