As well as being designated a natural park, it is protected as a Special Area of Conservation,[1] and as one of a number of Biosphere Reserves in the Cantabrian mountains.

The farming methods traditional to the area are regarded as an example of sustainable living, and were a factor in UNESCO's designation of the park as a Biosphere Reserve in 2000.

Of particular interest is the braña, a traditional system of livestock herding based on transhumance, which makes use of high pastures for summer grazing.

A need has been identified to develop wildlife corridors specifically for bears using appropriate vegetation and initiatives to promote co-existence with human inhabitants of the mountains.

The European Union's LIFE Programme has provided funding for a corridor linking the natural park via Leitariegos to another area of bear habitat.