and wild boar), biodiversity is still rich in the
property. Moreover, farm animals are bred
primarily with local products and grazing
land is fertilised with their dung. Chemical
pollution is thus almost zero. For sure,
building the horse-riding center on the top
of the hill has entailed deforesting a critical
area. One may perceive the whole com-
pound as having a negative impact on the
landscape (at least until the oak-trees that
have been re-planted on the excavated
earth will be fully grown). But the deforest-
ed surface is less the 1/30 of the whole
property.
La Somma’snegative environmental impact
is thus quite limited. On the other hand, the
enterprise generates several positive envi-
ronmental externalities. Importance of land-
scape and forest resources makes all mem-
bers of the Bevilacqua family very sensitive
to environmental hazards and ready to
intervene in case of emergency. During the
2003 summer drought, a fire on the side of
the asphalt road, probably triggered by a
lightened cigarette coil thrown out from a
car window, threatened the edges of the
forest. Agostino, who was around on horse-
back, alerted the Forestry Guard Fire
Service with his mobile phone, but the
operator answered that all the units were
already busy with other fires and that they
would not be able to intervene immediately.
Agostino spurred his horse towards the
compound. In less then 30 minutes the big
tank cart utilised to carry water for horses
was filled and harnessed to a tractor. All the
available extinguishers were collected and a
group of 15 volunteers assembled. It was a
windy day and when the team reached the
place the fire was moving rapidly towards
the forest. Notwithstanding, the intervention
proved timely and effective enough to pre-
vent a major disaster.
This accident clearly shows the role played
by La Sommapeople in forest conservation.
Yet the contribution of the enterprise to for-
est ecology goes far beyond emergency sit-
uations. Selective cutting of trees for fire-
wood and posts allows more sunlight to
penetrate the forest and nurture the under-
growth. It also facilitates development of
bigger and healthier tree specimens and
slows down the propagation of pests and
diseases. Partial replacement of the endem-
ic small-durmast coverage with chestnut
plantations has facilitated the development
of glades where weed and mushroom
species grow and provides an important
source of food for many wild local and
birds. “Shadow grazing” of cattle and horses
helps to fertilise the forest. Also wild bore
hunting contributes to the health of the
ecosystem by maintaining the population of
this prolific (and intrusive) species within
the forest’s carrying capacity limits.
Agostino, Giancarlo and the
other member of the
Bevilacqua family are aware
and proud of their role of for-
est managers. They are con-
scious of having learned most
of their relevant skills from
Nonno Pietro, Zi’Bruno and
the other elders of
Acqualacastagna e
Montebibbico. However they
don’t see this knowledge as
static. They are instead open
to any innovation that might
prove effective without entail-
ing too much risk.Despite their deep care for the place,
nobody at La Sommalikes the protectionist
landscape, forest and wildlife conservation
rhetoric that inspires national and regional
land use laws and regulations. Indeed for
Agostino and Giancarlo the very concept of
“conservation” is nonsense: they firmly
believe that land, plants and animals are
there to be wisely used by men and women
in their struggle for a wealthy and peaceful
life. They stress that rural people whose
livelihoods depend directly on these assets,Conservation aas ccultural aand ppolitical ppractice
People iin LLa
Somma pperceive
the rrhetoric oof
conservation aas
nonsense. FFor
them nnature iis
capital tthat hhas tto
be nnurtured aand
cultivated, sso tthat
it wwill ccontinue tto
provide bbenefits
and pprofits