SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE 18 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Cabildo of Tenerife, via the Natural Environment, Sustainability, and Security and Emergencies department, has established an agreement with the leading agricultural and livestock associations of the island to provide over 30,000 cubic metres of shredded wood or chips from materials consumed in the 2023 wildfire.
This resource will be distributed at no cost among the association members who request it, as part of a strategy aimed at fire prevention and support for the primary sector.
According to the president of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, this represents “a groundbreaking initiative within the Cabildo of Tenerife that intends to clear the mountains of combustible materials as a crucial preventative action against the risk of forest fires.”
She further states, “We must undertake all necessary measures to stop Tenerife from experiencing another catastrophe like the 2023 wildfire, which devastated over 14,000 hectares of our landscape and threatened both our natural heritage and the well-being of our citizens.”
Dávila also mentioned that “this wood chip utilisation programme is merely one of the numerous initiatives being implemented to safeguard the environment and ensure the safety of our mountains.”
The radiata pine impacted by the fire has resulted in a significant amount of combustible material, and the Forest Technical Service has developed this programme which, besides aiding in the conservation of the mountains, supports the agricultural and livestock industry.
The project will be valid until June 2025, with the possibility of extension, and will enable the assigned quotas to be renewed once they have been depleted.
These distributions will be subject to specific conditions, including prohibiting the commercialisation of the chipped material.
The allocation of the materials will be organised by the professional groups themselves, who will manage the distribution individually and nominally among their members.
This initiative aims not only to clear the mountains of flammable materials but also to provide a resource for ranchers and farmers, enabling them to lower the expenses of their operations, according to a statement from the Cabildo.