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of the Extraordinary Maintenance of the Power Lines in Some Municipalities of the Belluno Province on Habitats, Flora, and Fauna within the ZSC/ZPS “Dolomiti Feltrine and Bellunesi.”
LOCATION
Veneto
TYPE
Impact study
CLIENT
Proger s.p.a.
The Impact Study assessed the potential environmental impacts of the extraordinary maintenance of the Agordo-Stanga and Agordo-Vellai power lines in the municipalities of Agordo, La Valle Agordina, Sedico, and Sospirolo (BL).
The study specifically focused on significant impacts on habitats and species (flora and fauna) within the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Area (SPA) IT3230083 “Dolomiti Feltrine and Bellunesi”.
The study aimed to ensure the conservation status of habitats and species was not compromised, with special attention to those listed in Annex I of the Birds Directive 79/409/EEC and in Annexes I and II of the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC.
The study and subsequent impact assessment sought to identify and evaluate the degree of disturbance, whether temporary or permanent, that any project could generate within an existing or proposed Natura 2000 site. The study is a mandatory, legally required tool that ensures a procedural and substantive balance between habitat and species conservation and the sustainable use of land and resources, identifying potential conflicts with the environment and recommending compatible mitigation or compensation actions where needed.
The proposed interventions included:
To assess the presence of Natura 2000 elements affected by the project, a field survey was conducted. The survey focused on areas where new pylons would be installed, as well as nearby potential material storage areas. Vegetation was analyzed using the Braun-Blanquet (1928) phytosociological method, recording the observable vegetation layers, their average height, and cover.
Vegetal species were identified, and their cover class and vulnerability (as per the SAC Management Plan) were noted. The vegetation formations were classified and, if applicable, mapped according to the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC.
In general, the study found that permanent impacts would affect limited areas, balanced by the dismantling of old pylon foundations, returning these areas to their pre-project state. This would allow for natural recolonization by local vegetation, restoring the area to a fully natural condition.
The absence of exotic or ruderal species near the project area indicated minimal, if any, invasion of such species on disturbed ground not yet recolonized by local flora. Therefore, the vegetation was expected to evolve similarly to what had been observed, transitioning from dry grassland formations to ash-oak forest.
Regarding faunal disturbance, impacts were expected primarily from increased visual and especially acoustic disturbance due to construction vehicles (excavators, helicopters) involved in the project.
The primary targets of this disturbance were expected to be terrestrial mobile fauna and resident or transient avifauna. These species would likely have the opportunity to move away from the disturbed area during the construction period.
Given the small scale of the project, even if the area were used by protected species for foraging or was part of their home range, it was expected that the animals would temporarily relocate to nearby areas with similar ecological characteristics, as surrounding environments include both prairies and forested areas, similar to those observed during the field survey.
