Regreening the land

January 26, 2009  •  Andalucia  •  0 Comments

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Sierra Nevada and Baza benefit from six-million euro reforestation scheme

TWO huge-scale reforestation projects in Granada are set to get underway in 2009.

Both the Sierra Nevada mountain range and the Sierra de Baza Natural Park will benefit from the six million-euro regeneration plan.

The more ambitious of the two schemes will see 3,400 hectares of protected land in the Sierra Nevada restored after the forest fires that decimated the area in September 2005.

At a cost of 5.8 million euros and over a 30-year period, forests of Mediterranean oak, willow and pine will be created to replace the vegetation that was lost when a bonfire, lit by two lost walkers, went out of control.

This project, will is being co-financed by the Junta de Andalucía regional government and the University of Granada, will also see the restoration of traditional acequias (water channels) as well as the creation of specific farming areas.

“The philosophy of the scheme is to aid the natural dynamics of the mountain range,” said Javier Sanchez, head of the Sierra Nevada National Park authority.

The Sierra de Baza project will see thousands of trees replace those that were illegally felled by a furniture company in 1998.

The environmental department at the regional government has announced plans to reforest the Bodurria area of the nature reserve.

Costing 120,000 euros, a two kilometre square area of land will be replenished with trees and natural vegetation that was lost when the former director of the natural park allowed a local company to cut down 14,000 trees in order to make wooden furniture.

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