The mountains of Iturrieta, the Serra de Entzia and its six buttresses meet the transitional mountains of the Basque Country, constituting a second orographic barrier to the winds coming from the northwest. It is a high plateau, with an average altitude of around 927 m, surrounded by mountains of more than 1,000 m in altitude, which reaches its highest elevation in the west (1,197 m of Mount Bayo), constituting the northern and southern rocky cliffs with the most pronounced changeovers. Due to the karst nature of the land, most of the water is underground, constituting an important aquifer that, through small streams, sees its waters facing the Ebro.
ZEC Entzia – ES2110022
OVERVIEW
Area (ha): 10.006,41 ha
Natura 2000 Code: ES2110022
Other protection statuses according to national or regional legislation:
Within the territorial scope of the ZEC, other protection statuses are included in accordance with national or regional legislation. Through Agreement 286/2015, the “Guidelines and management measures” document is approved for favorable conservation and to avoid deterioration of habitats and alterations to the species of SCI ES2110022-Entzia, and through Decree 188/2015, of October 6, designate the Entzia Special Conservation Area (ES2110022) Seus conservation objectives are established. Furthermore, the entire space is classified as a Public Utility Mountain.
CURRENT SITUATION AND CONSERVATION ACTIONS OF THE PROJECT
The main use is forestry, followed by livestock, public and scientific-cultural use. 45% of the space area corresponds to Parzonerías de Iturrieta, Sierra de Entzia, Gipuzkoarro-Nazazaharra and Atxuri, which are also Public Utility Mountains. These lands are not judicially assigned to any municipality, belonging only to each unit of the parzonerías and being divided or voo (arboredo) between the towns. The rest of the ZEC area is included in the municipalities of San Millan/Donemiliaga, Arraia-Maeztu, Campezo/Kanpezu, Valle de Arana/Harana, Asparrena and Salvatierra/Agurain, with 97.4% of the ZEC area located on publicly owned land.
The singularity of the ZEC Entzia in the Natura 2000 Network of the Basque Country is due to the presence of certain habitats of community interest, for six extensions and/or for its singularity, highlighting the Habitats of Community Interest 3170* – Temporary Mediterranean ponds and 7220* – Petrifying springs with formation of travertines (Cratoneurion) on which the project will be acted upon.