Pyrenean Charter for Altitude Equestrian Ecotourism
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The equestrian guides (French, Spanish, Andorean) which adhere to the :
Office of Transpyrenean Equestrian Guides
and, in complete coherence with the statutes of the B.G.E.T. Association,
commit themselves to :
- To keep themselves informed
about the sensitive caracter of the covered environment and to respect the
existing regulations (Biotops by laws, Natural Reserves, sensitive zones of
preservation, etc...),particularly to the effect of controling and regulating
the overflow of visits in certain protected sites and during sensitive periods (nesting,
reproduction, etc...).
- Develop and maintain relations of quality and dialogue with the local
populations. And,to this regard, to start up all the necessary actions leading
to the definition and localisation of the bivouac areas and their essential
capacity to accodomate horses and to blend within the landscape as well as with
the summer uses.
- To participate to the promotion, the highlighting and the protection of the
local natural and human patrimony : Endemic species, traditions, patrimony of
contructions at altitude, tales and legends, etc...,
- To build up (or join up) all
representations of dialogue with the other of these mountainous spaces,
breeders, foresters, hikers, fishermen, hunters and other followers of leisure
activities at altitude, etc...,
- To work on adapting pedagogic approches of the mountainous environment in
order to educate and sensitize the public to the present great stakes of protection
of the natural spaces by and for a durable development,
- To bring together all the necessary sources and ressourses of information
allowing them to increase their cultural knowledge about the various components
of the territories they cross,
- To process all types of desirable documents in order to warn the equestrian
users of tracks against the danger reprensented by the pratice of
horsebackriding in certain areas,and also, especially, against the
meteorological constraints (snow, storms, fog, ...).
- Not to favour or entice the installation of beacons at heights above 1800
meters(or above the forest level), which would lead the amateurs of equestrian
excursions into following those paths which may include dangerous passes,
- To propose to these amateurs a guiding service,the only reassuring solution to
the development of transfrontiers equestrian excursions.
Hereby,theB.G.E.T.reminds that a by major accident would appreciably affect the
brand image of the whole of the Pyrenees and of the "Pyrenees without
frontiers"network as well.
- To propose the use of their horses for all transportations,whether of material
or food supplies,in order to reduce the recourse to heliportagge and an
excessive extention of paths or roads in those wild surroundings,
- To adopt and recommend a silent behaviour to avoid disturbing the animal life,
and favour the observation, and to respect the atmosphere of the mountain for
the others practisers or users as well,
- To participate to the tending of the mountainous areas by taking care of their
own waste,
- To participate to the fire-fighting whilt using the standard warning
procedures in force in the relevant services : Firemen Company, Bomberos,
- To make a point of developing an efficient communication equipment in order to
be active in the safekeeping of any types of excursions throughout the Pyrenees,
- To promote the use ofnew
energies in altitude for the production of electricity in the shelters or cabins,
- To develop the crosswide equestrian journey of the Pyrenees,following zones of
medium mountains, while working on the updating or the edition of a
topo-guide : "The Pyrenees by horse,North and South sides". Meanwhile,
the necessary steps will be taken for the safeguarding of certain passes
potentially dangerous,
- To adopt (and adapt) the issues recommended by :
1.The
NGO European Conference on the mountaindurable development
2.The
Alpine Convention
3.The
Charter for the protection of the Pyrenees
Photo Loïc Chevrel
- To participate , along with the
other known actors, to the establishment of European Charter for the Tourism in
Mountains.
- To contribute to the reform of the tax system,in order to establish a
politique of support and compensation for the handicaps to altitude,slopes,and
toward the durability of economical activities in protected environments.
Durfort (Ariège), on march 7th, 2000
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