04 de January de 2017
The fire affected an area where vegetation plays an important role in controlling erosion and improving biodiversity, so recovery efforts have focused on promoting tree restoration.
04.01.2016
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Environment (MAPAMA), through the Directorate General for Rural Development and Forestry Policy (DGDRPF), has completed restoration work following the major forest fire that occurred in December 2015 near Cangas de Onís. The fire spread to the municipality of Parres (Asturias) and affected a total area of 428 hectares. This fire was accompanied by other simultaneous fires, affecting a total area of 639.73 hectares in the municipality. The forested area affected by the fire amounted to 148 hectares of high environmental value. The investment in these restoration works amounts to €500,000 and includes the following actions:
-Treatment of burned vegetation to improve the regrowth of chirpiales (in the case of oaks and betulaceae), and to facilitate natural regeneration (in areas occupied by Scots pine and radiata pine).
-Hydrological and forestry correction and erosion control in areas with steep slopes: To reduce the effects of erosion, the remains of burned trees have been laid out in discontinuous cordons. In the case of burned valleys, support fascines have been built by placing chestnut poles in the form of a palisade, ensuring the densest possible interlacing to maximize debris retention on the slope.
-Planting small groves of native hardwoods with the dual function of serving as a refuge for the area's wildlife and helping to control erosion by restocking birch trees, with corresponding protection, near the valleys where natural watercourses flow.
-Improvement and replacement of infrastructure to prevent further damage caused by the fire (increased runoff and erosion) and also improve its drainage capacity and overall forest management. Cleanup and repair work has been carried out on the trail network, and wire fencing has been removed.
These projects are 53% co-financed by the EAFRD (Federal Agricultural Development Fund), within the framework of the 2014-2020 National Rural Development Program. These projects, along with other similar projects to restore major 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.