26.03.2018

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Environment (MAPAMA), through its General Directorate of Rural Development and Forestry Policy (DGDRPF), has finalized its €150,000 investment in environmental restoration work on the land affected by the forest fire that broke out on July 25, 2016. The fire started in the municipality of Artana and spread to the municipalities of Alcudia de Veo, Tales, Eslida, and Onda, all in the province of Castellón. The total area affected was approximately 1,534.50 hectares. The fire perimeter affected land in the Sierra de Espadán Natural Park, as well as the SCI-SPA of the same name, included in the Natura 2000 Network.

The intrinsic loss of ecological and/or economic value of the forest system that occurs with a fire , especially with regard to the protective role of the original vegetation against erosion and the alteration of hydrological balances, was aggravated in this case by the torrential rainfall episodes that occurred in the months of November and December 2016, and January 2017, with flows exceeding 100 liters per episode, triggering a significant increase in the potential to generate erosive processes and loss of soil cover that motivated the execution of stabilization and restoration actions on an emergency basis.

The objectives achieved by these emergency hydrological and forestry actions in the areas affected by the forest fire in question were as follows:

• Control of erosive processes due to runoff.
• Stabilize existing channels and banks .
• Improve access roads to the area.

Among the main actions carried out is the felling of burned trees to promote the recovery of the vegetation cover and avoid the risk of tree falls in busy areas. Hydraulic techniques ( fajines and albarradas ) have also been implemented to reduce erosion and soil loss due to runoff. Masonry walls have also been built to retain unstable slopes, as well as the restoration of old terraces in poor condition, improving their resistance to water erosion. Finally, the forest tracks affected by the fire have also been improved and restored to their functionality by removing plant debris and clearing vegetation from the leveling platform and banks, as well as opening a new section in the Chautena Ravine area (Artana).

These efforts, along with other similar efforts to restore large forest fires carried out by MAPAMA (DGDRPF), are part of a series of collaborative and supportive actions for the Autonomous Communities in the areas of hydrological and forest restoration and the fight against erosion and desertification . They represented a total investment of €7,240,444.23 in 2017.