Bill to protect forests and prevent large wildfires

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1. The bill would have the State set common, uniform criteria to identify High Wildfire Risk Zones across Spain, plus common guidelines for coordinating and training wildfire prevention and firefighting efforts.
2. It would create the 'montes protectoresMontes protectores A protection category for private forests with special characteristics, giving priority access to economic incentives.' category for private forests and expand the grounds for declaring public utility forests, for example if they are mostly native species or lie within protected areas. Municipalities and nonprofit associations could also start these declaration processes.
3. It would recognize agrosilvopastoral systems, such as the dehesa, which combine woodland with extensive grazing, and promote territorial exploitation contracts that credit land users for conservation and wildfire prevention work.
4. It would generally restrict changes to the vegetation cover of protected and natural forests, limit the spread of pyrophytic species such as eucalyptus and certain pines, and require those stands to be declared High Wildfire Risk Zones with a defense plan within one year.
5. It would tighten the ban on changing the use of burned forest land for at least 30 years, prohibit replanting it with pyrophytic species, and create a public registry of such land. It would also keep burned land classified as rural land.
6. It would require, within one year, a basic national statute regulating the duties and resources of forest and environmental agents.

Who it affects

• Small private forest owners, who hold most of Spain's forest land: Their forests could be designated as protected, become subject to land stewardship agreements, and see their management restricted if located in high wildfire risk zones.
• Livestock farmers and users of agrosilvopastoral systems: They could sign territorial exploitation contracts with public support for their conservation and prevention work.
• Timber and pulp companies: They would face tighter limits on planting species such as eucalyptus and certain pines.
• Forest and environmental agents: They would get a basic state statute organizing their duties and resources.
• Owners of burned forest land: They could not change the land's use for at least 30 years or replant it with pyrophytic species.

Words worth knowing

Montes protectores

A protection category for private forests with special characteristics, giving priority access to economic incentives.

Especies pirófitas (pyrophytic species)

Plant species, such as eucalyptus or certain pines, that burn easily or encourage wildfires.

Zonas de Alto Riesgo de Incendio (High Wildfire Risk Zones)

Forest areas that can be declared high wildfire risk and must have specific defense plans.

Custodia del territorio (land stewardship)

Voluntary agreements between landowners and conservation organizations to manage land sustainably.

Sistemas agrosilvopastoriles (agrosilvopastoral systems)

Land management combining woodland, crops and extensive grazing, such as the dehesa.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries