Chiomonte, Exilles, Salbertrand, Sauze di Cesana – restoration of forests damaged by avalanches high valsusa

Mission 2 – Component 4 - Investment 3.1: Protection and enhancement of urban and peri-urban forests

This measure aims to protect green areas and increase their number with the objective of both preserving and enhancing biodiversity and increasing the quality of life of the inhabitants of those areas.

The actions shall concentrate on the 14 metropolitan cities of Italy, which are the most exposed to environmental problems like air pollution, loss of biodiversity or to the effects of climate change.

Forest reproductive material (seeds or plants) shall be planted for those areas for at least 4 500 000 trees and shrubs (in 4 500 hectares) and at least 3.5 million trees shall be transplanted in their final destination.

The interventions shall follow the adoption of an urban forestation plan with the objectives of preserving and enhancing biodiversity in line with the European Biodiversity Strategy, reducing air pollution in metropolitan areas, bringing the number air quality infringement procedures down.

The investment is financed by Italy’s Recovery and Resilience plan by EUR 210 million.

As part of this investment, the project concerns the forestation of 4 distinct areas, publicly owned by the municipalities, of avalanche detachment and flow located in the municipalities of Chiomonte, Exilles, Salbertrand and Sauze of Cesana.

The reforestation of the avalanche detachment areas, together with the planting protection works, aims to mitigate the risk of detachment of historical and recurrent avalanches that constitute a danger for the infrastructure on the valley floor, ensuring at the same time an increase in the actively managed forest area, a better ecological connection at the level of slopes, an implementation of direct protection forests, to the benefit of territorial security.

Landscape aspects will also see the progressive closure of the avalanche channels through the restoration of a forest characterized by native species, differentiated according to the characteristics of the station and altitude gradient.

This diversity will ensure a greater resilience of the forest, mitigating the effects of any biotic or abiotic disorders due to the different characteristics of the species used.

The increase in actively managed forest cover and the growth of young populations will eventually contribute to a greater fixation of CO2, the mitigation of temperatures at ground level and the fight against climate change.

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