From Friday onwards, the Azores will have nine natural parks, which as many as the islands that make up the archipelago.

The most recent natural park was created on the island of Terceira by a regional legislative decree published in the Official Journal of the Region on Thursday.
 
The Terceira Natural Park comprises the natural reserves of Santa Bárbara and Mistérios Negros Mountain Ranges, Biscoito da Ferraria and Pico Alto, and Terra Brava and Criação das Lagoas as well as the natural monuments of Algar do Carvão and Furna do Enxofre.

In addition, the park also integrates the natural protected areas for the management of habitats or species of Ponta das Contendas, Cabras Islet, Matela, Biscoito das Fontinhas, Coast of Quatro Ribeiras, Planalto Central, Northwest Coast and Pico do Boi; the protected landscape of Biscoitos Vineyards; and the protected resource management areas of Caldeira de Guilherme Moniz, Quatro Ribeiras, Coast of Contendas, Cabras Islet, Cinco Ribeiras, Baixa da Vila Nova and Monte Brasil.

The Terceira Natural Park will be provided with an administration service, to be under the supervision of the Regional Government department overseeing environmental affairs, which will be in charge of assuring its management in accordance with the purposes underlying the classification of the protected areas categories comprised by the natural park as well as with the strategy defined for nature conservation and biodiversity preservation, sustainable development and quality of life.

The recently published legislation also provides that, in compliance with the general law of public procurement, concessions may be made to public, private entities, scientific associations, non-profit or public utility organisations for the management and exploitation of the Terceira Natural Park or of certain areas or resources of the protected areas within it.

The creation of island natural parks, which constitute the unit management of protected areas on each Azorean island, is under the framework of the Regional Network of Protected Areas of the Azores, established by the Regional Legislative Decree no.15/2007/A of June 25.

Meanwhile, the Azorean Government has submitted the proposal for legislation establishing the creation of the Azores Marine Park, which is intended to manage the areas outside the Azorean territorial sea with preservation interest, at the Legislative Assembly for approval.

Under the terms of that proposal, the future Azores Marine Park will comprise, among others, four areas located beyond the limit of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), whose surface is 43 times that of the Azores archipelago.