The new Community of Protected Areas: the first acts

On December 27, 2024, the Community of the Protected Areas of the Cottian Alps met to initiate the procedures for the designation of the new Council of the Park Authority. As established by the Regional Law of Piedmont n. 19/2009, Consolidated text on the protection of natural areas and biodiversity, the Community has an advisory, propositional, and verification role regarding the activities of the Authority and is composed of the mayor of the Metropolitan City of Turin, the presidents of the Mountain Unions, and the mayors of the municipalities – or their delegates – whose territories fall within the Cottian Alps Parks.  
During the recent meeting, the Community unanimously expressed a positive opinion on the budget forecast for the year 2025 and designated, through a majority election, the 4 members of the council who will take office following their appointment by the President of the Regional Government along with the new President of the Authority and representatives of environmental and agricultural associations. The proposed names are Roberta Allora, Simone Periale, Luca Rossi, and Remo Tabasso. The outcome of the voting is the result of a renewed decision-making process established through candidacies, and, as a matter of practice, each councilor is appointed to represent each Natural Park.
We are now awaiting the name for the position of President of the Authority's Council to be proposed by the Piedmont Region to the Community of the protected areas to reach the expected agreement, and the two representatives of the associations for which an announcement has been published by the Piedmont Region with a deadline of 01/28/2025.
After the elections in spring 2024, which led to the replacement of numerous municipal administrations within the Cottian Alps Parks, the Community of the Protected Areas has renewed its way of representing a point of meeting between the Authority, the Council, and the stakeholders of the territory. During the meeting on November 11, 2024, elections were held that led to the election of Eugenio Di Gaetano, mayor of Villarfocchiardo, as President of the Community, and Roberto Pourpour, mayor of Salbertrand, as Vice President. Awaiting the regional appointment of the new Council and the new President, this is the first tangible sign of the changes that will affect the Cottian Alps Parks in the coming five years.