Good news for those who care about the landscape and mountains of Lombardy: the Regional Council of Lombardy has unanimously approved Regional Law 27 February 2017 no. 5, which establishes the Rel – Rete escursionistica della Lombardia and the trail cadastre. The law was published on 1 March and marks an important milestone, the result of the commitment of three regional presidents throughout a lengthy legislative process.

The trail cadastre in Lombardy

The measure passed a few days ago by the Lombardy Regional Council — which aims to establish a code, a cadastre and a classification of trails, and to make available around four million euros over the next three years for a number of significant redevelopment interventions — owes a great deal to the essential contribution of the Cai, the Club alpino italiano, and in particular its Lombardy section.

The measure is a benefit both for the landscape, which will be better cared for and preserved, and for the small tourist and commercial businesses in mountain areas, which will be able to develop further.

The cadastre is designed to be a digital tool in which all hiking routes will be recorded, together with related information on places of historical and scenic interest, refreshment stops, services and public transport information. In total, the trail network of the Lombardy region extends to around 13,000 kilometres, 35 per cent of which requires maintenance work — which is precisely why the law that has now been reached is particularly important: acting promptly, also with the support of Cai and local hiking guides, can turn the network into a significant economic resource for the area.

Cai, the mountain communities and the Regional Council will together need to standardise signage and survey all trails, which may be walked, ridden on horseback or cycled once they have been classified according to their level of difficulty: hiking trails, mountaineering routes, via ferratas, climbing sites and itineraries. This distinction will also entail different areas of responsibility for the various managing bodies.