The county Pasiega, territory bounded by the headwaters of rivers Pas, Miera and Pisueña, presents a landscape of unique beauty.  The core of the county Pasiega is made up by three villas: San Pedro del Romeral, San Roque de Riomiera and Vega de Pas.

In this mosaic of valleys and rugged mountains is located the Club of States of Alto Pas-Miera. This is a set of high mountain farms distributed by the municipalities of San Roque de Rio Miera, Vega de Pas, Ruesga, Arredondo and Soba, all of them managed by FNYH.

The uniqueness of pasiego landscape is the heritage, first, of the activity in the shipyards of the region during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This is the cause of heavy deforestation in the pasiegos mountains, as there was a huge demand for timber in the Real Factory of Artillery of Liérganes and La Cavada, where wood was used as fuel for smelting iron. In the Shipyard of Guarnizo this wood was used to build ships of the Spanish Navy. Second, it is the legacy of an extensive livestock farming associated with the pasiego way of life, which has boosted the meadows at the expense of forests.

The aim of the Club of States of Alto Pas-Miera is to contribute to improving the Pasiega and East Mountain, from an environmental and cultural perspective. To do this, FNYH develops important tasks of reforestation using native plant in the Club of States, rehabilitates pasiegas cabins and implements a silvopastoral management on their farms with herds of latxa sheep that, grazing on them, prevent fires arising from the burning of stubble. It also manages local herds of native breeds such as pasiega red cow, the Losino horse and Spanish donkey. Both pasiega red cow as latxa sheep are raised according to the premises of organic farming, certified by the Regulatory Council of the Ecological Agriculture Cantabria.

The increase in forest area in the Club of States yields environmental benefits: fixing soil against erosion, increased complexity of ecosystems and, therefore, ecological niches for different animal and plant species, and the improvement of the landscape quality in the area.

In short, the Club of States participates in the creation of an ecological corridor of small forests that improve communication for forest fauna (roe deer, wildcat, wild boar, goshawk, etc.) between the forests of the Mountain Pasiega, increasing the permeability of species in a larger territory (Comarca del Pas, Ason, Mountain Burgalesa, Region of the Besaya).

Partners

  • Program LIFE. European Union
  • Counselling of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Regional Government of Cantabria
  • Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Directorate-General for Nature Conservation and Directorate-General for Rural Development.
  • Program INTERREG IIIB. European Union

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