LIFE08 NAT/IT/ FINAL Report Covering the project activities from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2013

Transcription

1 LIFE08 NAT/IT/ FINAL Report Covering the project activities from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2013 Reporting Date 30/03/2014, modified 30/03/2015 WOLFNET "Development of coordinated protection measures for Wolf in Apennines" Project location Project start date: 01/01/2010 Project end date: 31/12/2013 Total budget ,00 EC contribution: ,00 Italy (Abruzzo, Toscana, Emilia Romagna, Calabria, Basilicata) (%) of eligible costs 65,85 % of total eligible budget Name Beneficiary Contact person Postal address ENTE PARCO NAZIONALE DELLA MAJELLA Simone Angelucci Via Badia 28, Badia Morronese, Sulmona (Aq) Telephone direct n /410 Fax: Project Website simone.angelucci@parcomajella.it lifewolfnet@parcomajella.it Pag. 1 a 60

2 1. List of contents List of contents and list of acronyms. p Executive Summary p Project Objectives p Key deliverables and output p Summary of the Report p Introduction p Administrative part p Technical part p Techincal progress, per task p Dissemination actions p Evaluation of Project Implemention p Analysis of long-term benefits p Comments of the Financial Report p Summary of costs incurred p Accounting system p. 60 List of acronyms - PNM Parco Nazionale della Majella - PNP Parco Nazionale del Pollino - PNFC Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi - PA Provincia dell Aquila - IZSLT Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Regioni Lazio e Toscana - LA Legambiente - G.O.S. Gruppi Operativi Specialistici, Operational Specialist Groups - ASL Azienda Sanitaria Locale, Public Health Office - CTA Coordinamento Territoriale per l Ambiente, Forestry Corp Unit in National Parks - CFS Corpo Forestale dello Stato, Forestry Corp - CRMFV Centro di Referenza di Medicina Forense Veterinaria, Center for Veterinary Forensics - P.G. Polizia Giudiziaria, Investigation Unit - A.G. Autorità Giudiziaria, Judicial Authority - AAPP Aree Protette, Protected Areas - PCR Polimerase Chain Reaction - CDV Canine Distemper Virus (Cimurro) - WMU Wolfnet Management Unit 2. Executive Summary. The LIFE08NAT/IT/ WOLFNET is a Life Nature Project promoted by the Majella National Park (PNM), Pollino National Park (PNP), Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona e Campigna National Park (PNFC), Province of L'Aquila (PA), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale di Lazio e Toscana (IZSLT), and Legambiente (LA). Eight public entities such as natural reserves, national and regional parks and Apennine provinces declared to co-finance the Project: Comunità Montana Esino Frasassi, Ente parco Pag. 2 of 60

3 nazionale dei Monti Sibillini, Provincia di Salerno, Provincia di Genova, Ente parco regionale della Maremma, Parco naturale regionale Sirente Velino, Parco naturale regionale dei Monti Lucretili, Ente parco nazionale del Cilento e Vallo di Diano. At the end of the Project, just 39162,69 of 80000,00 euros foreseen as co-financed amounts has been disbursed, due to the particular period of economic crisis and the resulting spending review that many public administrations in Italy have had to make, from 2010 onwards. All the Public Authorities interested by the Project activities declared their formal support to the Wolfnet actions: Ministero dell'ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare - Direzione per la Protezione della Natura, ISPRA (Istituto Superiore per la. Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale), Regione Abruzzo, Regione Emilia Romagna, Regione Lazio. 2.1 Project objectives. The activities of Wolfnet Project have been defined and implemented to contrast those which, in the context of the Apennines and in Italy in general are believed to be the most significant threats to the future of Wolf conservation. Listed below are the main risk factors for the species that Wolfnet Project has tried to reduce or eliminate: - Reduce wolf-livestock conflict through the standardization, the co-ordination and the implementation of the damage-compensation-prevention-mitigation assessment system based on the specific environmental realities. The assessment procedures and the compensation for damage to livestock by wolves in the Apennines were often disparate and inappropriate. In many cases, the procedures followed were not standardized and/or accurate, were too complex and expensive for the farmer concerned, and not adequate in economic terms and in the time required for disbursement of funds. They were also heterogeneous and poorly coordinated in the different management areas. The problem is all the more noticeable in consideration of the fact that the interested areas, although with similar ecological and operational characteristics and needs, from an administrative point of view are characterized by different administrative competences. This context is typical for areas of the Apennines, where the national parks manage the issue of damages to livestock pursuant to Law 394/91, the protected regional areas according to legislation assigned by various regional regulations, while the areas that are not included in the perimeters of the parks deal with the problem on the basis of regional laws that provide for the intervention of the competent offices of the provinces. The heterogeneity of procedures and rules, as well as an inappropriate assessment of damages, inevitably lead to the acquisition of unrealistic data and therefore to a distorted perception of the phenomenon of damages to livestock caused by wolves, followed by the incorrect payment of compensation, and to inadequate and therefore inconclusive methods of prevention. Moreover, the functionality and therefore the efficiency of preventive measures varies depending on the specific ecological context, the type and conditions of farming activities, etc. In addition, due to the continuously developing of human-wolf interface, farmers are sometimes faced with the phenomenon of Wolf attacks in situations of vulnerability that are constantly changing and often unexpected. The implementation of generalized preventive measures alone, planned on a large scale and not adequately related to the local characteristics of the phenomenon, is not likely to generate specific effects on the reduction of damages and can contribute to the development of a widespread distrust towards both the effectiveness of the means of prevention and the entities that manage the conservation policies. This situation Pag. 3 of 60

4 inhibits the development of a socio-cultural context favourable to conservation and often results in an increase in illegal practices for advising against a claim for damages and in an intensification of the direct persecution of the species. - Fight back the phenomenon of illegal mortalities by means of actions aimed at the reduction and/or the suppression of direct persecution on wolves. Despite the legal protection of the species, poaching and illegal mortality through the use of snares, firearms and poisons are still one of the most common causes of mortality even in the areas covered by the Project. The management agencies have difficulty in curbing such illegal activities due to the lack of human resources, bureaucratic complexities, and a lack of widespread expertise in the field of criminal and forensic investigations. - Reduce the sanitary risks able to affect negatively the Wolf population dynamics. The lack of minimum levels of health supervision and management throughout the area (necropsy, samples for serological investigation, standardized surveillance protocols etc.) leads to the persistence of health risks for the wolf populations and can adversely affect their dynamics. In most of the areas covered by the Project, the areas frequented by wolves are characterized by the presence of stray dog populations that may directly or indirectly represent a source of health risk, especially for certain diseases worthy of consideration from a conservational point of view (e.g. canine parvovirus, canine distemper). All this is made even more complex by the fragmentation of institutional responsibilities (municipalities, health departments), which results in a low capacity of intervention by the agency responsible for the protection of the wolf. - Minimize the impact of human activities that can cause disturbance at the reproductive sites, during the reproductive periods and in the other phases of the wolf biological cycle. Human interference in Italy is potentially the most important factor in regulating the density of the local populations of wolves. Continuous disturbance can endanger the presence of viable nuclei of wolves. If wolves are tolerated they seem to be able to coexist nearer to humans than was assumed in the past. Even so, wolves continue to be more preferably present in areas with a low human presence, while the dispersed and marginalized individuals of the pack are most frequently forced to occupy marginal habitats that are less suitable. Human activities such as forestry operations, sports and intensive tourist usage, infrastructural interventions, etc. can be important factors of disturbance to wolves when carried out in areas during critical periods that may adversely affect successful reproduction and the survival of the species. The period between April and October that coincides with the birth and the care of puppies and the use of dens and rendezvous, is undoubtedly the most critical stage of the year, while in terms of geographical areas the most suitable sites, including the breeding areas (dens and rendezvous), are those most critical for the survival and reproduction of the resident packs. - Export a management model, long-term sustainable and adapted to the local, ecological and social-economical characteristics, to other protected areas and/or none-protected territories of the APE (Apennine Park of Europe) Network. Pag. 4 of 60

5 The various activities foreseen in the Wolfnet partnership are innovative and of great managerial interest. They assume an even greater significance when placed in a constant, effective interchange initiated through an Institutional Network between project partners, co-financiers and supporting authorities. An important aim of the Project is the development of a new cooperation stable system between national administrations involved in Wolf conservation, in order to arouse the constitution of the Italian Committee for Wolf Conservation. 2.2 Key deliverables and outputs. The main deliverables and output of the Wolfnet Project are: - Implementation of the assessment procedures for damages caused by Wolf to livestock (Actions A3, C1). Standardized assessment procedure have been adopted and utilized successfully by PNP, PNFC and PA. These activities had led to a reduction of the compensation time, a more adequate evaluation of the value of the heads killed by wolf, and also a decrease of direct persecution. - Development of specific prevention strategies of the phenomenon of wolf predation on livestock, reduction of the wolf impact on breeding activities and improvement of the tolerance towards the species. This address has been realized through the creation of a technical document to unify the prevention procedures used by the different partners and through the development of specific prevention measures and proper activities for the farmers and other stakeholders in order to minimize the wolf impact on human activities (actions A4, C2, D4). These actions had produced a reduction of wolf impact on human activities by the decrease of damages and claims, but also an increase of tolerance through the sheep restitution action, that aim at the complete disappearing of the damage effect. - Implementation of diagnostic, investigational and specialistic forensic activities contrasting the illegal persecution on wolves through the creation of GOS (Specialistic Operational Groups), constituted by properly trained people, for the control and prevention of illegal wolf mortalities. This action has been planned with the creation of a series of operative protocols and plans on the retrieval of dead wolves and for the planning of surveillance and prevention activities on critical areas (actions A5, A6, A7, C3). - Reduction of sanitary risks for the Wolf through the analysis and management of sympatric canine populations and wolf/dog interactions. The action have been carried out through the execution of sanitary screenings on captured wolves or on wolves found wounded, captures of free ranging dogs, necropsies on wolves and dogs (actions A8, A9, C4). - Protection of wolf reproductive packs and precocious survey of risk situations throughout the use of GPS telemetry (actions A10, A11, C5). - Creation of an Institutional Network for the unification of decision-making procedures concerning wolf management and in order to realize wolf conservation measures shared by the APE (Apennine Park of Europe) members (actions A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A8, A9, A10, D2). MILESTONES OF THE PROJECT Name of the Milestone Pag. 5 of 60 Code of the associated action Foreseen date Date Nomina del Project Manager E1 31/01/ /01/2010 Meeting coordinamento tecnico A2 01/03/ /02/2010 Conferenza Stampa di Inizio Progetto D1 31/03/ /02/2010 Avvio delle catture di lupo per analisi C4, C5 01/04/ /04/2010

6 sanitarie e tutela diretta Convenzione con l Unità Specialistica di Medicina Veterinaria Forense dell IZSLT. Istituzione di Gruppi Operativi Specialistici di Pronto Intervento Adeguamento funzionale del software per gli indennizzi Attivazione delle procedure di accertamento danni Avvio delle attività di riduzione dell impatto del lupo A5 30/06/ /06/2010 A7 30/06/2010 A3 31/06/2010 C1 01/07/ /05/ 2010 PNM-PA 7/06/ 2010 PNP 28/06/2010 PNFC 31/03/2010 PNM 29/06/2010 PNFC 12/08/2010 PNP 29/06/2010 PA C2 01/07/ /07/2010 Avvio attività Network D2 30/07/2010 IV quarter 2010 IV quarter Avvio del forum stakeholders D4 30/09/ Conferenza Stampa di Fine Progetto D1 31/12/ /11/ /12/ /09/ /12/2010 Seminari del Network istituzionale D2-31/09/ /11/ /09/ /11/ /09/ /11/2013 Workshop finale D2 31/10/ /11/2013 Forum permanenti con gli stakeholders D4-31/09/2010 I quarter /09/2011 IVquarter /09/2012 IVquarter /09/2013 IVquarter2013 Final Congress D7 31/10/ /11/ Summary of the report. This report represent a summary document about the results achieved by the project partnership and the activities actually carried out for the protection of the wolf in the Apennines. In the introduction we take into account the main elements that have led the management system set up by the Wolfnet team and the administrative organization of the work of the partnership. Then follows the description of the results obtained for each preparatory action, the concrete conservation actions, and the actions of dissemination, with a summary table of project deliverables. The report also contains a chapter on the overall assessment of the results achievement per objectives, a table that defines the compliance with the timetable, and an analysis of the longterm benefits that the project has resulted in the conservation of the wolf in the Apennine. In the last part there are the comments to the financial reporting of the project, and the list of annexes. Pag. 6 of 60

7 3. Introduction. The LIFE WOLFNET project can undoubtedly be considered the first attempt to implement conservation and management measures for the Wolf in a coordinated way throughout the Apennines, handling new scientific and socio-cultural issues, in terms of man-wolf interaction. Despite the protection of the Wolf in Italy is foreseen by law for over 40 years, it s clear that critical conservation issues remain, and are expressed with different intensity in different territories, related to management conflict with the farming activities, the frequent cases of illegal mortality, the fragmentation of the technical and administrative activities. The actions of the Project have been designed in order to fightback those which are considered the most important current threats to the conservation of the wolf in Apennine context, according to a planning structure based on preparatory actions and concrete conservative actions that have been substantially completed in compliance with the schedule and the time table foreseen. Thus, the Wolfnet approach in Apennine context was able to define a management system based on these main issues: - the assessment procedures for damages caused by wolf to livestock (actions A3, C1) has been substantially implemented by the partners through the application of the standardized necropsy procedure conducted by a veterinarian; - specific prevention strategies of the phenomenon of wolf predation on livestock and reduction of the wolf impact on breeding activities have been realized the development of specific prevention measures and proper activities shared with the farmers and other stakeholders (actions A4, C2, D4), as the experimental programme of Sheep Resplacement, an absolutely innovative program that s started in PNM and PNP with encouraging results; - implementation of diagnostic, investigational and forensic activities contrasting the illegal persecution on wolves through the creation of specialistic investigation units, constituted by properly trained people, for the control and prevention of illegal wolf mortalities is effectively developing. The establishment of the Specialized Operational Groups (G.O.S., Gruppi Operativi Specialistici), one for each managing Authority, is likely to be considered the most innovative action in terms of technical organization and operative efficiency, and it s actually achieving success between experts and general public; the training basis for this new efficiency has been provided by a number of technical seminaries, held in each protected area, with the involvement of the technical staff of the parks, the Forestry Corps, the relevant Public Prosecutors and with the effective support of CRMFV (IZSLT) both in innovative and specialist diagnostics and genetics (Action A.7 - C.3). - concrete activities (dogs captures in critical areas, data on infectious diseases shared between wolves and dogs) in order to reduce the sanitary risks for the wolf through the evaluation and management of syntopic canine populations were developed also thanks to a stricter cooperation with the Local Health Offices (ASL); - the protection of wolf reproductive packs and precocious survey of risk situations throughout the use of GPS telemetry (actions A10, A11, C5) were carried out with very positive results; - an Institutional Network for the unification of decision-making procedures concerning wolf management and sharing wolf conservation measures is made in Apennine context (actions A2, A3, A4, A6, A8, A9, A10, D2): this Network was carried out with local meeting and general symposia involving stakeholders, researchers, public administrations and other Life+ partnership, sharing experiences, dealing with specific and local issues, attempting to consolidate a coordination system for shared procedures and protocols in wolf management, not only between Wolfnet partners and co-financers, but also with other public and private competent organizations. The work of this Network was supported by procedures and documents developed by PNM and Wolfnet partnership by the foreseen deadlines. These Pag. 7 of 60

8 procedures (A.3, for damage assessment, A.4, for damage prevention, A.6, for wolf carcasses, A.8, for sanitary risks, A.9, for risk management, A.10, for wolf monitoring activities) are at complete disposal of public authorities and managers. 4. Administrative part 4.1 Description of the management system The general project coordination was done by the Director of the Majella National Park, (Nicola Cimini, from the start of the project to February 2013; Oremo Di Nino from 23/04/2013 to the end of the project). The project management was done by the Biodiversity Conservation and Management Office of the Majella National Park (the Head of the Office and the Project Manager was Teodoro Andrisano). However, the project management is functionally structured in a management unit, with multidisciplinary competences (Simone Angelucci, Wildlife veterinarian; Luca Madonna, Wildlife technician; Antonio Antonucci and Marco Carafa, Wildlife biologists) with supervising and planning ability in different themes of the project issues. This management team carried out the following duties: - Technical and financial supervision of the actions carried out by the project partners; - Supervision of the financial progress and coherence with actions and deadlines; - Determination and control of the internal administrative rules and enforcement of the LIFE+ common provisions; - Control of the technical performance of the project actions (timing, deliverables etc.); - Organization and coordination of steering group meetings, reports; - Coordination of the actions that are carried out on a multi-partner basis; - Communication with the EC and the external monitoring team; - Support of communication between partners and steady boost to the progress of the actions and the respect of the deadlines; - Support to project participants about technical and administrative issues; The general project manager is directly supported by a financial management staff (Massimo Tudini, Coordinator, Marco Liberatore, Financial Manager, Angelina Di Martino and Rosalba Di Mascio as Financial Assistant), who had the following duties: - Supervision of all the administrative procedures carried out by the project partners (e.g. contracts with the staff, purchasing procedures, requests of documentation etc.) - Support to the project partners about the financial rules of the EC and the eligibility of costs; - Support to the project partners for financial statements; - Coordination of the production of financial statements and steady control and revision on the timesheets and project partners financial documentation; - Control of the financial statements delivered by the project partners; - Control of the project budget and potential changes. Each partner has appointed a person responsible for the coordination of the project, which together with the project management unit of the coordinated beneficiary and the financial manager form the steering group. The first official steering group meeting has been held, with the first technical meeting (Action A.2), in 11 12/02/2010, in Sulmona. All the agreements between Coordinating and Associated beneficiaries have been signed within the scheduled times and specifically: - with the PNP, on Feb. 12th, 2010; - with the PNFC, on Feb. 12th, 2010; - with the PA, on Mar. 30th, 2010; Pag. 8 of 60

9 - with the IZSLT, on Mar. 9th, 2010; - with LA, on Mar. 30th, Several meetings were carried out in order to optimize the monitoring of the partnership work and to assure the improvement of a continuous interaction and involvement between partner s management. Organigramme External Auditor Massimiliano Rossignoli PNM Project Coordinator Oremo Di Nino Project Manager Teodoro Andrisano Financial Manager Marco Liberatore Financial Coordinator Massimo Tudini Life Wolfnet Management Unit Biologist Antonio Antonucci Marco Carafa Marta Gandolfi (TC) Lorenzo Petrizzelli (TC)* Sabrina Manchi (TC) Monitoring protocols Concrete conservation measures for reproductive packs GOS (Operative Specialized Groups) Wolf captures and risk assessment Radiotelemetry and GIS Networking Veterinarian Simone Angelucci Damage compensation standardised operating procedures Prevention & Conflict Manag. Crime Scene Investigation Necropsies and SOP GOS (Specialized Operating Groups) Health management Networking Luca Madonna (Non graduate wildlife technician) Agronomist Giuseppe Marcantonio Damage compensation standardised operating procedures and software Prevention & Conflict Manag. GOS (Specialized Operating Groups) Networking Financial Assist. Angelina Di Martino Rosalba Di Mascio Support to about financial rules of the EC and eligibility of costs; Support for financial statements; Coordination of production of financial statements and steady control and revision timesheet and project partners financial documentation Technical assistance and control on progress of actions -financial assistance and tasks PNP Vincenzo Aversa (Agronomist) Ester Del Bove (Graduate wildlife technician) Pietro Serroni (Graduate wildlife technician) Francesco Rotondaro (Graduate wildlife technician) Silvano De Franco (Graduate financialadministrative) Antonio Calli (Graduate financialadministrative) Rocco P. Di Giorno (Wildlife technician) Giuseppina Grillo (Wildlife technician) Damage Carmine compensation Suanno standardised (Wildlife veterinarian, operating procedures Preyed external heads assistance) restitution GOS (Specialized Operating Groups) Networking PNFC Andrea Gennai (Graduate wildlife technician) Roberta Ricci (Graduate financialadministrative) Carlo Pedrazzoli (Graduate wildlife technician) Juanito Grigioni (Wildlife veterinarian, temporary contract) Alessandro Fani (Graduate wildlife Damage compensation standardised technician) operating procedures Electric fences GOS (Specialized Operating Groups) Health management Concrete conservation measures for reproductive packs Wolf captures and risk assessment Radiotelemetry and GIS Networking PA Marina Tucceri (Graduate wildlife technician) Iacoboni Simona (Graduate financialadministrative) Mirco Masciovecchio (Temporary contract, graduate wildlife technician) Damage compensation standardised operating procedures GOS (Specialized Operating Groups) Networking Pag. 9 of 60 IZSLT Rosario Fico (Wildlife veterinarian) Rita Lorenzini (Geneticist biologist) Erika Ciarrocca (Wildlife veterinarian, temporary contract) Damage compensation standardised operating procedures Crime Scene Investigation Necropsies and SOP GOS (Specialized Operating Groups) Health management Networking LA Antonio Nicoletti (Graduate wildlife technician) Liana Costanzi (Graduate financialadministrative) Stefano Raimondi (Graduate wildlife technician) Sandro Luchetti (Graduate financialadministrative) Networking Website Forum Education programmes Project objectives and progress popularization Mainstreaming of innovative concepts in wolf management

10 The Project phases can be defined with the timing of delivering reports to the European Commission: - The Inception Report, covering the project activities from 01/01/2010 to 31/07/2010; - The First Progress Report, covering the project activities from 31/07/2010 to 31/10/ The Mid Term Report, covering the project activities from 01/01/2010 to 30/06/ The Second Progress Report, covering the project activities from 01/07/2012 to 30/06/ The Final Report. 4.2 Evaluation of the management system. The project management process has been gradually delegated to the WMU (Wolfnet Management Unit), composed, as can be seen from the diagram on the Final Report, with different skills, related to project management in the more technical aspects, not only in those purely administrative. It is clear, for example, that the coordination capacity of the Coordinating beneficiary were based not on the action of a single person, but on the various skills needed to deal systematically and effectively the identified threats and to plan and implement the management activities which allowed the achievement of objectives. In particular, some of the fundamental tasks of the project, such as the development of innovative measures to promote coexistence with human activities (C.1, C.2, C.3, C.4) demanded a strengthened expertise in the medical analysis of the phenomenon of predation, in the activities of veterinary forensics, health surveillance and of stray dogs management, such as the implementation of GPS radio collars for management purposes, required, of course, indepth expertise for biological monitoring radiocollared individuals and wildlife capture. These skills are not only necessary to each partner, involved in specific actions, but is also necessary for working on technical coordination and harmonization of procedures, to varying degrees, has always been the main objective of the Wolfnet project. The multidisciplinary approach adopted by WMU allowed, therefore, to avoid application problems also in the most problematic choices of conservation and management that the partnership project intended to deal effectively and then carry on. From the technical point of view then, this approach is made under a NET for the wolf, which generated a synergistic coordination between the different skills in the partnership: the veterinarian of the CB with the veterinarians of PNP PNFC, IZSLT especially for actions C.1, C.2, C.3, C.4, C.5, the biologist of CB with the biologists of AB, especially in relation to the action C.5 and activities of intensive monitoring of the species linked to the action C.3. This well-established institutional, technical and administrative interactions, between the coordinating beneficiary and associated beneficiaries, led, of course, also to a more intensive communication and exchange activities than expected, so the items of both technical and financial reports from the partners to the coordinator are quantitatively superior to those originally planned in the partnership agreement. This situation results also from the positive effect consequent to the several meetings, related to the administrative management of the project and to the visits of the monitoring team, always linked to a phase of internal audit Pag. 10 of 60

11 carried out by the leader, and to frequent courses, seminars, conferences, forums with stakeholders, which, of course, created an opportunity for further attention and study even on issues of project management. Even the administrative level was positively affected by this multidisciplinary organization, because even in the procedures for the provision of goods and services was often required a specific skill, since for the first time in Italy some National Parks have taken specific activities of innovative management of damage, wolf trapping and radiotelemetry and other experimental interventions such as the constitution of the flock of the Park. The management structure so set allowed to efficiently organize both the accounting of expenses and the exchange of documents and to prepare properly and with the right timing the necessary material for the edition of the report provided, except for some difficulties in reporting staff, already detected by the monitoring team. These errors can be classified essentially in a wrong application form at the start of the financial planning and concerned only the managerial staff, in some cases (PNM and IZSLT). The communication with the monitoring team, first with Dr. Sandro Angiolini, then with Dr. Carlo Ponzio and, in the revision phase of the Final Report, with Dr. Iva Rossi, were always linear, frequent, and enriched often from informal consultations that allowed certain economies and efficiency on the management of the project. Communication between the Coordinating Beneficiary and Beneficiaries Associates was significantly amplified by numerous meetings developed as part of the dissemination activities D.2 (Meeting) and D.4 (Stakeholders), in the sidelines of which have always been held internal meetings, both to clarify some aspects of technical and operational (wolf captures, software management, flock of the park etc.), and to consolidate the activities related to the administrative and financial monitoring. 5. Technical part. 5.1 Technical progress, per task. DETAILED ACTIONS. ACTION A.1. ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES PREPARATION AND AGREEMENTS BETWEEN PARTNERS. Timing of the action from 01/01/2010 to 31/03/2010. Actual start date: 01/01/2010 End date: 31/03/2010. Activities and output. All of the agreements have been signed within the planned deadline of March 31, 2010; the constant coordination among the administrative staff of the Coordinating Beneficiary and the Associated Beneficiaries has ensured that all the administrative and financial fulfillments have been undertaken in time so that the start of the project actions has been given without significant delay. Problems and/or delays NO Expected outcome. Achieved. Relevant changes NO Deliverables NO Annexes Agreements between the Coordinating Beneficiary and the Associated Beneficiaries were annexed to the Inception Report. Pag. 11 of 60

12 ACTION A.2. INITIAL MEETING FOR SHARING CONSERVATION MEASURES. Timing of the action from 01/01/2010 to 31/03/2010. Actual start date: 01/01/2010 End date: 12/02/2010. Activities and output. The starting coordination meeting has been held on 12/02/2010 at the same time with the Introduction Day of the Project which included the Press conference, the meeting with the co-financiers and the starting workshop. The venue was the Operative Office of PNM at the Badia Morronese in Sulmona (Aq). The decision to unite all these events was taken in order to reduce the expenses and the environmental costs due to the travels of the participants, and to take advantage of the opportunity of the availability, at the same time, of personalities of the technical-scientific and administrative world, administrators, press agents etc. 80 people attended the Introduction meeting and the press conference. Problems and/or delays NO Expected outcome. Achieved. Changes shifts of funds for Actions A.2 and D.1 (reported in Inception Report). Deliverables NO Annexes Program of the Introduction Day and technical meeting; picture n. 1 was annexed to the Inception Report. ACTION A.3. DEVELOPMENT OF DAMAGE ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES AND COORDINATION FOR NEW COMPENSATION REGULATIONS. Timing of the action from 01/01/2010 to 30/06/2010. Actual start date: 01/01/2010 End date: 12/08/2010. Activities and output. Both the PNFC (Presidential Decision no. 7 on Jun. 29, 2010) and the PNP (Regulations issued in June 2010 and examined by the Managing Council on Aug. 12, 2010) and the PA (Managerial Disposition no. 7 on Jun. 29, 2010) have elaborated the new regulations for damage compensation based on the good practices and principles described in the Project. Also the PNM, though not explicitly foreseen in the relevant Action, has decided to enhance his own regulations (Commissioner's Decision no. 6 on May 14, 2010) to make it perfectly coherent with the Project Actions (i.e. restitution of the sheep, Action C.2). The associated partners PNP and PNFC had adopted the software (see C.1) for the management of damages caused by wildlife to livestock and agricultural activities, that the PNM has developed during the previous LIFE Project COEX, with some modifications and adaptations to their particular management needs. Also the PNM, after two years of use of the software, has pointed out a series of improvements addressed to enhance the efficiency of the system also in consideration of its implementation in different relevant subjects. Problems and/or delays not relevant. Expected outcome. Achieved. Changes NO Annexes No. 4 new regulations (PNM, PNP, PNFC, PA) were annexed to the Inception Report. ACTION A.4. DEFINITION OF A COMMON TECHINICAL DOCUMENT FOR PREVENTION OF DAMAGE AND CONFLICT MITIGATION. Timing of the action from 01/01/2010 to 30/06/2010. Actual start date: 01/01/2010 End date: 30/06/2010. Pag. 12 of 60

13 Activities and output. The technical document was edited within the 30th of June 2010, gathering national and international experiences and all the background data provided by all of the project partners and deriving from former activities. It is the starting point upon which every managing authority should rely to perform a standardized decisional process of implementation of adequate measures to prevent livestock predations. In this paper several methods of damage prevention were discussed, such as elctric fences, metallic fences, mobile shelter devices, methods for control improvement, guarding dogs, and other methods. This little manual faces also the positive and negative aspects of every prevention strategy, defining also the guidelines for improvement of coexistence actions. Problems and/or delays Not relevant. Expected outcome. Achieved. Changes. No. Deliverables Guidelines for prevention measures Linee guida per le misure di prevenzione delle predazioni da lupo e mitigazione del conflitto con le attività zootecniche in contesto appenninico sent with the Inception Report. Annexes No ACTION A.5. IMPLEMENTION OF DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES BY THE OPERATIONAL AGREEMENT WITH THE VETERINARY FORENSIC UNIT OF IZSLT. Timing of the action from 01/01/2010 to 30/06/2010. Actual start date: 01/01/2010 End date: 30/06/2010. (22/02/2012 for PA). Activities and output. All the agreements have been edited and signed within the foreseen deadlines. The agreements between IZSLT and other beneficiaries have defined the operational relation between each partner and the IZSLT, so that the technical support of the Institute was used within the project, both in cases of judicial procedure, both in the cases in which project activities have requested the execution of technical-scientific investigations aimed only at specialist knowledge of wolf management in the study areas. Problems and/or delays no, except that the agreement between IZSLT and PA has been signed again on 22/02/2012 cause the paper edited before 30/06/2010 was lost during the document transmission procedures between administrations. Expected outcome. Achieved. Changes NO. Deliverables NO. Annexes. An agreement, as example, between PNM and IZSLT was delivered with the Inception Report. ACTION A.6. STANDARDIZED PROCEDURES FOR WOLF CARCASSES RECOVERY. Timing of the action from 01/01/2010 to 30/06/2010. Actual start date: 01/01/2010 End date: 30/06/2010. Activities and output. The document was edited within June 30, It describes both the basic aspects of the procedure in operational terms and the legal aspects that could be considered if necessary. The standard operational procedure for wolf carcasses recovery draw roles, responsibilities, tasks of the personnel involved. It is described a warning procedure, the first responders role, the activities of GOS, the auto-protection devices, a diagnostic preliminary protocol, the methods for carcass recovery and transportation to the lab. Problems and/or delays Not relevant. Pag. 13 of 60

14 Expected outcome. Achieved. Changes NO. Deliverables The protocol for the recovery of wolf carcasses Protocollo operativo e diagnostico per il recupero di carcasse di lupo was annexed to the Inception Report. Annexes. No ACTION A.7. INSTITUTION OF SPECIALIZED OPERATIVE GROUPS AND ACTIVATION OF A PERMANENT FORUM. Timing of the action from 01/01/2010 to 30/06/2010. Actual start date: 01/01/2010 End date: 30/06/2010. Activities and output. The establishment of the Specialized Operative Groups (G.O.S., Gruppi Operativi Specialistici) has taken place through 3 training workshops held in each park involved in the Project (PNM and PA, in Sulmona (Aq), on May 10-11, 2010, PNP in Rotonda (Pz) on June 7-8, 2010, PNFC, in Pratovecchio (Ar) on June 28-29, 2010). Each workshop was attended by 30 people approximately. Each workshop was structured in two days: the first with the participation of at least two representatives of all the Forestry Corps Stations and of the staff of the park involved in the Project in order to provide an overall training and technical divulgation, and the second focused on specialized themes and finalized to the operative start of the activities, with the participation of the staff of the park and the volunteers from the forestry corps who are going to be part of the Groups (10-15 units for each park). Following these events, that were characterized by the direct participation of the Public Prosecutor s Offices, new and interesting perspectives and opportunities to improve the efficiency of the surveillance and repression of illegal killings operations have arisen. More specifically, the Parks and the relevant Environmental Territorial Offices (C.T.A.) of the Forestry Corps have formalized the establishment G.O.S. through official acts that also assign the personnel to the task (PNM: Director s decision no. 235 on June 28, 2010; PNP: Director s decision no. 606 on June 30, 2010; PNFC: Director s decision no. 218 on June 24, 2010; PA: Managerial Disposition no. 7 on June 29, 2010). Problems and/or delays. No, the Groups have been established before the deadlines, there has been a little delay in the purchase of some consumables, as indicated in the Inception Report. Expected outcome. Achieved. Changes No Deliverables No Annexes Formal acts of appointment of the G.O.S. in the three parks and L Aquila Province and pictures from the meetings were annexed to the Inception Report. ACTION A.8. DEFINITION OF OPERATIVE PROTOCOLS FOR SANITARY RISK FOR THE SPECIES. Timing of the action: from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2010. Actual start date: 01/01/2010 End date: 31/12/2010. Activities and output. Agreements were drafted between the beneficiaries and the relevant Veterinary Services and Local Health Offices of each competent area, as indicated on the Inception Report. Subsequently, the Protocol for surveillance and evaluation of sanitary risks for the wolf was produced within the scheduled deadline and shared by the managerial Institutions and the Project partners. Problems and/or delay: None. Expected outcome. Achieved. Changes: None. Pag. 14 of 60

15 Deliverables: the protocol Protocollo per la sorveglianza e la valutazione dei rischi sanitari per il lupo was annexed to the 1 st Progress Report. Annexes: None. ACTION A.9. OPERATIONAL PLAN FOR THE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR THE SPECIES. Timing of the action: from 01/01/2010 to 30/09/2010. Actual start date: 01/01/2010 End date: 30/09/2010. Activities and output. The Operative Plan for the management of risks in the critical areas for the wolf has been produced within the foreseen deadline. The main objective of this Operational Plan was the reduction of risk situations for the wolf in the area of interest through: - the identification of possible problems and situations of risk to the species: critical periods and areas of higher risk on the basis of the population status of the species, human activities carried out, their methods and regulation; - the definition of a scale of critic conditions; - the definition of management actions to be implemented in the presence of a real risk to the species in defined territories; - the definition of a priority scale of preventive actions. The plan contains an evaluation of main risk factors and how / why they may represent a threat to the wolf. - Impacts of chronic persecution phenomena; - Impact of anthropogenic activities; - Forestry operations; - Use of territory for touristic and sports activities; - Conflict situations resulting from damages to livestock: - Infrastructure operations which may hinder the continuity of ecological continuity; - Hunting activities close to the Park boundaries. Problems and/or delay: None. Expected outcome. Achieved. Changes: None. Deliverables: Piano operativo per la gestione dei rischi nelle aree protette was annexed to the 1 st Progress Report. Annexes: None. ACTION A.10. SHARING OF MONITORING PROTOCOLS FOR CONSERVATION OF THE SPECIES. Timing of the action from 01/01/2010 to 30/06/2010. Actual start date: 01/01/2010 End date: 30/06/2010. Activities and output. The document has been edited in cooperation with the associated beneficiaries, who have reported the past experiences, problems and opportunities of the monitoring activities. The main purpose of the paper was to provide operational tools to territorial administrations and co-financiers and those that were part of the Institutional Network, in order to obtain information on the status of the wolf population present on its territory. The guidelines aims to give technical indications to conform and adapt monitoring methods on the differences in the size of the area (a few miles from the regional reserve hectares up national parks or even Pag. 15 of 60

16 larger provinces), the different environmental contexts (forest cover, presence of snow...) and funds and personnel available for the activities of monitoring. In the paper different methods of monitoring were described: wolf howling, snow tracking, video-photo-trapping, genetic non-invasive analysis. Problems and/or delays NO for what concerns the collective works; the protocol, is effectively the basis for the extra-life monitoring activities. Expected outcome. Achieved. Changes NO. Deliverables Standard protocol for wolf monitoring was delivered with the Inception Report. Annexes NO. ACTION A.11. WOLF CAPTURE PROTOCOL. Timing of the action from 01/01/2010 to 30/03/2010. Actual start date: 01/01/2010 End date: 30/03/2010. Activities and output. The document has been edited through both an intensive bibliographic research, and contacts with international experts who have developed significant skills in capturing wolf for research and conservation purposes. The protocol is an basic operative manual that has to be adapted to the different local situations. Problems and/or delays NO, the document has been edited within the scheduled deadline. Expected outcome. Achieved. Changes NO. Deliverables Protocol for wolf captures delivered with the Inception Report Annexes NO. ACTION C.1. REDUCTION OF THE WOLF-LIVESTOCK CONFLICT THROUGHOUT THE APPLICATION OF A STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE AND A PROCEDURAL SIMPLIFICATION OF COMPENSATION. Timing of the action from 01/07/2010 to 31/12/2013. Actual start date: 01/07/2010 End date: 31/12/2013. Activities and output. After the adoption of standardized compensation procedures or the modification of those already existing (cfr. Action A.3), the PNP, the PNFC and the PA have started the activities following the new procedures acquired. The PNFC and the PNP started a collaboration with a Veterinarian (respectively with a contract valid from February 16th 2010 for the PNFC and with managerial determination n.663 of July 14th 2010 and contract stipulated on July 30th 2010 for the PNP), while the PA has applied the standardized protocol for the assessment thanks to the cooperation of the Vets employed in the Public Health local Office. The Veterinarians and/or the Wolfnet staff of each study areas carried out several surveys for the assessment of wolf damage to livestock inside park territories. Regarding PNP, since the adoption of the new Regulation for wolf damage assessment, Dr. Carmine Suanno has participated in several surveys for damage caused by the wolf to domestic livestock. The following is a summary of the inspections carried out in PNP under the Action C1: Period of reference Pag. 16 of 60 Damage assessment inspection Aug Jul Aug Jan

17 Feb. - Jul Aug Jan Feb. - Jul Aug. Dec Tot. Wolfnet assessment 341 The software is definitively implemented and fully functional at web site: For the PNFC, the new software since 2012 is regularly used for data entry of complaints and for the management of the whole process of the damage assessment, not just those related to predation events, but also to claims for damages in the agricultural lands caused by herbivores. The adoption of the software has led to the inclusion and management (see in the 2012 of 105 requests for and compensation, and 102 in the It s very important to highlight that, in PNFC territories, also because the prevention activities made within the Action C.2, the damage on livestock is significantly decreased, reaching a complete zeroing in the 2012, and a very low value in the The PNFC also purchased the tools needed to implement the action and foreseen by the project. The Mobile Veterinary Lab was set and has been used since January The PA carried out assessment surveys in case of damage claims and made arrangements with PNM staff to sign an agreement with the ASL competent for the territory and CFS (please see the annex XIV in the Mid Term Report). In order to better manage the improvement of this new assessment procedure, an area in the Province of L Aquila outside the Park perimeter, called the Wolfnet intervention and management area (Wolfnet Area), has been selected; this area includes the lands between the Abruzzo-Lazio-Molise National Park, the Majella National Park, and the Sirente-Velino Regional Park. It is an area of strategic importance for the nature preservation in Abruzzo Region, and it represents an ecologic corridor for dispersal wolves and bears passing from one to another protected area, as well as a zone for the stable presence of wolf packs. The Wolfnet Area extends for ha and it represents the 27% of the provincial unprotected territory. This zone has been selected also for the presence of various transiting ( transumanti ) herds from outside the Region that last from June to October and that, together to local livestock, move to the high grazing. Within the Wolfnet Area the PA staff made 49 on the-spot-investigation on Wolf predation events on livestock. Problems and/or delays the PNP, PNFC and PA carried out the damage assessments using the standard procedure foreseen, from the beginning of the action. Regarding the delays on the software acquisition, for the PNP the implementation of the software for damages was completed in December 2012, and the use of software for the practices of Wolf damage was regularly done from 1 January Expected outcome. notwithstanding the above mentioned delays, the acquisition of the shared standard procedures by all the partners had assured the correct collection of data about predation events in order to mitigate the conflict with human activities. Changes: None. Deliverables: None. Annexes: Annex XIV in the Mid Term Report, with pictures and documents. ACTION C.2. INTERVENTIONS AIMED TO THE PREVENTION OF PREDATION UPON LIVESTOCK AND DEVELOPMENT OF MEASURES FOR THE REDUCTION OF THE IMPACT OF THE WOLF ON FARMS. Pag. 17 of 60

18 Timing of the action from 01/07/2010 to 31/12/2013. Actual start date: 01/07/2010 End date: 31/12/2013. Activities and output. This action foresees that PNM and PNP develop an experimental programme of sheep restitution, while for the PNFC the main issue of this action is to protect with electric fences the farm at highest risk. For PNM, as mentioned in the Inception and I Progress Report, the programme of sheep restitution was structured in the following way: - at the moment of the damage assessment, the farmer could fill a form to demand the return of the sheep instead of the economic compensation; - the sheep that would be introduced in farms is an Italian certified Merinizzata Italiana breed, in checked health conditions and well-fed; - the replaced sheep will be of the same age or younger than the preyed ones; - sheep would have to be taken by the Park personnel from a farm managed following the best practices and principles and having sheep of Merinizzata Italiana breed of the requested age. The farmers who received the sheep have been initially chosen considering the Map of the intervention on hot areas produced on March-April 2010 and added to the Inception Report (Annex 7.3.1) and analyzing the frequencies of predation events on each farm inside the Park during the last years. Moreover, as indicated in the Inception Report, in order to concretely start this activity, in operative and organizational terms, it was been established to assign a una tantum quantity of sheep that the farms have had dispersed within certified wolf attacks on livestock. This start-up activity has facilitated a real planning and organization of the different phases of detection-control-transport-introduction in farm of the replaced sheep and supported this experimental program is the first phase, being popular and appreciated for several farmer in the project area. In order to ensure an adequate sheep-store and an efficient system of distribution of requested heads, PNM has instituted two flocks of the Park, with sheep entrusted to two selected farmers that are permanently available for restitution. The agreement between this farmers and PNM for the management and the maintenance of the flock of the Park do not entail further expenditure for the Park administration or the Life Project, and provide for the maintenance of the program also in the post-life phase. Taking up an in-common traditional management model of sheep in Abruzzo (in use by the farmers who carried out the transhumance), the agreement with the two farms that hold "the flock of the Park", foresees for the Park a comeback annual rate of 25% of the new born and for the farmer the 75% of births, the use of the milk and of two rams. The newborns are kept in the same flock, without any additional burden for the Park administration, and picked up and used in the program of restitution of the sheep. Using this form of management, the Park manages to keep the flock of the park, or at least this first group of two flocks, with no costs, ensuring the maintenance of the program of the restitution if the sheep even after the end of the Project Life Wolfnet. On December 2011 PNM staff completed the purchasing procedures, choice of heads and their acquisition, registration and veterinary examination. In this first step no. 115 sheep were purchased and distributed to the right holders farmers. Farmer No. of sheep received Village 37 Serramonacesca (PE) 18 Campo di Giove (AQ) 2 Tocco da Casauria (PE) 32 Caramanico Terme (PE) Pag. 18 of 60

19 3 Caramanico Terme (PE) 5 Caramanico Terme (PE) 3 Cansano (AQ) 15 Caramanico Terme (PE) In the second phase of the action, in order to promote a better implementation of the program, and increase the genetic level of the heads, and also to ensure a better technical competence in the selection of reproductive heads of the "flock of the Park", the PNM has signed an agreement with the Association of Breeders of Abruzzo. This Association, through its technical staff, has followed the staff of the PNM in the identification of the second group of sheep to buy, after the first phase of purchase, which took place in December It is therefore proposed to consolidate the pool of the two flocks of the Park, displacing an equal number of animals in two different farms, the one located in the north of the Park (Serramonacesca - PE -), the second in the southern area (Pizzoferrato - CH). On March 4th, 2013 were distributed n. 125 heads, both for the completion of the supplies near the two farms agreement that hold the two groups making up the herd of the park, and for the return of sheep breeding farms damaged, as indicated below. Farmer No. of sheep received Village certified ram Serramonacesca (PE) certified ram Pizzoferrato (CH) 5 Pratola Peligna (AQ) 3 Pacentro (AQ) In the last phase of the action, other heads were distributed in interested farm, in July and December Farmer No. of sheep received Village 16 Caramanico Terme (PE) 18 Pratola Peligna (AQ) 5 Tocco da Casauria (PE) 6 Caramanico Terme (PE) At the end of the Project, the PNM delivered overall 154 sheep for the constitution of 2 flocks of the Park (77+77), and 131 sheep directly consigned as in-farm sheep restitution. Regarding the activities of the PNP, the constitution of the flock of the Park was carried out in two phases. In the first phase, 100 heads were purchased by some companies, initially selected by the veterinarian of the project Wolfnet, according to requirements of technicaland sanitary field. Following this initial selection, some meetings were made at the headquarters of the Park, with the aim of concluding the phase of selection of farms interested by this measure. More precisely, the meetings were held on 12 and 20 April, 18 and 22 July. These contacted farmers have shown interest in the project, and willingness to cooperate in this activity.. In addition to meetings at headquarters, also several meetings in farm were carried out and the selection phase was completed with the availability of 5 companies. On December 27 th, 2011 it was signed a special agreement between these farms and the Park Pag. 19 of 60

20 Administration for the delivery of the first 100 sheep and goats that constitute the "Flock of the Park" which will be given to companies that have suffered damage from the wolf and made it request. Under both the first and the second phase of the establishment of the flock to date it has been delivered a total of no. 148 sheep/goat heads as reported in the following table. Farmer No. of sheep received Village 11 Noepoli 5 Noepoli 8 Francavilla M.ma 6 S. Domenica di Talao 7 Terranova di Pollino 13 San Giorgio Luc. 15 Francavilla in S. 5 Francavilla in S. 24 Cerchiara di Cal. 13 Mormanno 9 Cerchiara di Cal. 17 Cerchiara di Cal. 4 Cerchiara di Cal. 6 Episcopia 5 Episcopia Regarding the PNFC prevention activities, this action was directed mainly to farms that had interested by predation events and in the areas where an active prevention through the electrified fences was requested. In PNFC are about thirty the farms that operate within the park boundaries using almost all of the Usable Agricultural Area (UAA): 90% of an area of about 2,500 hectares, consisting of meadows and pastures where the animals are left grazing freely from May to late October. In the other period of the year the animals are admitted to the stables located in the territories adjacent to the Park; there are just five companies that have the farm within the boundaries of the park, given the decline of livestock in recent years: it still did not prevent that the livestock remained could not suffer a certain predatory pressure. Therefore, on the basis of direct contacts with the farmers and the data collected also under the actions C.1 and C.2, there were installed electric fences provided by the project in the farm that have requested it. This materials, consisting in electrifiers, batteries with no solar panel, insulators, wire or electrified net, was delivered in free loan to be used by farmers during the period of pastures for the protection of calves in the first days of life, but since the reduced number of breeders and events predators in the park, it was also used for damage control in some small herds of courtyard animals. In the first case, the material is installed into the period of birth of calves and remains effective only for the period necessary to the protection of the young animals, then it is disassembled and reassembled as needed in the same year or in the next grazing season. In the second case the electric fence is used in combination with permanent iron fence or semi-permanent to improve the action of protection. Pag. 20 of 60

21 The main target of prevention activities for PNFC are the farming activities in which the newborn cattle are exposed and vulnerable within the first 10 days of life. This action has led to the consolidation in the period of the trend of decreasing livestock damages. Herewith below the beneficiary farms: Farmer Type of domestic animals Village Type of fence cattle Wire meters Date Santa Sofia Electric fence /05/2012 cattle Santa Sofia Electric wire fence /05/2011 cattle Chiusi Verna Electric wire fence /06/2011 cattle Premilcuore Electric wire fence /12/2011 Poultry farm Stia Electric wire fence /07/2010 sheep Pratovecchio Electric wire fence /12/2011 Poultry farm Santa Sofia Electric wire fence /11/2011 For the PA, the constant presence of qualified personnel (Provincial Police Inspectors, GOS, and graduate wildlife technician) in assisting each case of predation, favored a reduction of anxiety derived from emotive trauma and economic loss. From the analysis carried out it is derived that more than half of the farms surveyed (30 of 49) needs to improve the security fences night with more adequate to the defense of the leaders. Two farmers have responded positively and have intervened with their own funds to acquire fixed protection systems (fixed with galvanized fence), while a company through the joint support with the PNM has been provided by an electrified fence. Problems and/or delays No significant delays were registered. Expected outcome. The activities carried out within this action were well adapted to the specific context of each partner: this had produced a reduction of wolf impact on human activities by the decrease of damages and claims, such as the case of PNFC, but also an increase of tolerance, as in PA, and, through the sheep restitution action, that aim at the complete disappearing of the damage effect, in PNM and PNP. The number of sheep restituted seems to be concretely appropriate in order to launch this coexistence measure for long term development, because a high number of farmer have been involved in the initiative, and these farmers are significantly younger and/or inclined to continue the activity in a sustainable way. Pag. 21 of 60

22 Changes: In the Inception Report, PNM proposed to make a budget modification referred to Action C.2. On the basis of the analysis of data about the amount of sheep dispersed for wolf predation on livestock inside the Majella National Park, the money necessary to purchase sheep in order to compensate the losses (Action C.2 Experimental Programme of sheep restitution ), was been estimated as less than instead of the previously planned. At the same time, the need to reinforce the network activity throughout the presence of highly qualified external speakers to the seminaries and to the final workshop foreseen in Action D.2 as consumable goods (expenses reimbursements, organization of seminaries and catering) has emerged, even in consequence to the increasing interest that the project is gaining from the different stakeholders. Thus, we have foreseen to use the saved from the planned for the Experimental Programme of sheep restitution to increase the budget for the Action D.2 under the consumable goods (expenses reimbursements, organization of seminaries and catering) to pay the cost of speakers external to the project personnel. The budget scheduled for the consumable goods of Action D.2 was so increased of with regard to the PNM s competence. Deliverables: Map of intervention areas for the PNM, annexed to the Inception Report. Annexes: Annex XV in the Mid Term Report, with pictures and documents, Annex II in the II Progress Report. ACTION C.3. CONTRAST OF ILLEGAL MORTALITY THROUGH THE ACTIVITIES OF EMERGENCY SPECIALIZED OPERATIVE GROUPS (GOS GRUPPI OPERATIVI SPECIALISTICI). Timing of the action from 01/07/2010 to 31/12/2013. Actual start date: 01/07/2010 End date: 31/12/2013. Activities and output. The activities carried out by GOS officially started on July, 2010, mostly concerning preparatory and planning actions. In the parks beneficiaries, this activity has encouraged and facilitated operative meetings between Park personnel and CTA personnel involved in GOS, updating on wolves den and rendez vous sites as well as wolf howling and other monitoring techniques, telemetric data collected and other information useable to plan interventions on prevention and special monitoring/protection activities. Herewith below are described some of the most important activities/campaigns developed by GOS for each beneficiary. Beneficiary Activities Participants Date/period PNM PNM PNM and all associated beneficiaries PNM PNM campaign against poaching was planned and realized in Morrone Mountains, south-western side wolf howling sessions to detect wolf breeding packs Technical Meeting with Experts from the ICAA (International Crime Analysis Association) Investigation on a wolf died because hit by a car and necropsy at Park Vet Lab thanks to the GPS telemetry data constantly checked and analyzed on GIS, the GOS personnel succeeded in saving one of the collared wolves, female F1, trapped in a snare put in the field by poachers; she recovered completely in Pag. 22 of 60 collaboration of about 20 units Park personnel and CTA personnel 82 people Park personnel and CTA personnel Park personnel and CTA personnel July 8th and 13th 2010 SUMMER 2010 and 2011 December 13th, 2010 January 21st 2011 January 26th 2011

23 PNM - IZSLT PNM - IZSLT PNM - PA PNM - IZSLT few days and restarted her usual activities together with the rest of the pack Operative Meeting with the co-operation of the IZSLT personnel. the GOS staff found out and collect a sample of suspected butchery remains, in an area of the Park heavily controlled for anti-poaching surveillance. two operative meeting took place at the PNM headquarters in Sulmona with the PNM, the PNM CTA and the PA staffs to organize the activities during the following months. Biological, bloody samples collected from the captured wolves together with other samples collected within activities carried out within the action has always delivered to the IZSLT to be analyzed. CTA-CFS GOS personnel of the Park (21 total people present). March 9th and 10th 2011 GOS staff April 8th 2011 Park personnel and CTA personnel and the PA staffs Park personnel and CTA personnel and the PA staffs GOS and IZSLT May 24th 2011 June 29th PNM A Green Number, , has been activated. PNM 2011 PNM PNM - IZSLT PNM PNM - IZSLT PNM - IZSLT PNM - IZSLT PNM - IZSLT PNM PA - IZSLT Surveillance activities were concentrated in the Northern part of the Park in an area in which live, at present, 6-7 wolf packs, including collared wolves packs and the ones used adjacent territories in which wolf capture activities are carried on. Den and rendez-vous sites were constantly monitored together with the areas more used by wolves during the year. We used about 25 videocamera traps and obtained more than videos, 4500 of which providing data on illegal human usage of the areas and more than 1500 videos on collared wolves. Investigation on 2 wolf carcasses and 3 fox carcasses found out and collected in Ateleta (Aq), with GOS staff and necropsies and forensic investigations conducted by IZSLT (poisoning by Endosulfan) Investigation on 1 female young wolf carcass found in Caramanico Terme (Pe) (death by natural causes, killed by other wolves) Necropsies and forensic examination at IZSLT Necropsies and forensic examination at IZSLT Investigation on 1 female wolf carcass found in Pacentro (Aq) (killed by free ranging dogs) Meeting between PNM GOS and IZSLT for crime scene investigation review of the 27th November 2011 case Meeting between PNM GOS, PA GOS and IZSLT for crime scene investigation guidelines in gunshot cases and ballistics, with an international expert, Mr. Paride Minervini GOS PNM GOS PNM CTA GOS PNM CTA GOS PNM & IZSLT GOS PNM & IZSLT GOS PNM & IZSLT GOS PNM - CTA & IZSLT GOS PNM - CTA, PA & IZSLT 2011 May th November, th November, th November, th February, th January, th May, th May, 2012 Pag. 23 of 60

24 PNP PNM - IZSLT Operative Meeting with the co-operation of the IZSLT personnel and PNM staff and the presence of the CTA- CFS GOS personnel of the Park PNFC - IZSLT Meeting GOS in PNFC PNM - IZSLT PNM PNM PNM PNM PNM PNM PNM PNM PNM-IZSLT PNM PNM PNM PNM PNM Operative Meeting for Institution of GOS at the headquartes of Co-financier Ente Parco Nazionale del Cilento e Vallo di Diano Special survey on rendez vous sites defined with GPS telemetry. 180 working hours, 30 km trails by PNM staff, CTA ordinary and extra-ordinary patrol Anti-poaching activities in critical areas with videophoto-traps. 100 working hours by PNM staff, CTA ordinary patrol. Special survey on critical areas defined with GPS radiocollar data referred to particular wolf/human interface. 70 working hours, 15 km trails by PNM staff, CTA ordinary and extra-ordinary patrol Investigation on carcass. Young male in Orfento Valley. Caramanico Terme (PE). Investigation on carcass. Young female in Paterno Caramanico Terme (PE). Anti-poaching activities in critical areas with videophoto-traps. 70 working hours by PNM staff, CTA ordinary and extra-ordinary patrol Investigation on poisoned dog carcass in Marane Sulmona (Aq) (Endosulfan) Anti-poisoning survey Investigation on wolf carcass, radiocollared adult male, M2, in Selvoni, Pizzoferrato (CH) Anti-poaching activities in critical areas Anti-poaching activities in critical areas with videophoto-traps. 65 working hours by PNM staff, CTA ordinary and extra-ordinary patrol. Anti-poaching activities in critical areas. Snares detection, cow carcass found in a snare trap. 190 working hours by PNM staff, CTA ordinary and extra-ordinary patrol. 35 km of trails. Special survey on rendez vous sites defined with GPS telemetry. 400 working hours, 70 km trails by PNM staff, CTA ordinary and extra-ordinary patrol Anti-snare poaching activities in critical areas GOS PNM - CTA & IZSLT GOS PNM - PNFC - CTA & IZSLT GOS PNM & IZSLT - Cofinancers GOS PNM CTA GOS PNM CTA GOS PNM CTA GOS PNM CTA GOS PNM CTA GOS PNM CTA GOS PNM GOS PNM CTA and Life ANTIDOTO GOS PNM CTA IZSLT GOS PNM CTA GOS PNM CTA GOS PNM CTA GOS PNM CTA GOS PNM 20th 21st March, th May, th April, 2012 Jul Oct 2012 Jul Oct 2012 Nov Dec th Oct th Feb, 2013 Feb. - Mar Feb Feb th Mar th Mar Apr. May 2013 Jun. Jul Jul. Oct th Sept Pag. 24 of 60

25 PNM PNM PNM Anti-poaching activities in critical areas with videophoto-traps. 324 working hours by PNM staff, CTA ordinary and extra-ordinary patrol Investigation on radiocollared wolf carcass, F4 (car accident), in Badia Morronese, Sulmona (AQ) Special survey on critical areas defined with GPS radiocollar data referred to particular wolf/human interface. 280 working hours, 15 km trails by PNM staff, CTA ordinary and extra-ordinary patrol PNFC GOS Institution with DD 218/2010 PNFC PNFC PNFC PNFC PNFC PNFC PNP PNP PNP PNP PNP PNP PNP PA PA PA Training for the activities of the GOS Wolf howling sessions to detect wolf breeding packs No. 40 sample for genetic analysis delivered to ISPRA No. 70 sample for genetic analysis delivered to ISPRA 268 patrol services by CTA GOS Parco 3 wolf necropsies in the Wolfnet Vet Lab in Montanino 1 st GOS Meeting and institution Operative Meeting for Institution of GOS Investigation on a wolf in Verbicaro (poisoning by Zinc Phosphide) Investigation on a wolf in Mormanno (poaching by means of a wild boar snare) Special surveillance activities in critical areas for high potential poaching frequency GOS Internal Meeting Special surveillance activities in critical areas for high potential poaching frequency Definition of Wolfnet management area between PNM, Riserva Naturale del Monte Genzana-Alto Gizio and External Protection Area of PNALM Anti-poaching surveys were implemented also with the use of camera traps. Investigation on a wolf carcass (hit by car) GOS PNM CTA GOS PNM CTA GOS PNM CTA Park personnel and CTA personnel Park personnel and CTA personnel GOS PNFC CTA GOS PNFC CTA GOS PNFC CTA GOS PNFC CTA GOS PNFC CTA GOS PNP CTA GOS PNP CTA GOS PNP CTA GOS PNP CTA GOS PNP CTA GOS PNP CTA GOS PNP CTA GOS PA Prov. Police GOS PA Prov. Police GOS PA Prov. Police Jul. Oct th Nov Nov. Dic June June 2010 SUMMER May 2012 Oct th June, th September, st December, th January, th, 17th, 21st May, th May, nd Nov., 4 th 11 th December, May 2012 March 1st, 2011 Pag. 25 of 60

26 PA PA - PNM PA PA Covered 22 patrol courses in the management area Special surveillance activities by means of snow tracking with PNM and Biodiversity Office of Corpo Forestale dello Stato di Castel di Sangro (Aq) Covered 22 patrol courses after the end of hunting season Special survey on critical areas and anti-poaching activity for 285 working hours GOS PA Prov. Police GOS PNM - GOS PA Prov. Police GOS PA Prov. Police GOS PA Prov. Police From October 2011 to January 2012 January 2012 From February 2012 to May2012 From June 2012 to December The IZSLT staff was promptly activated each time after the discovery of wolf carcasses or retrieval of useful samples in investigation cases. In all cases of forensic interest which have been used in the GOS of the PNM, the Public Prosecutor decided to nominate as technical consultant the Director of the Reference Center for Forensic Veterinary Medicine, dr. Rosario Fico. The operational scheme, therefore, it had been assumed as part of the preparatory A.7 and its protocols, such as the one A.6 for the recovery of the dead wolves, was widely confirmed during the course of the action and is summarized as follows: As briefly reported in this flowchart, the investigative activities have been optimized and, thanks to the training accomplished by both First Responders that the technicians of the Park, it has been significantly enhanced the quality of sampling on the Crime Scene. Absolutely crucial was the technical support of the IZSLT, which in forensic cases, and also in the health monitoring activities of C.4, received during the period of project no. 138 samples, and made a total of 505 laboratory analysis. Problems and/or delays not relevant. Expected outcome. The Specialistic Operational Groups are instituted in all National Parks and in the Aquila Province. A new investigational approach in forensic wildlife has been defined through shared procedures and methods, described also in the Wildlife Forensics Manual (Action D.8). With the endorsement at the Final Document of the Wolfnet (Carta di Sulmona) the Forestry Corp made a commitment to adapt this approach at the national parks surveillance in all the Country. Regarding the goal of the illegal mortality control and decreasing through a more intensive survey made on the basis of GPS data, we can highlight these observation in the following table: Radiocollared Wolf Cause of death Observation on pack survey PNM_F1 Still alive at radiocollar turning off Pag. 26 of 60 No illegal mortality in the pack, 3 years of litter safeguard without relevant mortality cases