The Environmentally Sensitive Area legislation in the United Kingdom and its potential application to the Picos de Europa mountains in north-west Spain

Abstract

The Picos de Europa are representative of the diverse cultural landscapes of Spain that are currently threatened by changes in traditional management practices. They contain the first national park to be declared in Europe, and, although this has recently been extended, there is no policy to support the traditional agricultural practices that maintain the landscape. The Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) scheme in Britain is described in order to provide an appropriate policy background within which the ecological characteristics of the region could be maintained. The general background to the environment of the region is then described, with its unique interactions amongst limestone rock, climate, species and anthropogenic influences that have produced a complex cultural landscape. A statistical classification of the region was constructed which, in conjunction with a field survey, enabled the ecological resources to be assessed, and also identified the principal threats to the character of the region. It is suggested that ESA-style legislation could provide a valuable policy instrument to encourage maintenance of the cultural landscape and some appropriate prescriptions are proposed for this purpose.