The Council of Mallorca has invested a total of €5.52 million, between grants and its own projects, for the clean-up and regeneration of the Serra de Tramuntana with the aim of preventing fires and conserving the cultural landscape of the area. Last year, as part of the call for grants for the maintenance of the cultural landscape of the Serra, €920,195 was awarded for forest cleaning tasks, representing more than half of the €1.82 million allocated to this line.
The rest, according to a statement issued by the island’s government, was allocated to other measures aimed at restoring ethnological and architectural heritage, conserving the landscape and promoting agricultural and maritime activities. For this year, the Council has opened a new call for proposals worth €2.8 million and, as last year, individuals and local councils can apply for funding for forest sanitation measures, among other projects.
The period for applying for these grants will be open until 8 September, so the specific amount allocated to cleaning projects cannot yet be determined. In addition, for the first time, the sustainable tourism tax (ITS) or tourist tax will be allocated to the conservation of the Serra de Tramuntana through a forest restoration project with a budget of £1.8 million for 2025, 2026 and 2027.
In order to define the actions to be taken, the island’s institution has held meetings with the municipalities of the Serra, asking them to contribute to drawing up an action plan for those areas most at risk of fire due to the density of the forest. This project will focus on improving forest ecosystems through specific interventions, such as clearing undergrowth in urban-forest interface areas to minimise the risk of fires; creating defence strips on strategic roads to contain possible fires and facilitate their extinction; and removing fallen or pest-affected trees to preserve biodiversity.
Preventive forestry measures will also be implemented in critical areas to reduce vegetation density and prevent the spread of fires. Continuous monitoring will also be carried out to assess the environmental and socio-economic impact of the actions and ensure the sustainability of the efforts made. The work is expected to begin this winter with a project that will focus on the most vulnerable areas and help to strengthen the protection of the natural and cultural heritage of the Serra de Tramuntana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“The fires that many autonomous communities have suffered this summer, which have even destroyed World Heritage sites such as Las Médulas, remind us of the importance of prevention. The Serra de Tramuntana has seen a significant increase in forest area in recent years, which is why forest sanitation and cleaning are essential measures to reduce the risk of fire,” said Toni Solivellas, director of the Serra de Tramuntana.