A new (and unexpected) symbol of the risks involved in mass tourism has emerged in Cantabria: redwoods. In one of its mountains, Cabezón, a lush forest full of such trees native to the West Coast of the United States, has been growing for decades. Its view is so fascinating that it has become the center of attention of tourists looking for the best. selfie. It is estimated to host 800 people per day during the summer months and exceed 200,000 visitors per year.

The problem is that many of these hikers, in addition to marveling at their trunks, hug them, chew the roots, and even tear off the bark covering the trees. The deterioration is alarming for environmentalists, and the municipal council of the area, Cabezón de la Sal, has decided to take action.

hit the brakes. The news came to the fore this week Montañés’ Diary: The City Council of Cabezón de la Sal, a Cantabrian town of 8,200, plans to control access to the area’s popular redwood forest next summer. Purpose: Those who want to walk among the trunks should make advance reservations for the visit and thus prevent tourism from harming the environment.

Details of the measure have been announced Spanish Newspaper. Mayor Óscar López has in mind to install two access controls on the roads connecting the forest. At least that’s their “statement of intent”.

By appointment. The purpose of the checks is to ensure that visitors book their trips in advance. They will not have to pay, but the measure will serve to control the number of people walking among the redwoods during the peak weeks of tourist influx. Therefore, during the Easter period, it is applied on weekends from May to October and daily from 15 June to 15 September.

Calculation of ideal capacity. “We’ll have to do a study to see how many people can get in each day, but if 800 get in on the busiest days now, maybe it should be 300 or 350,” the councilor adds. The outlines of the plan are still being discussed with the Cantabrian Government, but the City Council is currently considering approving a regulation that would, in due course, allow sanctions to be imposed on those who do not comply with the new regulations and enter the forest without reservations.

There is already experience in this field. This summer, guards were assigned to ensure that tourists did not damage the logs. And the result invites optimism. “We noticed that he was less aggressive towards the forest and brought less bark as souvenirs,” celebrates González, who also remembers neighbors placing signs asking visitors not to break or hug the redwoods.

But… Is it that serious? Yes, at least for Ecologistas en Acción, which published a statement in July warning about the “degradation” of the redwood forest and its enormous success among tourists, especially in the wake of the pandemic.

“We are facing a huge influx of visitors, estimated at around 200,000 per year and growing. This has had negative impacts on the forest,” he warns. The environmental organization assures that footsteps affect the soil’s vegetation and expose some of the most superficial roots. The trunks also show damage due to “erosion” of the bark. People lament, hug them, and tear off pieces of them.

From the forest… to the regional parliament. To change the situation, the NGO filed a complaint with the General Directorate of Forestry and Biodiversity with a series of suggestions, such as placing information signs, building fences to protect the most damaged redwoods, or carrying out works that will allow the formation of a vegetation layer on the ground. renew The state of the forest even reached the plenary session of the Cantabrian Parliament a few days ago, which approved an illegal proposal demanding that the regional government take measures to control the flow of visitors.

a protected area. The aim is to protect an environment that has been considered a Natural Monument for over 20 years and is part of the Cantabrian Protected Areas network. The forest is located on Monte Cabezón in Monte Corona and covers an area of ​​approximately 2.5 hectares; About 850 trees grow here, reaching an average height of 40 meters and with trunks with an average circumference of two meters. “This is a ‘baby redwood’ forest, as this species can reach more than 1,000 years of age and have a height of approximately 115 meters,” reminds Cabezón de la Sal Tourism. .

In order for its Cantabrian equivalent to continue to thrive, the Cabezón de la Sal City Council is currently proposing different measures not too different from those implemented in other places that have been successful with tourists, such as Playa de las Catedrales. Ribadeo or Gaztelugatxe in Vizcaya. Even Mount Fuji in Japan has implemented controls to prevent tourist overcrowding from spoiling and littering one of the country’s greatest natural symbols.

Pictures | Rubén Díaz Caviedes (Flickr) 1 and 2 and Ecologists at Work

in Xataka | Amid controversy over “bad tourists,” Hawaii did something unprecedented: it invited its own people to clean and reforest beaches