The Institutional setting. The Vulcanus Agreement

Introduction

Vulcanus, the Geographic Information System (GIS) for the 'Zona Volcānica de la Garrotxa' Natural Park (PNZVG), was made possible thanks to an agreement between three Catalonian public institutions: the Department of the Environment [Departament de Medi Ambient (DMA)], the Cartographic Institute of Catalonia [l'Institut Cartogrāfic de Catalunya (ICC)] and the Ecological and Forest Applications Research Center [Centre de Recerca Ecolōgica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF)]. Initially signed in 1995 for a period of three years, it was extended in 1998 for two more years. The Vulcanus project started up as a result of several factors. 'Zona Volcānica de la Garrotxa' Natural Park (PNZVG) stewardship belonged to the Directorate General of the Natural Heritage (DMA), management of Catalonia's Environmental Information System corresponded to the Secretariat General (DMA). Digital cartography was available from the ICC, and CREAF had a growing experience in applying GIS technology to the analysis and management of natural resources. At the time, the Vulcanus project was a pioneering project for Catalonia in applying GIS to managing and planning protected areas.

The experience and information accumulated by the PNZVG over its years of operation has allowed it to start up this type of project. This, in turn, has made available to the Park's management team a set of computer tools capable of organizing and processing the large volume of information available to the Park. Queries and analyses on this information can now be made, which until now had not been possible (see examples of management and analysis).

The year 2000 means closure for the Vulcanus project and public opening of data. The Vulcanus project ends in order to give way to Vulcanus itself, the PNZVG's GIS. At this stage, we can no longer call it a project, rather a tangible reality within the natural park's structure.

Vulcanus's immediate future is not limited to continuing its consolidation within the structure and operation of the Natural Park as a normal work tool for the management team. Vulcanus also wants to expand to local agencies, individuals, students and professionals who practice their activities in the 'Zona Volcānica de la Garrotxa', by extension, to the entire county of the Garrotxa. This will be possible by making Vulcanus's database public and by integrating within Vulcanus all new information generated in this area.

Vulcanus was begun as a project that included all aspects of digital information handling and management, from the early stages of the studies that gave way to this information, up to the final drafting of diverse documents such as maps, reports, etc. Vulcanus treats all the information that is available to the Park and is liable to be included in a GIS in a homogeneous, integral way. Vulcanus is not a set of closed tools designed specifically for particular tasks; rather it is an open system able to take on new jobs as new needs arise. Vulcanus has made it a priority to train Park personnel in using and managing the GIS.

Aim

The purpose of the Vulcanus agreement was to carry out a joint pilot experience between three Catalonian public agencies having direct and indirect responsibilities in land planning and management. The purpose of the experience was to give a protected area a geographic information system that could help in day-to-day planning and management tasks. At the same time, it was to serve to acquire knowledge and know-how in applying these types of tools to territorial management.

Objectives

Regarding GIS development

• To develop a management tool for the technical services of the 'Zona Volcānica de la Garrotxa' Natural Park, which would progressively expand into the regular territorial activities undertaken.
• To develop a Geographic Information System pilot experience for a relatively small area, based on a real case, as an instrument of management.
• To contribute experimental elements for developing certain cartographic bases adapted to GIS requirements.

Regarding integration of the GIS in the Park

• To train the Park's management team in the use of GIS technology.
• To give the Park a high level of autonomy in regard to tasks of entering, editing and managing information and GIS maintenance.

Agencies, organization and follow-up

	Direction Promotion Funding Follow-Up Stewardwhip
	Contribution of reference digital cartography Follow-up
	Direction Execution Follow-up

The above table specifies distribution of responsibilities in executing the Vulcanus agreement. The Department of the Environment was the project promoter, and receives the final results in the form of an operating geographic information system. As such, it was also the principal party in funding the project. The Cartographic Institute of Catalonia contributed its digital cartographic databases as a reference on which to build the system, and the Center for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications executed the project and developed the necessary software.

Project direction was shared by the 'Zona Volcānica de la Garrotxa' Natural Park and the Center for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications, in the persons of the natural park's director and a researcher from the CREAF.

Finally, there was a follow-up committee with decision-making capacity on matters pertaining to organization and budget affairs. The committee was formed by 3 representatives from the Subdirectorate General of Studies of the Department of the Environment, 1 representative from the Directorate General of Natural Heritage and the Physical Environment of the Department of the Environment, 1 representative from the Natural Park, 1 representative from the Cartographic Institute of Catalonia and 2 representatives from the Center for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications. Meeting 2-3 times a year throughout the course of the project, this committee had the job of evaluating work progress, making decisions on new directions for the future and following up on the project's funding and material resources.