National Action Plan for the Conservation of the Wolf (Canis lupus).

The National Action Plan for the Conservation of the Wolf is a national sectoral plan of Italy whose main objective is the launch of a wolf conservation strategy aimed, in the medium and long term, at maintaining and re-establishing, in coexistence with humans, viable wolf populations as an integral part of ecosystems and landscapes. This represents an important part of the effort that must be put in place to maintain biodiversity and ensure the functionality of the ecosystems in our country.
To this end, the following general objectives are considered fundamental: - maintaining the peninsular population at current numerical levels, while avoiding a reduction in the current range of presence; - increasing the numerical and distributional Alpine population until reaching a minimum viable population, allowing the colonization of the entire Alpine range, thus allowing reunion with Balkan populations; - mitigating conflicts between the predator and human activities. To ensure the achievement of these general objectives the Plan aims to define an intervention strategy that includes actions addressing the various factors that threaten wolf populations or limit their expansion possibilities.
Particularly, it is indispensable: 1) the deepening of knowledge on the distribution and status of the wolf in Italy, 2) the promotion of a decision-making process open to social components, 3) the mitigation of the main direct threats to the survival of the wolf, 4) the promotion of an organic and coherent application of intervention measures, 5) the improvement of environmental suitability conditions for the species.
The fundamental principle underlying this action plan is the need for an integrated approach that addresses in an organic manner the different issues of wolf conservation.
Based on the general considerations and priorities identified above, a series of actions are deemed necessary for the achievement of the general objectives of the plan. For each action, the responsible bodies for implementation are identified, as well as the timeframe, the schedule and, where possible and appropriate, the costs of the action.