Only if necessary. Motor vehicles in the Parks

The Ban throughout the Piedmont Region

In the Protected Areas of the Cozie Alps, as in the entire Piedmont region, motor vehicle circulation on off-road routes is prohibited under Regional Law No. 32/1982. The ban, as stated, "also extends to mountain trails and mule tracks, as well as forest tracks and roads." This is part of Article 11 included in the text entitled "Rules for the conservation of natural heritage and environmental assets" because vehicular traffic undoubtedly has an impact on ecological balances. But what is meant by "off-road routes"? Essentially, anything not included in state, regional, provincial, or municipal roads. 

Restrictions in the Cozie Alps Protected Areas

In the territories within the Parks of the Cozie Alps, motor vehicle circulation is – of course – prohibited off-road, meaning outside of ordinary roads, as well as certain municipal and provincial roads. For example, certain routes within the Gran Bosco di Salbertrand Natural Park, all roads in the Val Troncea Natural Park, some routes in the Orsiera Rocciavré Natural Park, and the stretch of Via Monte Pirchiriano within the Avigliana Lakes Natural Park. The reason is easy to understand: within a protected area, humans are one of the present species and must adapt habits and behaviors to the needs of other living beings. 
Indeed, even children know that cars or motorcycles pollute. In urban contexts, engine emissions affect environmental quality by releasing high amounts of CO2, fine particles, and heavy metals into the air. In Protected Areas, however, where traffic concentration is certainly lower, motor vehicles mainly disturb wildlife with the noise produced by vehicles and incidents. In particular, it is important to minimize the crushing of slower animals – from hedgehogs to snails, to all those microscopic and macroscopic insects – that may meet their end under car tires even when moving at low speeds since the speed limit on dirt roads is 20 km/h. Not to mention the disturbance caused by motorized vehicles to other visitors who wish to explore the Parks in a gentle, calm manner necessary for fully enjoying the ecological and landscape heritage surrounding them without worrying about vehicle arrivals. It is this type of visitation that a Park Authority must prioritize! 

Measures to Protect Human Activities

Nevertheless, people's needs are respected within the Protected Areas, which, by statute, are required to promote coexistence between humans and the natural environment and conscious enjoyment. Permits to circulate with motor vehicles on roads within the Parks can be granted to property owners, those engaged in work and economic activities (agricultural, silvicultural, pastoral, refuge management, etc.), or for research or scientific study purposes exclusively along the routes necessary to reach the requested location. Not to forget rescue, surveillance, and fire-fighting vehicles. 
Furthermore, the indispensability of motor vehicles to access Park entry points or certain areas of significant tourist interest is recognized. This is the case within the Orsiera Rocciavré Natural Park where open roads enable the enjoyment of areas too difficult to reach on foot or by gentle mobility. Or the Provincial Road No. 173 of Assietta, which passes through locations of particular historical and cultural significance deserving a wide audience, not necessarily passionate about mountain hiking. In this scenario, a compromise is sought with hikers and cyclists through road closures every Wednesday and Saturday in July and August. 

A Research to Study the Impact of Motorized Traffic

The effects of vehicular traffic on the environments of protected areas remain a relatively understudied topic. For this reason, in the summer of 2024, precisely along the Assietta Road, the Cozie Alps Parks launched a monitoring activity aimed at measuring the deposits on surrounding lands of particles generated by motor vehicles in the form of exhaust gases and particulate matter produced by heavy metals present in lubricating oils and micro components released into the environment from tire wear, brakes, and body paint. A two-year project funded under the Alcotra BiodivtourAlps project to gather information and data to guide potential future decision-making processes concerning the use of a particularly valuable area from various perspectives: environmental, historical, cultural, and tourist. 
It should be noted, in conclusion, that there is a European ban on constructing new roads within all Protected Areas and Natura 2000 Network sites. Further evidence of the central importance of the issue and the necessity to find suitable solutions for each territorial reality.