SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE 10th January (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Cabildo of Tenerife is set to employ unemployed individuals to undertake maintenance tasks on palm groves and to reduce combustible materials in areas adjacent to residential zones, with a fund allocation of five million euros over a decade.
The recruitment is designated for Special Employment Centres of social initiative and for integration companies, in alignment with the Fourth Additional Provision of the Public Sector Contracts Law.
The Minister for the Natural Environment, Sustainability, Security and Emergencies, Blanca Pérez, states that the contract for this service has recently been approved and mentions in a release that “the actions will principally be undertaken in the Rural Parks of Teno and Anaga, as well as the Site of Scientific Interest of Interián, with the aim of maintaining the Canary Islands palm tree (Phoenix canariensis) and its environment, alongside clearing slopes and riverbeds in proximity to population centres to prevent forest fires”.
The Canary Islands palm tree (Phoenix canariensis) is an endemic and protected species indigenous to the midlands of the islands, typically found at elevations between 200 and 500 metres. It exhibits remarkable environmental adaptability and can reach a height of 30 metres.
In Tenerife, roughly 103,000 specimens are present, predominantly thriving in urban settings, although their striking appearance is even more pronounced in rural locales where they proliferate naturally, either as solitary trees or in palm groves.
The primary goal of this dynamic system is to maintain the palm groves in Tenerife and the underbrush on slopes and ravines near inhabited areas, executing two types of distinct actions: the shredding of accumulated palm fronds and other pruning remnants, and the clearance of shrubbery on slopes and stream beds.
Consequently, the complete removal of flammable materials will occur in the immediate vicinity of residential houses or population centres, while in certain zones near these areas, clearing activities may be conducted at the bases of ravines and inclines.
BRUSHING
These clearings will be executed selectively, anticipating that certain species are under protection or have particular significance, with their remains distributed uniformly across the ground.
The corporation highlights that this initiative involves the treatment of invasive plant species such as cat’s tail or comparable types, identified in the intervention areas, using a specific treatment protocol.
The creation of a dynamic procurement system aims to streamline and organise the contracting of services outlined in this category, in accordance with article 218 of Law 9/2017, dated 8th November, concerning Public Sector Contracts, which transposes the directives of the European Parliament and Council 2014/23/EU and 2014/24/EU, from 26th February 2014 (LCSP), into Spanish law.
This procedure ensures adherence to the fundamental principles of public procurement, including open access to tenders, publicity and transparency, non-discrimination, equal treatment among competitors, and the effective utilisation of funds as a result of increased competition among bidders.
