F.A.Q.

[FAQ updated on: 30/05/2024]

Contents

1) What is the RES?

   1 bis) What is a TRAIL?

   1 ter) What is a MOUNTAIN TRAIL ?

   1 quater) What is hiking WAYMARKING?

  1 quinquies) What is a "CAMMINO" (walking route)?

2) In what sense is the RES "public" in nature?

3) What DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES does Forestas have for the RES?

  3bis) Which trails are subject to Forestas supervision?

  3ter) What obligations and guidelines apply to Municipalities?

4) Why was the RES created?

  4 bis) What can Municipalities and other local authorities do in the case of pre-existing (pre-2018) routes in their territories?

5) Is Forestas the only body responsible for the RES?

6) What are the criteria to be followed when creating a trail?

7) What are the features of a quality trail network?

8) What works are permitted?

9) What works are NOT permitted?

  9 bis) What penalties apply to anyone who damages the RES, uses non-compliant waymarking, or alters or closes routes without authorisation?

10) Why can't just anyone look after the RES?

11) Is it really FORBIDDEN TO USE CAI-standard vertical and horizontal WAYMARKING, or signs resembling it, on routes that are not part of the RES?

12) So what does the "official" WAYMARKING of the RES represent?

  12 bis) What does STANDARD WAYMARKING look like, and what REQUIREMENTS must the waymarking of a well-made trail meet?

  12 ter)  How is the installation site diagram used?

13) And what if a route does not meet that standard? What if the REQUIREMENTS for registration are not met?

  13 bis)  So, comparing the two cases (inclusion in the RES, management of local tourist routes), what are the pros and cons?

14) So does Forestas have a "monopoly" on trail management?

15) What can a private party do on (their own) private land?

16) What is the relationship between so-called Cammini or thematic routes and the RES?

17) Why is the CAI so important in Sardinian regional legislation?

18) How does the REGISTRATION OF A TRAIL work?  What needs to be done?

19) What is the "declaration of public interest"? Can a trail cross private land?

Answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ)

1) What is the RES?

The Trail Network of Sardinia, as defined by Sardinian law (here is the consolidated text with extracts from the Laws, prepared on 7 February 2022 by the Regional Technical Committee) is:  “a coordinated and uniform network of routes intended for hiking”  which the Region, through the Forestas Agency, “promotes and regulates”  through   “the survey, restoration, maintenance, accessibility and enhancement of the RES [...] as a route infrastructure necessary for the management, monitoring, enjoyment and enhancement of the natural, rural and mountain areas of Sardinia”.
This is the consolidated text of Sardinian legislation on trails, for the R.E.S. included in Title II, Chapter III of the Sardinian Forestry Law (latest PDF revision: 30 May 2024). 
It is also very important to stress that Sardinian law explicitly refers to the RES as a route infrastructure necessary for the management, monitoring, free and unrestricted enjoyment and enhancement of the natural, rural and mountain areas of Sardinia.
 

1 bis) What is a TRAIL?

The regional regulation sets out very precisely what a "trail" is through the definitions contained in Annex A which the Region adopted in order to establish and manage the Sardinian Hiking Network (RES), also taking into account national and regional rules (including the General Forestry Police Regulations). 
TRAILS are routes reserved exclusively for non-motorised traffic, formed by the passage of people or animals; their width allows only one person to pass at a time (less than or equal to 1.5 m). A trail in the strict sense is therefore, more broadly, for the purposes of the RES, a narrow path with a natural surface, running through meadows, woods or rocks, located on plains, hills or mountains, not classified as part of the ordinary road network and possibly not yet mapped, created by the passage of people or animals, or purposely built by people for non-motorised travel; the trail is a significant, visible and usable sign of human presence. The trail is a sequence of vantage points on Nature and on the marks left by people, a sequence of viewpoints over the natural scenes of the landscape. A trail can nevertheless exist and be such even without specific waymarking, or without a registration that “elevates it to the rank of” a RES or RIS route. Trails are made up of minimum linear elements called SECTIONS.
The Regional Government, on the proposal of the Regional Ministers responsible for the environment and tourism, who draw on the technical support of the FoReSTAS Agency, approves by resolution the RES Management Plan, identifying the routes to be included, which lie mainly on public land and may cross private land only where strictly necessary and, in any case, for limited sections. The RES plan specifically identifies routes for independent or assisted use by people with physical and sensory disabilities. Special protection is provided for the coordinated visual identity of the waymarking, which may be used in Sardinia exclusively for registered routes that meet the safety criteria and technical standards laid down by the regional technical regulation.  Forestas is the technical body for the governance of the RES at two levels (local and regional), through which the Region governs every aspect of the infrastructure network made up of Trails (for hiking, mountain biking and horse riding).  The Sardinian Hiking Network (RES) consists of the routes deemed suitable by the Regional Technical Committee: that is, medium- and long-distance routes where hiking, trekking, Cammini, the Traverses of Sardinia, cultural routes, cycle touring and e-mountain biking, and bridleways are already practised at Regional or Local level. To this end, the Technical Committee defines and progressively expands the route graph made up of: drove roads, trails, forest tracks, local access roads, cycle routes and minor roads with low vehicle traffic, intended for public tourist and hiking use.  The RES will progressively be equipped with specific horizontal and vertical waymarking, standardised according to the criteria set out and defined at national level.  Solely in order to ensure the continuity and connection of the RES graph, routes may, for certain sections, also run on types of road other than those provided for, integrating primarily with the Regional Cycle Network (road cycle touring) and with local, peri-urban, rural, forest, lakeside and coastal roads, including through intermodal junctions or cycling and hiking hubs to be defined by the Regional Technical Committee.
PLEASE NOTE: Article 4 of the regional regulation explicitly states that Including a route in the RES or in the RIS means elevating it to the rank of an officially recognised and catalogued trail. To identify trails, the Forestas Agency shares with the relevant local councils and with the Regional Technical Committee the parameters used to make the selection, giving priority to the criteria [...]. The criteria are clearly set out in the same Article 4 of the regional regulation.  
 

1 ter) What is a Mountain TRAIL?

In the Regional trail register we will therefore consider as "mountain trails" all those that cross the Gennargentu or, more generally, that cover any land above an altitude of 600 metres a.s.l. For an in-depth discussion of the reasons for this choice, you can read the article on SardegnaSENTIERI about mountain areas
 

1 quater) what is hiking WAYMARKING?

The regional regulation provides in the definitions contained in Annex A that hiking waymarking is: horizontal or vertical waymarking, standardised in line with the European international standard defined, for Italy, by the Club Alpino Italiano; it is characterised by red and white marks which also show the identification number assigned (in the regional register) to the trail (see  What is a TRAIL).  Directional arrows indicate the route in both directions, show the identification number [...] and, where applicable, the Managing Body; they also specify the places that are the final, intermediate and nearby destinations, and the times needed to reach them.  NB: in Sardinia, by regulation, hiking waymarking may be used exclusively on routes registered (or in the process of being registered) in the RES.
 

1 quinquies) What is a "cammino"?

In recent decades, in addition to walking "trails" (see What is a TRAIL?), hikers have also turned their attention to the so-called "historical, religious and thematic cammini", which retrace ancient pilgrimage routes or other routes characterised by a "historical" theme (e.g. mining, transhumance, etc.), shorter in length but of cultural or educational importance. The CAMMINO is defined as a "tourist walking route" by Law 208/2015 (Art. 1 para. 640), while the Consolidated Tourism Act of the Sardinia Region (in force since 1 August 2017), in Art. 38, provides that
1.The Region identifies and enhances the network of routes, cammini and itineraries of a cultural, historical and religious nature. 2. The Region promotes, through the installation of dedicated waymarking and signage, routes, cammini and itineraries linked to pilgrimages, testimonies and events of unquestionable local, regional and national value.3. The Region establishes forms of cooperation with public and private parties and with religious authorities in order to promote and encourage the proper use, conservation and maintenance of routes, cammini and itineraries. 
Going into further detail, the directive of the MIBACT Minister sets out 11 criteria for classifying Cammini  as “cultural routes of particular European and/or national importance, which can be travelled on foot or by other forms of sustainable soft mobility, and which represent a way of enjoying the widespread natural and cultural heritage, as well as an opportunity to enhance the natural and cultural attractions and the areas concerned". The MiBACT has promoted the Digital Atlas of the Cammini d’Italia: a catalogue with a national map of routes and ways, designed and built according to the guidelines set out in the ministerial directive, and regulated.  For Sardinia there is currently only one accredited Cammino: that of Santa Barbara.  The Regional Regulation for the RES is aligned with these "regulatory facts" and provides, among the definitions in Annex A, for the classification of a trail according to its "theme" - equipped with dedicated panels and waymarking (consistent with, and distinct from, that of the RES, in accordance with the provisions of Annex G). According to the regional regulation, this category of routes is generally also suitable for inexperienced hikers and typically runs through limited and/or well-served areas (within Parks or nature reserves or State-owned land) or along historical cammini that are known and catalogued by the Region.  Sardinia currently has a REGISTER OF RELIGIOUS CAMMINI established by Decree No. 7 of the Regional Department of Tourism, Crafts and Trade of 19 May 2015). In conclusion, a "CAMMINO" has these features: it is short (and/or organised as a series of short stages) and is free of technical hiking difficulties
 

2) IN WHAT SENSE is the RES "PUBLIC IN NATURE" ? 

In the sense that it belongs to everyone: Sardinian law also provides that   "the hiking routes that make up the RES"  - as identified within the development plan  -  "are considered, under the law, to be of public interest in relation to their functions of environmental enjoyment, education, protection of the land and of the natural, landscape and cultural values specific to hiking" [...]
As regards use, it is strictly "free" (you do not have to pay to walk a RES trail),  although visits with qualified guides are always strongly recommended (guides, with or without additional paid services, including transport to/from destinations) who know the area and ensure, in addition to safe enjoyment, the pleasure of discovering all the natural attractions, the history of the places and of the people who lived there, the distinctive features of the landscape, etc.
Sardinian law also provides that: Where the routes identified lie partly on private land, the Region or the competent municipalities shall propose to the owners and holders of rights in rem over such land the conclusion of specific use agreements. If the agreement is not formalised and there are no alternative solutions, a public-use easement limited to mere passage for hiking purposes may be imposed, in application of the legislation in force. 

3) WHAT ARE the DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES of the Forestas Regional Agency for the RES ?

The Forestry Law (Art. 37-bis) provides that Forestas is responsible for "identifying the routes to be included in the R.E.S."  (in agreement with the municipalities and Unions of municipalities concerned)  and for the RES register;
Forestas is also responsible for the management and maintenance of the trail network, in agreement with the municipalities and with the cooperation of park authorities, volunteers and sector associations.   
The creation and upkeep of hiking, cycle-hiking and riding routes (including those pre-dating the regional legislation) is therefore subject to the supervision of the Forestas Agency.
 

3 bis) WHICH TRAILS fall under the supervision of the Forestas Regional Agency, for the RES ? And which may fall outside it? 

If a trail falls within a “hiking” or similar type of use [T-tourist trail - E trail - EE trail for experts] according to the definitions contained in Annex A of the regional regulation  it must absolutely be brought within the R.E.S. Since the entry into force of the first guidelines (October 2018), and above all since the publication of the latest update (June 2021), this has become a genuine obligation throughout Sardinia.  Only with registration (and therefore by meeting the requirements of good design and lasting attention to safe accessibility) may the trail use the "CAI"-standard arrows and red and white marks.   If, on the other hand, it is a SHORT (no longer than 1 km) "tourist" route, an educational trail or a service/access path to other attractions (for example, an 800 m path from the car park to a country church, a nuraghe, an adventure park or a viewpoint...), then (and only in these cases) it is NOT a trail in the strict sense, but simply a tourist route, connecting path or similar, which may of course be created and kept outside the RES (although this does not exempt whoever creates it from complying with all laws and obtaining all authorisations).
In the latter case, of course, the use of the RES coordinated visual identity is not permitted (red and white), and the route will not be registered or promoted together with all the other trails in the Regional network.
 

3 ter) What obligations and guidelines apply to municipalities?

In addition to the already mentioned (and obvious) obligation to carry out works in compliance with the law, and without prejudice to the possibility of investing in simple, short  connecting "tourist routes" (non-RES, only in the case of connecting sections a few minutes' walk long, for tourist access to points of interest), municipalities investing European, national or regional funds in trails in Sardinia are required to do so through a registration process (and therefore in compliance with the technical rules laid down by the RES Regulation): it would not be a good investment, nor would it last long, unless registration were planned and the route were provided with a maintenance plan!  To create a new trail (and to register or "elevate to RES rank" a cycle-hiking route), an exchange of information with Forestas will be sufficient; Forestas also requires compliance with the criteria and checklists laid down by the Regional Government Resolutions, and entrusts the managing bodies (whoever they may be) with the maintenance plans - which must ensure safe accessibility over time.
 

4) WHY was THE RES CREATED ?

The Sardinia Region has adopted rules and design and implementation criteria for the creation - as in many other regions focusing on "active tourism" - of the Sardinian Hiking Network (R.E.S.), giving priority to the quality of the life cycle and durability over time (from design and construction to maintenance) in order to offer users a uniform, quality Network, to encourage safe use, and to ensure promotion that is coordinated in both technical features and image. 
 

4 bis) What can Municipalities and other local authorities do in the case of pre-existing (pre-2018) routes in their territories? 

SOLELY for trails created before 2018 (a period not covered by the new rules, issued on 2 October 2018 with Regional Government Resolution 48/36) the regional regulation provides that: 
where the conditions for registration are not met, Forestas will not be able to certify that the route belongs to the RES, and it may therefore exist in the territory only as a generic “tourist itinerary” or similar, with clearly different signage that is not comparable to that of the RES; a route not registered in the RES must therefore not bear marks, signage or graphics reserved for RES trails, nor may it in any way recall its coordinated visual identity. 
It remains the case that anyone who has created a trail or itinerary (including non-RES ones) is responsible, also under the Civil Code, for its management and maintenance, in all cases of intended use.
 

5) SO IS FORESTAS THE ONLY BODY DEALING WITH TRAILS IN SARDINIA ? 

Absolutely NOT! This whole "system of regional rules and regulations" arose from the need to have an OFFICIAL REGISTER, as in all leading regions: that is, to have a mapping and classification of the routes across the entire region, in order to bring signage into line, together with the way hiking itineraries are created, with European standards and with those of the regions most advanced in this field.  This is so that any tourist or enthusiast can come to our Island and follow universal signage on trails, backed by proper design and maintenance.  It is easy to see how this will make use easier, reducing the likelihood of accidents in the field and making it possible to plan the development, as has already happened in other Regions and Countries, of a hiking network on a regional scale.  The Regional RES Register, managed by the Region through Forestas, meets these needs.
 

6) WHAT CRITERIA MUST BE FOLLOWED TO CREATE A TRAIL?

The criteria are set out at length in the Regional Guidelines, which were also recently updated (with Regional Government Resolution of 23 February 2024 no. 5/23).  They list the criteria, the priorities and the technical rules. Forestas has drawn up (and the Regional Government has approved) numerous technical annexes for managing the entire process: from identifying the trail to its design, signage and registration.
First of all, design must go through the assistance of the "trail help desk" (no fewer than seven have been set up, to cover every province or area of Sardinia. The list and contact details are here).  Then a careful land-registry assessment must be carried out (to avoid crossing private land, where possible). Next, environmental and landscape constraints must be respected, which typically require AUTHORISATIONS.   
A trail network must be conceived and designed with priority given to interconnections (between territories, between attractions, between existing trails, between different towns and villages, between sea and mountains) favouring medium- and long-distance itineraries, capable of generating steady, year-round and integrated hiking flows. 
 

7) WHAT ARE THE FEATURES OF A HIGH-QUALITY TRAIL NETWORK ? 

The reliability of the data describing it is essential, together with the visibility and coordination of numbering and marks, publicity on official channels, uniformity in waymarking techniques in the field, and respect for the surrounding natural environment (for example: one CANNOT risk a hiking route near a nesting site!). All of this implies high-level design, implementation and maintenance criteria and, above all, criteria common to the whole region. All of this implies that the project is drawn up by qualified persons entitled to do so, who are COMPETENT. It requires sharing with local communities, with those who truly know the best routes. It requires a standardisation of the process of decision-making, design and implementation. It requires a maintenance plan.
 

8) WHAT WORKS ARE PERMISSIBLE FOR A HIGH-QUALITY TRAIL NETWORK ? 

Improvised works lacking design and authorisations, and not compliant with regional technical standards, are no longer permissible; nor are projects that leave useless and out-of-context signs in the territory, incomprehensible and non-standard marks, with no "land-registry" reference data, no accessible GPS tracks, no coherent maintenance plan, and no complete dossier of (standardised) data and information that remains available to the municipality over time.   While everyone may walk along the endless network of drove roads, mule tracks, transhumance routes and paths found in our territory, it is instead forbidden to waymark and put up marks and vertical signage without following the procedure laid down by regional law and regulation. Only Municipalities and Park Authorities are responsible for identifying "tourist-nature-themed itineraries" within the municipal boundaries (which may be created with themed signage, for which the Municipality is responsible): in these cases, they are not part of the RES and the white-and-red signage reserved for it may not be used in any way. In all other cases, where RES "trails" are concerned (hiking, trekking, mountain biking and bridleways), they must be examined by the Trail Help Desk and the Regional Technical Committee. 
 

9) WHAT WORKS ARE NOT PERMISSIBLE FOR A HIGH-QUALITY TRAIL NETWORK ?

Works unconnected to the local and regional context, without the necessary environmental assessments (including the site's "environmental carrying capacity") and without meeting the requirements of the regional regulation, are no longer permissible; nor are works to create RES trails without a maintenance plan. It is NO longer permissible to leave non-standard marks in the territory!  Numbering, moreover, is assigned exclusively by the Regional Technical Committee, which manages the numbering plan according to the scheme approved by the Regional Government Annex B [.pdf 0.3 MB] (Zones and Sectors for the numbering of trails in the RES).  Any use outside these rules is subject to prosecution and penalties, as provided for by Article 40 of Regional Law 16/2017, in force since August of that year.
 

9 bis) What penalties apply to anyone who damages the RES, uses non-compliant signage, or alters or closes routes without authorisation?

paragraph 1 of Article 40 of Regional Law 16/2017 is very clear:
Anyone who damages the signage or the works built for access and rest along the itineraries of the Sardinian Hiking Network (RES), carries out unauthorised works, uses signage that does not comply with that defined by the Regional Government, alters or closes routes of the Network without authorisation, or accesses or travels on the itineraries of the hiking network with motor vehicles without the necessary authorisation, is liable to an administrative fine of between 250 and 2,500 euros.
 

10) Why can't just anyone work on trails?

It is enough to consider the previous FAQs nos. 8 - 7 -6:  the subject is complex and multidisciplinary; knowing the landscape is not enough!  It is not possible for "just anyone" to deal with it without training, without coordination with the managing body, or without experience and an overview of all aspects (land registry, management, environmental constraints, other projects being developed in the same territory). Typically, creating a trail is an activity that requires training and skills of various kinds: certainly knowledge of the territory, familiarity and experience with hiking, but also forestry, natural-science and cartographic/geographic expertise. If anyone could get up in the morning and waymark wherever they pleased, we would have a territory full of contradictory, uncoordinated waymarks, a pot pourri of marks and colours that, taken as a whole, would be indecipherable. 
 

11) Is it really FORBIDDEN TO USE CAI-standard vertical and horizontal SIGNAGE, or marks that recall it, UNLESS THE REGISTRATION PROCEDURE HAS BEEN FOLLOWED BEFOREHAND and free, open access to the routes is guaranteed ?

Yes, really. As explained in FAQ 9 and the preceding ones, this serves to guarantee safety, consistency and quality. Paragraph 5 of Article 7 of the Regional Trails Regulation leaves no doubt as to the intent of the ban on using CAI-standard signage for trails that are not in the RES: indeed, it reinforces the concept by also referring to the ban on using “marks that recall it”, meaning, for example, that the red-white-red 8x15mm flag may not be used in a “disguised” white-red-white form or with altered dimensions.  The last sentence of the aforementioned Article 7, paragraph 5, also states clearly and unequivocally that  public bodies (municipalities, park authorities, etc.  ) must follow, in all cases, the registration procedure for carrying out hiking trail projects: "Public bodies that create trails in the Regional territory, where these are intended for hiking and cycle-hiking use, are required to follow the registration procedure for carrying out hiking trail projects".   
 

12) So what does the "official" RES signage represent?

The placing of official signage "tells" users that the section, in addition to being registered, is managed to the best standard in compliance with the regional regulation and undergoes basic routine maintenance to allow passage along it to be as easy as possible. That said, it will be clearer that since 2018 it cannot be accepted that routes lacking those minimum regulatory features may "appear" to be such or "mix" with official trails that meet all the requirements.  All works carried out with public funds must raise their quality: the minimum acceptable level is that which, by meeting the requirements, including those on signage, will make the trails eligible for registration. All of this is set out in the regional regulation, and specifically in Article 7 "signage" and  in Annex G (Signage and features...). 
 

12 bis) What does STANDARD SIGNAGE look like, and what REQUIREMENTS must the signage of a well-made trail meet?

 Among the checks required for registration, the regional regulation also provides for checks on the condition of existing signage or (for newly created trails) the availability of signpost location diagrams and of precise (georeferenced) mapping of the trail's signpost locations (where the posts are, how many arrows are mounted on them, what they indicate): it is therefore important that the trail register data include the signpost location diagrams (downloadable here as a pdf) according to the national standard, to ensure that every route (including any pre-existing ones) is compliant with the criteria established for R.E.S. signage
 

12 ter) How is the signpost location diagram used? 

The coding of the arrows (direction signs) and of the location signs requires design work that is neither simple nor trivial, demanding precision and knowledge of the territory in which the trail lies, for accurate coding of the data needed to produce and install the arrows. To simplify, this means that the following data must be known and recorded for each trail and each signpost location: the coordinates and exact position (placement) of the post, the number and type (right-pointing/left-pointing) of arrows, and their relative position (mounting order, angle relative to north) on the post. Signpost location diagrams (downloadable here as a pdf) must therefore be compiled according to the national standard. All of this is set out in the regional regulation, Article 7 "signage" and  in Annex G (Signage and features...).
 

13)  And what if a route does not have those features? What if the requirements for registration are not met? 

Point 7 of Article 4 of the Regional Trails Regulation states: “where the conditions for registration are not met, Forestas will not be able to certify that the route belongs to the RES, and it may therefore exist in the territory only as a generic “small tourist itinerary” or similar, with clearly different signage that is not comparable to that of the RES; a route not registered in the RES must therefore not bear marks, signage or graphics reserved for RES trails, nor may it in any way recall its coordinated visual identity” [see also point 3bis "Which trails does Forestas supervise?"].  In these exceptional (dating back to the period before 2018) (cf. FAQ  4 bis) and "anomalous" cases - Municipalities and other local authorities nevertheless remain autonomous “managing bodies” -  and are in any event responsible for the condition of the infrastructure over time, remaining exposed to liability arising from failure to comply with standards and from the creation of unrecognised signage that is non-compliant (and not “networked”). In short, it is therefore advisable to align with the technical features of the RES, sort out the signage, draw up a maintenance plan, follow the registration procedure and include the routes in the RES. 
 

13 bis) So, comparing the two cases (joining the RES, managing local tourist itineraries), what are the pros and cons?

First of all, it should be made clear that any route of a "hiking" nature created by municipalities or other bodies MUST be part of the RES and comply with the rules laid down by the REGION (unless it dates back to the period before 2018  - cf. FAQ 4 bis).
Only for small local itineraries (e.g. access to a nuraghe, access to an urban park and the like) are cases of "non-registration" possible (see also point 13 above and cf. FAQ 4 bis). It is understood that a NON-REGISTERED route may in no case use or recall the coordinated visual identity of the RES: that is, it may not be called a "(cycle-)hiking trail", nor adopt the white-and-red colours or signage recalling them, nor a name or numbering that would make it comparable to the RES. [see also point 3bis "Which trails does Forestas supervise?"].
Even in these cases, moreover, Municipalities (or other managing bodies) ALWAYS remain autonomous “managing bodies”, are in any event responsible for the condition of the infrastructure over time, and remain exposed to liability arising from failure to comply with standards and from the creation of unrecognised signage that is non-compliant (and neither “networked” nor checked by a "third party" such as Forestas). 
Added to this is the independent (solitary) handling of problems that, over time, could affect the trails and compromise their safety, potentially leading to disputes between Municipalities and users. Conversely, inclusion in the regional register ensures the promotion of the itineraries through the regional trails website (SardegnaSENTIERI managed for the entire Region through Forestas: content and multimedia available in several languages since the second half of 2022) and the support of the Regional Technical Committee and the Trail Help Desks, which assist administrations free of charge at every stage of the trail's life cycle, including design and the related “maintenance plan”.
Without a multi-year maintenance plan, public investment cannot be considered lasting and will therefore not be a good investment, also raising issues of loss to the public purse.
 

14) So does Forestas have a "monopoly" on trail management?

Absolutely NOT! 
However, the Region has decided to focus on quality and safety: therefore, anyone involved (especially with public money or EU funding)  must be a qualified technician able to ensure that constraints are respected.  Municipal administrations, for example, may of course always rely on private professionals to have trails included in the RES, provided of course that the professionals are able to produce the documents required for registering the trails (for example the shapefiles of the sections according to the defined geometry, the data sheets and the signpost location diagrams, any Habitats Regulations Assessment (VIncA) authorisations in Natura2000 sites and similar procedures for areas also subject to environmental and landscape constraints). In short: Administrations /Bodies will always be able to draw on qualified professional support for the feasibility study, design and construction of trails, but within the procedures of the Regional Trails Regulation. Otherwise, it will not be possible to create a trail, nor consequently to use CAI signage. It should be noted that membership of the RES involves not only design and implementation, but also the identification of a body responsible for maintenance, precisely to prevent public initiatives from ending up completely abandoned, as has often happened over the years.
 

15) What can a private individual do on (their own) private land?

In the (uncommon) event that a private individual wishes to create hiking trails on private land, they may of course freely choose not to register their trails, but they must nevertheless hold the environmental and landscape authorisations where these are required. In any case, the signage that may be used is tied to the registration procedure: official RES signage (national CAI-standard white-and-red) may be used only for registered trails.
 

16) How do the so-called Walks relate to the RES?

The Walks - which are not necessarily "trails" but may use part of them - are the only special case provided for by the regional regulation: they have their own signage, coded differently and able to be coordinated with that of the RES (for example in the - very frequent - cases in which a way uses sections of a RES trail). In fact, "ways" are nothing other than "itineraries" in which travelling along roads, dirt tracks, towns and villages, mining areas, places of worship etc. is the common thread of a route which typically also uses the existing RES trail network (e.g. the Cammino minerario di Santa Barbara uses RES trails for more than half of its route...).  These routes ("official" ways entered in the regional register of religious, historical, mining etc. itineraries) are routes which must also be notified to Forestas for registration and must likewise have a maintenance plan borne by the body that created/manages them. Such routes may make use of sections of the RES that are already registered: in that case, using the available spaces (RES posts and arrows, as per Annex G) to mark those sections as “part of the ways”, also for the benefit of those using the RES to follow these official routes of a different type and theme (the walks, precisely). When developing new branches of these “routes and ways”, prior coordination with RES planning is advisable, so that the development of adjacent or overlapping routes is properly managed and planned by Forestas in agreement with the municipalities concerned. On these routes of historical-cultural, landscape-environmental and religious interest, transit on horseback or by bicycle and mountain bike (including e-bikes) may be restricted or the route varied, so as not to interfere with use by groups, especially in exceptional cases such as organised events. In these cases the competence of the municipality and of the other bodies responsible for land control remains unaffected, but the regional Technical Committee (Forestas) must be formally informed of the specific needs (e.g. limiting use by bicycle, avoiding interference with the main use on foot, particular requirements on “right of way”).
 

17) Why does the CAI carry so much weight in Sardinian regional legislation?

The Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) is a non-economic public body – pursuant to Law no. 91 of 26 January 1963 – in its central structure, which is based in Milan, and operates throughout the national territory - pursuant to Law no. 776 of 24.12.1985 - [...] through its local structures, namely the Regional Groupings and the Sections, which are non-profit private-law entities; therefore, while it is true that at regional and local level the "CAI sections" are comparable to any other simple "non-profit" association  made up of people and enthusiasts who come together to pursue a common aim (use and development of the hiking network), one must recognise (insofar as they are attributable to the national CAI body) the importance of the work carried out by the CAI across the region regarding the Trail Network, also in view of the fact that article 2 of Law no. 776 of 24.12.1985 assigns to the CAI the task of "providing for: the marking, construction and maintenance of trails and the organisation and management of training courses for activities connected with mountain-going, tasks also carried out through the production of technical standards and the training of operators in the field of trails and minor roads[...]". Forestas considers collaboration with the CAI strategically advisable, as well as with the Alpine Rescue service, including prior to the design and implementation of new projects, within the activities in which, in Sardinia, the Agency plays a role of coordination, development and control in the hiking field and in managing the TRAIL REGISTER (to be coordinated with the national REI Register, kept by the CAI) for the regional trail network; this also in order to ensure the highest level of safety and quality of trails and the prevention of mountain accidents. 
 

18) How does the REGISTRATION OF A TRAIL work? What needs to be done?

First of all, it should be remembered that, to define the registration procedure, Forestas has provided a specific technical annex to the regional Regulation: it is Annex C (update 03_2023) [ downloadable in pdf format, 0.6 MB]
That document (to be read if you wish to start the REGISTRATION process) describes the procedure and explains how communications must be made (simply and solely by certified email (PEC)): there are no forms or "stamped paper"!  a short covering letter with the PEC is enough, preferably digitally signed - attaching all the essential information on the "trail" or "trail network" you wish to propose.
Since a registration proposal must concern trails that already exist and are already passable, and which are to be equipped with signage meeting the regional standard (trails on which the works have already been carried out or are being carried out... in short, to be registered, the trail must exist!) the items to be attached include: 
(a) the Maps of the trail(s) 
(b) the data on the Trails and the photos describing the hiking context and
(c) information on WHO surveyed the tracks (the "surveyor") - WHO prepared the trail and will manage it (the "manager") and WHO will be responsible for maintenance (or at least for ensuring that the maintenance plan and periodic checks are carried out...).  The "manager" and "maintainer" will in particular be the official "local" contacts for these new routes in the Trail Register, that is, Forestas's contacts for the entire future "life cycle" of the trail!
 

IN SUMMARY:

• reference must be made to the annex Annex C (update 03_2023) [.pdf 0.6 MB] (Procedure for registration, RES Maps - Data model - technical specifications for the management, collection, keeping and updating of trail data)
• the stages are simplified and within everyone's reach, provided that real and complete data and information on the proposed trails are available, and there are four of them:
  
       1. PRELIMINARY STAGE: THE REQUEST AND SUBMISSION OF THE NECESSARY DATA AND INFORMATION
           [Note: according to a recent approach, at this stage Forestas and CAI promptly assign the "provisional" number to facilitate the work of drawing up the installation-site schedules and the final trail designs by the proposing body                      "surveyor" or "manager" ]
       2. OPENING OF THE PRE-REGISTRATION FILE IN THE RES
       3. INCLUSION IN THE RES AFTER FIELD CHECKS (by Forestas or, more generally, by the trail desk, so the CAI can also collaborate in these checks, for which it is competent)
       4. CONCLUSION OF THE PROCEDURE, REGISTRATION and PUBLICATION in the REGIONAL CATALOGUE of the R.E.S., free of charge for applicants, by Forestas.
• the duration and difficulty of the registration procedure are greatly reduced: a few weeks may be enough from the request to inclusion in the register, if the information is clear and there are no particular issues (and if the trail already exists and is equipped with signage that will use the assigned number)
• anyone (municipalities or other local authorities, regional/national parks, voluntary associations, mountain communities or GALs, unions of municipalities etc.) can start trail registrations, sending Forestas all the available data: tavolo.tecnico.res@forestas.it and protocollo.dg@pec.forestas.it are the reference email addresses
• The regulation (see in detail Annex C (update 03_2023)) refers to the "territorial committee" - "trail desks" - "territorial trail desk" - "territorial RES councils" : these are all synonyms; they are desks (or public relations offices) set up by Forestas to provide assistance and to handle requests, in order to ensure maximum clarity but also maximum rigour in the registration procedure (a trail entered in the register must be "genuinely passable" and "genuinely safe and well built". To use the "national CAI white-red" standard signage and to obtain a number in the national trail register, in Sardinia this procedure must be followed. Forestas and the Club Alpino (through its local sections), which report to the Trail desks" and can be contacted through these desks, support anyone wishing to follow this procedure, which is the only correct and lawful one.
• in any case, it is always best to first contact the TRAIL DESKS responsible for the area (Tempio, Sassari, Nuoro, Lanusei, Oristano, Cagliari, Iglesias). References and contacts for the Sardinian Trail Network [sheet  .pdf - updated 2022]
• in an initial stage Forestas will draw up, together with the proposing body, the list of incomplete elements - for example:
   whether the trail crosses private land (there will be "rights of way" in areas that, according to the land register, are not publicly available) or the various  notifications to the maritime state property authority (if the trail crosses the coast) or even the start of the VINCA for the authorisation procedure (especially in SIC/ZSC areas) where works are involved. It will also be necessary to verify the  absence of significant interference in areas of bird and wildlife interest, and consistency with the management plans of SICs (if any) or other protected areas. In general, however, since these are pre-existing trails historically present in the area, these checks do not pose particular difficulty for the proposer: it is in any case the proposer who must provide all the relevant information needed to understand whether the proposed trail can be used safely.
• the Municipalities whose public areas or Common Lands are crossed by the proposed trail must be notified (if the proposing body is not a municipal administration, the municipality must be copied in on the request sent to Forestas by PEC)
• Municipalities that decide to establish/impose or consolidate rights of way over private property, when the trail is deemed to be "of public interest" (also with regard to enhancing the area), must get in touch with the owner (or the heirs, in the case of land parcels that have undergone various subdivisions over time, a typical case in the Sardinian countryside); they may use as a reference Annex E of the Regional Regulation [.pdf 0.2 MB] (template agreement for the passage of the R.E.S. across privately owned land) or proceed by public notice on their official noticeboard to notify the municipal resolution establishing the right of way when the owners cannot be traced;
• a statement is also required regarding the safety of the parts of the trail that overlap with local/municipal/provincial roads, ensuring the safe management of transit shared with vehicle traffic; the trail may use existing routes and dirt tracks, but the higher the vehicle traffic and the importance of the road, the more critical the choice of routing hikers along it will be
• the pre-assignment of the RES register number represents the first step in the trail's entry into the regional network, which will be promoted free of charge by the Sardinia Region, through Forestas and the regional portal SardegnaSENTIERI
• the data model, including at shapefile level, and the minimum requirements for the data and linear geometries are set out in this provisional handbook (updated to November 2022, in ZIP format containing a pdf and an xls)
• As soon as Forestas has been able to verify that all the requirements are met to call that route a "trail", the request is taken forward in pre-registration, the descriptive sheet is published on the regional portal SardegnaSENTIERI and the unique regional register number is assigned (the one to be shown on the arrows of the trail's white-red vertical signage and on the flags (also white-red) painted as "horizontal signage" on some stones or posts on the ground.
  
   

19) What is the "declaration of public interest"? Can a trail cross private land?

That the hiking routes of the R.E.S. (as identified by its three-year development Plan, and entered in the RES Register by Forestas) are of public interest is clearly established in article 14-quater of the Forestry Law... for references and the full articles see the consolidated text of Sardinian legislation on trails, for the R.E.S. (latest PDF revision: 30 May 2024). . In essence, and summarising somewhat:

• under the Regional Law "the hiking routes that make up the RES [...] are considered to be of public interest in relation to their functions of environmental and educational use, protection of the land and of the natural, landscape and cultural values peculiar to hiking"
• where the identified routes partly fall on private areas, the Region proposes to the owners (and to holders of rights in rem over such areas) the conclusion of specific use agreements. If these are not formalised and there are no alternatives, a public-use easement concerning transit for hiking purposes may be imposed by applying the legislation in force, essentially the relevant Consolidated Act (Presidential Decree 327/2001). The easement is in no way an expropriation, and serves only to establish the possibility of passing on foot across land that must necessarily be crossed by a trail, when there are no valid and equally "safe" and strategic alternatives (for example: safe alternatives that add several kilometres for the walker, or those that force them to pass along cliffs or unsafe places, are excluded)
• owners of private land are, however, protected by the regional law; indeed (again art.14-quater) it provides that "on sections of route that are privately owned transit is permitted for hiking purposes only, provided that hikers do not stop to bivouac, do not leave litter, do not make disturbing noise, do not disturb livestock and do not cause damage to the property. Access is also permitted to persons designated by the FoReSTAS Agency for the necessary restoration, maintenance and signposting work and for the works provided for under the R.E.S. plan."
• among the general rules, the possible quantification of an indemnity to be granted to the owner of the servient land will be considered case by case; this is relevant above all where there is actual damage due to the passage (in fact very slight in the case of hiking use as regulated by the Regional Law) or a depreciation of the land due to the passage. The indemnity is linked to the limitation of use, rather than to damage, which in the case of transit for hiking purposes is minimal if not zero. These aspects and the provisions of the Regional Law on the RES and "public interest for hiking use" will be taken into account when determining the indemnity.
   
• PLEASE NOTE: it is estimated that the indemnity that may be awarded is capped, in its quantification, by the amounts currently paid in cases of temporary suspension of civic use or temporary occupation of land affected by fire: these cases are in fact far more onerous (the owner is deprived of the right to use and dispose of their property, whereas in the case of a right of way the only imposition is the inconvenience of having their land crossed by occasional hikers). Given that the data held by the Forestas Agency show the cost of such compensation varying between 7 and 27 euros (per hectare, per year, depending on the value of the land and of the activities/assets/buildings on it), a figure below €10/ (per year, per kilometre) can be inferred for cases of mere passage. Therefore, even over ten years, the amounts are small for the owner, while it may be more advantageous to sign a transit agreement providing for compensation in the form of maintenance of the areas crossed by the trail network and/or the installation of spring gates (to prevent livestock from escaping) or stiles (to cross any dry-stone walls without damaging them) and occasionally the restoration/maintenance of dry-stone walls along the RES's appurtenances.
  ​

​IN SUMMARY: 

For the hiking network, the intention is overwhelmingly to include in the regional Register (and thus "raise to the status of official trail") routes on public property and on common lands,  minimising the use of vehicle roads and of sections falling within private areas, even only partially. However, when this is strictly necessary - for example to connect two key attractions, or to complete the crossing of a hiking ridge route or of a medium-to-long-distance itinerary (such as the Sentiero Italia) - it is possible to proceed  with the imposition of rights of way (with the payment of small indemnities calculated per kilometre) or, more conveniently, through specific use agreements (see Annex E  - template agreement for the passage of the R.E.S. across privately owned land) to be concluded between the owner(s) and the managing/promoting body of the trail (Forestas, a Municipality, a Union of Municipalities, a GAL, a Park Authority...).    Where this is not possible (for example because an owner objects, or because a search of the land register reveals an extremely fragmented picture in which ownership is difficult to reconstruct, or when there are very many subdivided parcels and a great many heirs to trace), it is possible to proceed by means of public notices to notify the imposition of a public-use easement concerning transit for hiking purposes, legitimised by the declaration of public interest that the Regional Law has placed on the Sardinian Hiking Network). It should also be borne in mind that the "permanent" presence of livestock on enclosed land can often be an objective obstacle to a trail crossing it.

The most appropriate ways to proceed, however, especially in cases falling to municipalities, are those indicated by the regulations in force (including the aforementioned Presidential Decree  327/2001) and are fairly simplified, bearing in mind that, typically, a trail is created where there has always been a human passage, a crossing, a way used by everyone (they are almost never "newly opened" trails, but rather a matter of "raising to the status of official trail" a pre-existing route). On this last point, a ruling of the Council of State is extremely interesting (Section V, judgment no. 08006/2019) from which one can infer the principle according to which the use of an asset (a passable route) by the community, continued since time immemorial, can cause the asset in question to take on characteristics similar to those of a state-owned asset, and thus a route freely usable by anyone, without damage to private property, until the owner expresses explicit opposition.