SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 29th April. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Today, Monday, the Government Council of the Canary Islands approved, upon the suggestion of the Minister of Ecological Transition and Energy, Mariano H. Zapata, the commencement of the legal procedures to formulate the inaugural Canary Islands Forestry Act.
The minister elaborated that presently, the Canary Islands lack their own legislation and are guided by Law 43/2003, dated November 21, regarding Forests. Subsequently, the regional Executive will initiate the procedures for its personalised legislative advancement on matters pertaining to forestry; an initiative that falls under the regional jurisdictional setup regulated by the Autonomy Statute of the Canary Islands.
Subsequent to its endorsement by the Government Council, the creation of the Preliminary Law will kick off, followed by a public inquiry and the presentation of an initial concept planned for 2025.
Manuel Hernández Zapata emphasised that efforts towards this fresh Forestry Act “underscore the Executive’s dedication to safeguarding the natural habitat and ecosystems of the Canary Islands. All of this adapting to the distinctive characteristics of the archipelago’s mountains, which occupy 78% of its landmass, comprising 578,227.3 hectares and are increasingly imperilled by the rising temperatures and the evolving climate change scenario, making them more susceptible to sizeable forest fires and degradation.”
The minister explained that this Act will, therefore, tackle subjects such as encouraging sustainable forest management, fostering landscapes resistant to climate changes, enhancing vegetation coverage, safeguarding soil from erosion, conserving and enriching forest biodiversity, effectively managing forest paths and tracks, safeguarding forest heritage, promoting woodland culture, and conducting applied forestry research.
Hernández Zapata highlighted that prevention and protection of forests against wildfires, as well as their subsequent rehabilitation, will also constitute pivotal focal points of the Law. Moreover, it aims to devise a directive that garners consensus and support from all stakeholders involved in its composition.
Concurrently, he mentioned that the ministry is also engrossed in two other crucial strategic areas concerning forestry, including devising a 21-year Forestry Scheme that will supersede the former scheme operational since 1999, with the objective of conserving, elevating, and amplifying the forested regions of the islands. This scheme, which recently concluded the public consultation phase, will further be fortified on the legislative front post the approval of the Forestry Act.
Additionally, efforts are underway to reassess and amend the Decree Law regulating the prevention and extinguishing of forest fires and interface zones, updating the prevailing decree from 2001, elevating the importance of adapting to the contemporary regulatory framework and post the implementation of the Forestry Act, it will be subsumed within it.
