Castilla-La Mancha publishes the final report of the Ruidera Master Plan

The General Directorate of Natural Environment and Biodiversity of the Regional Ministry of Sustainable Development has agreed to publish an abstract of the final report of the participatory process regarding the approval of the Master Plan for Use and Management of the Lagunas de Ruidera Natural Park. The resolution, signed on August 20, 2026, by the Director General Susana Jara Sánchez, appears in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha number 168, dated September 2, 2026, within section III of other provisions and acts, with reference [2026/6325].

The participatory process began by Agreement of February 13, 2026, from the same general directorate, through the Castilla-La Mancha Participation Portal. The report is prepared in compliance with articles 16.d) and 17 of Law 8/2019, of December 13, on Participation of Castilla-La Mancha, which requires the collection of conclusions and opinions from participants before adopting the final decision on the plan.

A process with 45 contributions and over a thousand visits

The citizen participation phase took place over one month, with a notable participation balance for a natural space with high tourist influx:

• 45 comments made during the contribution period.
• 1,080 visits registered in the participatory instrument.
• Contribution period open between February 28 and March 27, 2026.

The final report includes as an annex the list of each of the contributions made to the draft plan, organized by participation lines, with their individualized assessment. For each proposal, it is indicated whether it has been considered totally or partially and, in the case of non-consideration, the reason motivating it.

A key plan for the management of the natural space

The Lagunas de Ruidera Natural Park, located between the provinces of Albacete and Ciudad Real, is one of the most unique wetlands in the region and one of the most visited natural spaces in Castilla-La Mancha. The Master Plan for Use and Management constitutes the basic planning instrument that establishes the rules for conservation, public use, and the utilization of its resources.

The full document of the final report, including the statistical data and graphs of the process, is available on the Castilla-La Mancha Participation Portal, at the address participacion.castillalamancha.es/node/1939.

Next steps

With the publication of this report, the participation phase prior to the adoption of the decision on the plan is closed. The resolution emphasizes that the report is produced prior to the decision that was the subject of the process, so that citizen contributions will be incorporated into the processing of the Master Plan for Use and Management.

The publication of this document represents a significant step for the environmental and tourism management of the Lagunas de Ruidera, as the resulting plan will determine the conservation of the wetland and the organization of the activities carried out in its surroundings. Residents, visitors, and entities that participated in the process can now see how their proposals have been evaluated before the final approval of the plan.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, no. 168, September 2, 2026, section III, page 31292 (official reference: 2026/6325).