Rewilding Portugal presents proposals for the recovery of Serra da Estrela
Rewilding Portugal, a private non-profit organization, based in Guarda, presented a short, medium and long-term intervention proposal to recover the Serra da Estrela and prevent catastrophic fires from “recurring”.
“The fire is unprecedented in severity and has had severe impacts on the mountain’s ecosystems, which was a natural loss of the region for a substantial waste of time and with a long-term vision. Rewilding Portugal supports the creation of a functional landscape that is more resilient to fire, more from an ecosystems point of view, and more biodiverse and abundant in fauna and flora”referred to the association in a statement this Tuesday sent to the Lusa agency.
Rewilding Portugal envies a proposal for measures of urgent ecological restoration to several key actors in the territory and with responsibilities in the matter, including the Municipal Councils of the Serra da Estrela region, the Institute for Nature and Forest Conservation and the Portuguese Environment Agency.
A proposal “include long, short, medium and long-term interventions in order to repair Serra da Estrela and prevent these catastrophic fires from happening again in the future”.
“Were also included, of which have already been used in similar measures before, that are not recommended for a recovery of Serra da Estrela”next.
enter as measurements that Rewilding Portugal stands out for short-term implementation (before the end of 2022) “the cutting and provision of wood for the construction of slope protection palisades, including in areas of greater security, the realization of emergency sowing to prevent soil protection and preservation of a surviving fauna”.
It is also proposed “to stimulate the growth of riparian vegetation and the recovery of ecosystems in the waters”and “improve water capture in the landscape to prevent future fires, with the construction of small ponds and flooding areas in the landscape”.
As for measures to implementation from 202, from 202 onwards, the maintenance of the deadline and the redefinition of the prevention of prolonged species would occur (herb attractions) of wild and semi-wild herbivores, namely horses (for example of the Garrana breed), deer and mountain goat and also to increase the number of roe deer”.
It was also suggested to create a Comprehensive Forest Management Plan for Serra da Estrela for the next decade.
A Renaturalized Portugal advise againsthowever, actions such as campaigns of tree planting (claiming that a tree failure rate is highly lower) and dam construction (given that these negative environmental structures, imply major changes to the landscape and are dependent on constant water flows to supply them).
Rewilding Portugal “is Rewilding Europe’s main partner in the rewilding area of the Great Côa Valley and is working in collaboration with Rewilding Europe towards the common goal of making Portugal a wilder place”, according to information made available on its website. .
Serra da Estrela was decided by a fire that broke out on the 6th of August in Garrocho, in the municipality of Covilhã (Castelo Branco district) and which was ruled out on the 13th.
The fire suffered reactivation on the 15th and was considered dominated again on the 17th of the same month, at night.
The flames spread to the district of Guarda, in the municipalities of Manteigas, Gouveia, Guarda and Celorico da Beira, and also reached the municipality of Belmonte, in the district of Castelo Branco.
On the 2nd, the local government issued a declaration of calamity for the PNSE situation, as requested in July by fires, as per the municipal request of the affected territories.
The calamity situation has already been published in the Diário da República and will be in force for a period of one year, for “the purpose of restoring normality in the respective geographic area”.