Bruno D'Amicis / Rewilding Europe
Italy / Apennines
Unlocking common land for rewilding in Italy
Working with Rewilding Apennines, we have been exploring how rewilding organisations can lawfully access and manage public and collectively owned land in Italy.
The project has already identified several promising legal mechanisms such as usi civici (common land rights) and domini collettivi (collective ownership) and demonstrates how restoration can be compatible with the long-term purposes of common land. At the same time, it highlights the need for reforms that better recognise ecological restoration and enable organisations such as Rewilding Apennines to play a greater role in managing these landscapes for nature.