The Junta de Andalucía has carried out silvicultural treatments on 669 hectares of the masses forestry in Bacares, Purchena, Alcóntar and Macael. To this end, it has invested more than one million euros in the preservation and protection of the forests of the Filabres mountain range of Almería.
The Department of Sustainability and Environment of the Government of Andalusia has completed the execution of the project “Forestry actions in lands affected by the decline of pine forests in the Sierra de los Filabres” of protection of local forests.
Protecting the forests of Almería
As reported by the territorial delegate in Almería, Manuel de la Torre, “the boost to forestry policy from the Junta de Andalucía is not limited to planning, where we have achieved such important advances as the approval of the General Instructions for Forest Management in 2022, the adaptation of the Andalusian Forest Plan in 2023 or the work for the drafting of the future Andalusian Forest Law in those of us who are immersed.
If not, we do not stop acting, like this project of silvicultural treatments on forests, which has benefited 669 hectares of public forests with an investment of 1,102,073 eurosin which we have recently carried out the process of receiving the works.”
The project has been developed in forest masses belonging to public forests in the municipalities of Alcóntar, Purchena, Macael and Bacares. Rafael Águila, forestry engineer and project director, explains that “the actions have focused on stands vulnerable to the forest decline due to climate stress and the excessive competition between the foot of the forests.
All this with a triple objective, to get closer to an adequate density of Aleppo and black pine trees to improve the development of wooded masses, eliminate dry or weakened trees from the forests to reduce the risk and intensity of forest fires and enhance the natural regeneration of forest masses.”
The stands on which the Junta de Andalucía has acted belong to the public forests “Cañada del Olivo” in Macael, “La Silveria” in Purchena, “Grupo de montes de Alcóntar” in Alcóntar and the forests of “Las Lomas o Las Menas ” in Bacares.
The Sustainability delegate recalled how, since the middle of the last century, the forestry administration has acquired almost 40,000 hectares of marginal and abandoned agricultural land in the Sierra de los Filabres “on which it carries out maintenance work.” hydrological-forest restoration with the dual purpose to protect the basin of the Cuevas del Almanzora reservoir and to preserve the site of the Calar Alto astronomical observatory against light pollution.”
For De la Torre, “the Junta de Andalucía is today responsible for the sustainable management of these mountains and demonstrates its commitment to our natural heritage through these silvicultural treatments how necessary they are to guarantee the persistence and regeneration of these extensive forest masses, so that they continue to perform formidable protective, ecological functions such as protecting the soil against erosion.
In addition to regulating the hydrological regime, favoring the recharge of aquifers and reducing runoff and, therefore, the effects of torrential rains on infrastructure and inhabited areas, the conservation of habitats and biodiversity, not to mention its important contribution to the climate change mitigation as CO₂ sinks”.
The delegate has also stressed the energizing effect that investment in forest management sustainable has in our rural areas, “this project that we have now completed in the Sierra de los Filabres has generated 3,701 daily wages.
The constant work of the Ministry of Sustainability and Environment in our mountains not only allows the supply of raw materials to our local industry that uses wood and biomassbut also encourages the creation and maintenance of companies that can choose to carry out the work, the training of specialized local labor… there is a socioeconomic benefit that is linked to the environmental benefit in a very clear way.”
Delegate Manuel de la Torre thanked the work of those who make this work possible, that is, all the employees of the Ministry of Sustainability who care about forests. Furthermore, it has influenced the fundamental role that European funds play in these investments, which are promoted by the Junta de Andalucía.