It was the 1980s, and Spain was beginning to transfer resources and powers to the autonomous regions, including environmental conservation. The Statute of Autonomy of 1983 allowed the Balearic Islands to forge, for better and worse, their environmental future. The so-called Icona guards were a force that dated back to April 1877, when the Rural Guardería (Rural Guard) was created. Later, it became known as the State Forest Guard Corps.