Instruments to support forestry investment were mobilized through the RDP 2020 and the Environmental Fund.

With the Covid-19 pandemic delaying the clearing of land by forestry sapper teams, work that should have been completed by March 15, the government announced this Tuesday the launch of five new announcements, with an investment of 145 million euros for more sustainable forest management. Added to these announcements is a further 45 million euros from the Environmental Fund.

Meanwhile, on the ground, and without indications from the government about any changes to the deadlines for clearing land, a GNR source told the Lusa news agency that the inspection process is proceeding normally until further notice. “We are waiting for this change,” said the source, referring to the deadlines for forest fuel management. On March 15, the deadline expired for landowners to finish clearing their agricultural or forest land.

According to the government, the aim of the announcements now launched is to “make investment in the forest more attractive, particularly in species that are better adapted to the territories, compensating for the loss of income associated with promoting environmental services and reducing their vulnerability, as well as guaranteeing their management and maintenance in the medium and long term,” the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Action (MAAC) said in a statement.

Support instruments for forestry investment were mobilized through the RDP 2020 and the Environmental Fund for the following areas:

Afforestation of non-agricultural land, with the aim of promoting the afforestation of areas with scrubland, improving ecosystems with slow-growing species – 35 million euros;
Reforestation of burnt areas, with a view to restoring forestry potential by reforesting or rehabilitating stands in burnt areas between 2003 and 2019 – 35 million euros;
Forest prevention against biotic agents, installation and maintenance of mosaics of fuel management plots – 15 million euros;
Improving resilience and environmental value by rehabilitating stands in poor vegetative condition, as well as adapting to climate change and mitigating its effects – 10 million euros;
Improving economic value, with a view to recovering under-productive eucalyptus areas by reforesting them with the same or another species, on the condition that 25% of the holding is converted through reforestation with native species, with a view to greater resilience to fires – five million euros.
The level of support ranges from 65% to 90% and varies according to the type of operation, the type of beneficiaries and the location of the investments, with “the maximum level of support applying to projects submitted by collective management entities, in interventions with a relevant territorial scale and located in mountain regions”.

Applications will be submitted between March 24 and October, in two consecutive phases, MAAC said in the same press release.