Tenerife Launches Mid-Altitude Fire Plan with Land Bank

The Tenerife Island Council has launched a major plan to improve the island's mid-altitude areas and prevent forest fires. A key part of this plan is creating a 'land bank'. This will help connect owners of unused land with people who want to farm it and bring it back to life. The aim is to stop rural areas from being abandoned, which is a big reason why large fires start in places where towns meet forests.

The Council's plan, called the "Mid-Altitude Areas Plan," also includes controlled grazing. This means working with livestock farmers to help maintain the soil and manage overgrown areas. This program began after the terrible fire in 2023, which affected about twelve towns. Its main goals are to restore the island's natural environments and reduce the risk of future fires.

To fund this, the Island Council received a two-million-euro grant, partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The state Biodiversity Foundation awarded this money through a competitive process, as part of its efforts to support projects that promote a sustainable economy based on natural resources. The Island Council is also contributing 300,000 euros, which is 15% of the total cost. The project needs to be finished by October 2027.

The "Mid-Altitude Areas Plan" is built on three main ideas, and the company Gesplan is in charge of carrying them out:

1. Self-protection: This part focuses on advising and helping residents create safe zones around their homes and access roads. It involves experts assessing risks and special teams clearing vegetation. A key action is shredding plant waste, which is a safe alternative to burning it and can be used as mulch or to improve the soil.
2. Improving nature and farm life: This aims to improve the natural environment and local farming. They will encourage planting native species, which attract helpful animals and are more resistant to fire. They also plan to create shelters for wildlife, putting up bird feeders and structures for bats (which control pests), as well as for wild bees and other important pollinators.
3. Bringing abandoned land back to life: The land bank plays a main role here. It's seen as a vital tool for bringing unused plots back to life.

Rosa Dávila, the president of the Island Council, said that the European funding "supports Tenerife's plan to get ahead of fire risks and protect both the forests and the people living in the mid-altitude areas." Dávila stressed that prevention is the "most effective tool" against big forest fires. She explained that the Mid-Altitude Areas Plan allows them to act directly in the areas where towns meet forests, which are known to be the most vulnerable.