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Parks, Reserves and Protected Areas

With a plethora of diverse pressing problems to deal with on the island, the environmental movement in Sicily did not get off the ground until the 1980s. A landmark demonstration in 1980 to halt the construction of a coastal road between Scopello and San Vito Lo Capo on the northwesternmost cape led to the establishment of the Riserva dello Zingaro and heightened awareness of the issues at stake. A string of noteworthy parks and reserves was set up in the wake of the action thanks to appropriate legislation, though it is proving to be a particularly slow and cumbersome process. The Parco dell’Etna, Sicily’s first regional park, saw the light of day in 1987; the Parco delle Madonie dates back to 1989; the extensive Parco dei Nebrodi was set up in 1993; while the newest, the Parco Fluviale dell’ Alcantara established in 2001, is currently finding its feet while its borders are still being debated. A fifth is rumoured for the Sicani region in the centre-west. More specific information is given in the introductions to each park area. Moreover, www.parks.it is a good source of information.