The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment of the Balearic Islands has decided to increase the credit of the appeal that it had planned with the aim of provide assistance in the prevention of forest fires (PIFO) 2024 and which will exceed 3 and a half million euros.
Forest fire prevention
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment, through the Agrarian and Fisheries Guarantee Fund of the Balearic Islands (FOGAIBA), has published the first fifty beneficiaries of the 2024 aid for the prevention of damage to forests caused by forest firesnatural disasters and catastrophes, which will receive a total amount of 623,822 euros; The rest of the beneficiaries will be published as the first checks are carried out.
The call, with an initial budget of 1.7 million euros, was very successful in terms of participation, since 272 applications were presented, prompting the government to increase the credit up to 3 .6 million euros, the highest amount allocated so far for this type of action. “This increase ensures that all requests meeting the requirements can be met, thus reaffirming the government's effort and commitment to the fire prevention and sustainable forest management», Underlined the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment, Joan Simonet.
PIFO aid, framed in the Rural Development Plan (PDR), aim to facilitate forest management, in particular the energy use of forest biomass as a landscape preservation tool, as well as other actions that help reduce the risk of fire, while ensuring sustainable use of resources.
In this sense, Minister Simonet stressed that “this aid, intended for owners and managers of rural properties, is very important to expand the prevention of forest fires in high-risk natural areas and guarantee the conservation of forest areas across the country. THE climate change adaptive forestry».
This is the third call for PIFO assistance processed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment, which has not been called for years (the previous ones were in 2018 and 2019). In addition, this year, the largest credit allocated to date for this type of aid will be available. However, it is planned that the PIFO will meet every year, with the aim of ensuring the continuity of this type of aid, vital for the protection and conservation of the natural environment.
Projects financed by the sustainable tourism tax (ITS)
It should be recalled that recently the ministry also approved three projects aimed at promotion of forest biomass, fire prevention and phytosanitary improvement of forestsworth over 11 million euros, funded by the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS), which will be implemented over the next three years.
Thus, underlined Simonet, “the clear and firm commitment of this Government to the conservation of island forest areas is demonstrated, as well as its commitment to the protection of the natural environment and the adaptation of forest areas to climate change”.
The Forest fire prevention is the best way to avoid, experts say occur and this initiative of the Balearic Islands can be very important to avoid this type of fires.
