Regional Act No. 29 on regional protected areas.

The Lazio Region guarantees and encourages the conservation and improvement of the natural resources falling within its territory, according to the general principles laid down in Act No. 394 of 6 December 1991. Natural protected areas shall be established with a view to ensuring the sustainable management of such resources and the protection of the ecological balance. Provinces, Municipalities and Mountain Communities shall contribute to the establishment and management of regional protected areas. The Act is divided into five Parts. Part I makes provision in matter of creation of protected areas. In accordance with article 4, the Protected Areas Section is established under the Technical and Scientific Committee for the Environment referred to in article 13 of Regional Act No. 74 of 18 November 1991. The Section shall give advices in matter of : a) classification of protected areas; b) elaboration of the regional plan for protected areas; c) initiatives for the establishment of new protected areas; d) criteria for the use of forestry resources and the protection of fauna. Article 5 concerns the protected areas system of the Lazio Region, which consists of two categories: a) nature parks; b) nature reserves. The list of protected areas established by Regional Act (by following the procedure referred to in article 9) shall be submitted to the Committee for Protected Areas (art. 5, par. 5). In addition to protected areas, the Lazio protects also natural monuments, which are defined by article 6, paragraph 2. Article 7 regards the regional and the provincial plans for protected areas. Article 8 sets out safeguarding measures, which shall be undertaken by the President of the Regional Council in case of risk of environmental damage. Such measures include the prohibition of: a) gathering of spontaneous flora, b) the introduction of animal and plant species other than autochthonous species, c) the use of any means of capture, d) the construction of agricultural zones. Article 11 deals with marine reserves, which may be established on areas of particular naturalistic interest by the Committee for Protected Areas upon advice of the Region. Part II regards the organization and the management of protected areas. The management shall be entrusted to public entities and the Provinces (art. 12). The Regional Council shall control the managing entities. Article 26 concerns plans for protected areas.