A conservation project nearly a century in the making is finally approaching the finish line, as the Catalan government prepares to establish the Muntanyes de Prades, Poblet i Serra de la Llena Natural Park. The vast new protected area is set to become the second-largest natural park in Catalonia, a move celebrated by environmentalists but met with caution by some local communities concerned about the economic impact of new regulations.
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Spanning 39,800 hectares, the park will only be surpassed in size by the Alt Pirineu Natural Park. Its creation has been a long-standing ambition, initially prioritised during the Second Spanish Republic in the 1930s. After decades of unfulfilled promises and shifting deadlines, the Generalitat de Catalunya has now confirmed a firm timeline. The government states that the official project decree will be published in the Diari Oficial de la Generalitat de Catalunya (DOGC) this March, which will open a period for public consultation and potential objections. Final approval is anticipated this summer.
A Complex Mosaic of Land and Livelihoods
The primary challenge in establishing the park has been its immense complexity. The proposed boundaries stretch across 22 municipalities in five different comarques (regional districts), including Priorat and Alt Camp, and two provinces, Tarragona and Lleida. This administrative patchwork covers a diverse landscape, from the striking limestone cliffs of the Prades Mountains to the historic forests surrounding the Poblet Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This diversity also extends to the local economies and cultures, making a one-size-fits-all approach difficult. Meritxell Cardona, the mayor of Cornudella de Montsant, highlighted this disparity in a statement to Ara Cat. “Tell me, what does the reality of Cornudella in Priorat have in common with that of Alcover in Alt Camp?” she asked, underscoring the challenge of creating a unified governance model for such different communities.
Balancing Protection with Local Interests
The prospect of new regulations has divided local opinion. Some, like Robert Figueras, the mayor of Alcover, are staunch supporters. “There have always been interferences until now, but now it’s unstoppable,” he celebrated. Figueras sees the park status as a vital tool for environmental protection and a gateway to crucial investment from the Generalitat, which can help manage the area’s many activities, including rock climbing, hunting, cycling, and rural tourism. Such investment is a key component of the wider Catalan budget, channelling funds into regional priorities.
“Anyone who wants to benefit from the forest can continue to do so, but now the Natural Park will ensure everything is done according to the regulations,” Figueras added. This regulated approach to public green space echoes the challenges faced elsewhere, from managing river levels in the Besòs River Park to studying the benefits of urban green axes in Barcelona.
However, it is precisely this new layer of regulation that worries others. Mayor Cardona of Cornudella voiced significant reservations. “We would like to be left out of the Natural Park, but they won’t let us,” she said. Her municipality is a world-renowned destination for rock climbers, and she fears the new protection plans will be restrictive. “30% of the climbing routes, including the most important ones, would no longer be possible,” she lamented, also expressing concern that the local wine industry could be hampered by additional bureaucracy. “We have already been through all this with the Montsant Natural Park,” she added, referencing a nearby protected area.
A Path Forward Through Participation
The government insists it has listened to these concerns. Marc Vilahur, the Director General of Environmental Policies, highlighted an extensive public participation process. This effort gathered 851 formal contributions, plus another 150 from targeted local meetings. “The creation of the park has incorporated a long participation process, which has allowed us to gather a wide diversity of visions, knowledge, and expectations,” Vilahur stated during an event in Alcover.
In response to anxieties from sectors like tourism and agriculture, officials have promised a “flexible regulation of public use.” This includes adaptive measures developed in concert with climbing and free-flight groups, based on carrying capacity studies and the conservation status of local biodiversity.
With the project’s official publication just weeks away, all eyes are on the final text. For mayors like Cardona, who feel the process is being rushed, the upcoming consultation period will be the last chance to formally object. “It’s as if it has to be approved during this political term no matter what,” she said. For now, a historic conservation goal is closer than ever, but the debate over how to balance nature and human activity in one of Catalonia’s most cherished landscapes is far from over.
