A year has passed since the start of Bio For Piri. Having passed the halfway point of the project, we want to take stock of the goals we have achieved during this first stage. We are very pleased to see that a significant part of our objectives has been realized, and we look forward with enthusiasm to the second half of the project. For another year, we will continue working to promote the forest bioeconomy in the Pyrenees.
Bio For Piri is an initiative that works to turn the threat of large wildfires in the Pyrenees into an opportunity for rural development and the conservation of natural heritage through forest management. Led by the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera, in coordination with the Fundación Pau Costa and four other organizations, the project has received nearly two million euros from the European Next Generation funds.
Actions carried out during the first year of Bio For Piri
The project focuses on three main lines of action: wildfire prevention through sustainable forest management, the promotion of the forest bioeconomy, and knowledge transfer.
The various actions promoted by the project aim to generate local employment, conserve biodiversity, and promote economic development in rural areas of the Pyrenees. In this way, Bio For Piri not only addresses wildfire prevention but also contributes to the ecological transition and the strengthening of rural communities in the Pyrenees, offering comprehensive solutions that combine environmental conservation with economic and social development.
Below is a list of the specific actions that have been carried out so far within the framework of the project, in which we have:
- Developed a technical guide with planning criteria for the prevention of large wildfires, aligned with local values, along with a typology map for the characterization of public mountain lands in the municipality of Aínsa-Sobrarbe.
- Managed 28 hectares of strategic areas for wildfire prevention and 40 hectares of forest using close-to-nature forest management criteria.
- Started the creation of a permanent forest brigade in the Alinyà mountain area, hiring 1 foreman and 2 forest workers.
- Increased the number of trained individuals qualified to work in the forestry sector: 6 people have obtained the European chainsaw license.
- Organized 3 online training sessions to introduce the business sector to the forest bioeconomy, and held various volunteer days to raise public awareness, with participation from 24 people.
- Increased the number of people engaged in extensive livestock farming in the Aínsa area, with 1 new person registering in 2024.
- Restored 6 watering points for livestock and recovered 12 hectares of pastureland.
- Opened new logging roads and upgraded 15 kilometers of existing tracks, completing 70% of the planned road improvement works.
- Analyzed the potential for production and commercialization of wood-based products derived from forest management (biomass) in Aínsa.
Final Objectives of the Project
The Bio For Piri project has a duration of two years and will conclude in December 2025. Until then, the following actions are planned:
- Management of 52 hectares of strategic areas for wildfire prevention and an additional 40 hectares of forest following close-to-nature management criteria.
- Construction of a water reservoir for wildfire prevention.
- Hiring 2 additional workers for the forest brigade. This time, we aim to address the lack of female candidates in the previous recruitment due to the absence of female applicants.
- Training 8 more individuals to obtain the European chainsaw license.
- Organizing a new training session to introduce the business sector to the forest bioeconomy, as well as 3 seminars on close-to-nature forest management to train sector professionals.
- Hiring a new individual for extensive livestock farming.
- Restoration of 2 more watering points and a total of 39 hectares of pastureland.
- Hosting 2 BioBlitz events, a participatory citizen science activity open to anyone who wants to learn about nature and biodiversity, along with new volunteer days, aiming to attract more than 120 volunteers across all activities.
- Creation of interpreted hiking trails to increase the ecotourism offerings in the area.
- Design and construction of a prototype of a rural bio-built home using local wood.
- Writing and publication of 8 environmental packages related to sustainable forest management for companies interested in investing in active forest conservation.
Collaborating Entities of the Project
Behind Bio For Piri is a team of more than 60 people, from the six different entities that collaborate to make this work possible. The collaboration of diverse entities, each a leader in its field of expertise, is undoubtedly one of the strengths of this project.
Bio For Piri is driven by the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera in coordination with the Centre de Ciència i Tecnologia Forestal de Catalunya, the Fundación para la Conservación del Quebrantahuesos, the Fundación Empresa y Clima, the Fundació Integra Pirineus and he Fundació Pau Costa.
Bio For Piri has the support of the Fundación Biodiversidad of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan (PRTR), financed by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.
