The Regional Government, through the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation (IFCN), has so far this year cleared 215 km of forest paths/firebreaks as part of the Forest Defence Plan Against Fires which includes the construction of firebreaks and access paths.
Today, Susana Prada, the Regional Secretary for the Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, visited the works on Caminho Florestal da Furna, in Ribeira Brava, to once again stress the importance of keeping areas like this clear of debris and the creation of firebreaks in the prevention of forest fires by reducing the fuel load, and by providing adequate protection throughout the forest canopy.
Concluding her visit, she emphasised again that a well-structured forest road network is essential both for fighting fires and for optimising the forestry operations that take place within forest spaces, namely the cleaning of invasive species, bushes, pruning, and the removal of dead trees.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
