GREEN RECLAMATION AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING IN PIEDMONT: TECHNICAL-LEGISLATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND EXPERIENCES IN HILLY AND MOUNTAIN SITES

The policy of environmental recovery of the Piedmont Region was revived on with the approval by the Regional Council on, 1991 of the guidelines (D.C.R. 250–11937 –31.07.1991) that give moreover an initial ecological and biogeographical subdivision of the arboreal component of the regional vegetation. this acts as the basis for the choice of species to plant out in the various eco-vegetational sub-regions of Piedmont so that natural potential vegetation of the site may be restored.

Recently the quoted guidelines have been brought up to date on account of the new rules, of the technical evolution of the subject, as well as of the matured experience, making so a better specification and listing of bio-engineering techniques, fixing those that must be the contents of the recovery project and underlining the need of involving several professionalism and, above all, experts of vegetation.

From, 1991 to, 1996, the Environmental Protection Service gave the Commons and the Mountain Communities the possibility to project and to execute 157 operations of environmental recovery, and, on the basis of these experiences, made and publicized on April, 1995, satisfying a need felt already by many parts, a specific prices list, for the operations of environmental restoration and bio-engineering: this instrument has been widely utilized also in the restoration projects followed the flood on the, 1994 and had national diffusion.

Besides since May, 1996 the Service had given free to the Institutions and private people the "Manual of bio-engineering techniques" published by Emilia-Romagna Region and Veneto Region and on, 1995 coproduced with the others Regions of the north and middle Italy a video concerning the bio-engineering techniques.

In regards to the operative activity, a great number of restoration projects, realized ex lege 32/82, concern hilly and mountain sites characterized by territorial and ecological declines connected with the hydrogeologic instability, on that were made ready for use all the main techniques of bio-engineering for the execution of consolidation and green reclamation, with the consequent use of herbaceous vegetation and local bushes and trees and with the exploitation and the check of the bio-technical aptitudes of some species.

So we have been able to come operatively to the conclusion that the use of these techniques represents, in most operations of consolidation and green reclamation, an excellent solution with the achievement of best results in comparison to traditional techniques and with a sure advantage in the restoration of the biological processes and of the vegetation covering, and, as well as, of the natural landscape.

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