Tenerife Council Boosts Environmental Agents, Unifies Teide and Forest Crown

Tenerife's Island Council has unveiled a new plan for environmental agents to oversee and protect the island's natural areas. This new model will combine Teide National Park and the Corona Forestal (Forest Crown) into a single operational zone. The plan aims to significantly boost the number of environmental agents, increasing staff in the National Park from the current two to seven initially, and eventually to 13 over the coming months.

These agents will take on various roles and will oversee auxiliary staff, including Rural Guards, informants, and educators. They will also work closely with the Canary Islands Police, Local Police, and Civil Guard.

A new 'inspector of environmental agents' role will be created. This inspector will ensure all surveillance activities are consistent, manage contracts for auxiliary staff, and coordinate with regional, local, and national police forces.

This new plan follows the recent transfer of management responsibilities for Teide National Park from the Canary Islands Government to the Island Council.

Following a meeting, Blanca Pérez, the Councillor for Natural Environment, explained the Council's desire to boost the number of agents across the island, particularly in Teide, where she noted it was "greatly needed." She added, "We have coordinated various projects and outlined how we will proceed in the coming months with surveillance and control carried out by both environmental agents and other police forces."

Pedro Millán, the Island Director of Natural Environment, highlighted plans for regular meetings with these teams. The aim is to address questions and share ideas to improve conditions for environmental agents and enhance conservation efforts.

Víctor León, representing Afmacan, described the meeting as "productive, close, and very clear." He noted that many topics were discussed, including the integration of areas, agent roles, and new staff, all within the context of the full transfer of powers to the Council.

Antonio Barro, representing the environmental agent leadership, emphasized that after the transfer, staff numbers will rise to 13 agents, with an initial increase from two to seven. He stated, "This will lead to a significant increase and a qualitative improvement in surveillance in the natural area, which is exactly what we need."

The Environmental Inspection department will create the guidelines for agents, rural guards, and informants working in Teide National Park. This is part of the plan to combine Teide National Park and the Corona Forestal into one unified area. They also stressed that this work will always involve collaboration with the Regional Police, Local Police, and Civil Guard.