Tenerife Teide Park Committee Sparks Row Over Exclusions

The Tenerife Island Council has established a new technical committee to oversee the Teide National Park's Master Plan for Use and Management (PRUG). However, this committee excludes scientists, environmentalists, and other groups not affiliated with the current island government, formed by the CC and PP parties. The Socialist Group (PSOE), which holds the most seats with 11 councilors, is demanding that the political opposition and all other relevant parties be included in this newly formed body.

The Socialists have outlined three main objectives. First, they aim to challenge the approved PRUG, arguing it "does not stem from the necessary scientific, social, or environmental consensus for a World Heritage site." Second, they are calling for "a new alternative Plan" based on "real sustainability, control of visitor numbers, and technical endorsement." Lastly, they seek to "correct the institutional design" of the Teide Island Commission, which "currently excludes key actors in the park's management." Their primary criticism focuses on "the exclusion of those who manage and understand the park."

Specifically, groups such as scientists, universities, conservationists, mountaineers, and other entities directly involved with the park's management and use are not included. The PSOE believes this "violates the spirit of the Master Plan itself," as its program 7.5 acknowledges the need for institutional coordination and engagement with the environment.

The Socialist Group plans to present a motion to the Plenary (the full council) to reject the new Teide Plan, approved by Decree 182/2025 on December 1. They argue it "is not the result of a consensus process" and, consequently, "lacks the support of the scientific, university, environmentalist, and mountaineering communities, nor the park's own conservation director [Manuel Durbán]."

Their proposal also urges the Tenerife Island Council to press the Government of the Canary Islands to "draft and approve an alternative PRUG for Teide National Park" that has "the social, scientific, and environmentalist support of the Island of Tenerife."

The PSOE is also requesting modifications to the Island Monitoring and Coordination Commission, created on October 27 to implement the Teide Master Plan. They want to "allow the participation of all political parties with representation in the plenary hall of the Island Corporation," as well as "groups or associations with interests in the management of the National Park."

Furthermore, the PSOE demands that the Island Council commit to "abandoning the propaganda policy based on false announcements and technically unfounded occurrences" and instead manage the park "with the rigor required by our most emblematic place." If approved, the motion would be forwarded to the Government of the Canary Islands, the island's municipalities, and other institutions on the Board of Trustees of Teide National Park.

The Socialist Group places their motion within a broader context, highlighting issues such as "more than 5 million annual visitors expected, a management model anchored in outdated schemes, or the repeated rejection by CC, PP, and Vox of tools such as a dedicated eco-tax or effective control of visitor numbers." For the PSOE, "the new PRUG does not address these challenges," but rather "consolidates intensive exploitation of the park, ignoring the warnings of the scientific community."

Javier Rodríguez Medina, a PSOE councilor and former head of the Natural Environment area, describes the current actions regarding Teide as "indecent." He feels that Tenerife's iconic landmark "is being crushed in such a virulent way." He believes the Master Plan for Use and Management "was meant to be the document upon which to base a new strategy for mobility and visits," but "it has become quite the opposite," a "burden for Teide National Park itself."

He elaborates that the plan "represents an element of discord that has only served to bring together all the sensitivities that exist against this document." He lists "mountaineers, visitors, the audiovisual sector, the conservation director himself who has not spoken in favor, or environmentalists." Rodríguez Medina concludes that the authorities "have managed to bring together all sensitivities against this document and, furthermore, they have committed the arrogance of not knowing how to listen."

On this point, the socialist councilor argues that "they have created an internal Island Council commission for the implementation of the new Plan and have not taken into account other sensitivities," meaning "neither groups, nor associations, nor clubs, nor federations, absolutely no one." He adds that "not even the Socialist Party, which has the largest representation in the Plenary Hall, is present."

"They do not want to hear opposing opinions, and that is a symptom of arrogance," Javier Rodríguez states. He also points out that "this monitoring commission should be chaired by Rosa Dávila as president of the Island Council," but "she has chosen to delegate to the vice-president and councilor for the presidency, José Miguel Ruano."

"To us, this seems dramatic," summarizes the PSOE's environmental spokesperson in the Island Council. In his opinion, "if the president has time to inaugurate the nativity scene but does not dedicate it to Teide, our most emblematic place of greatest environmental value, what is she there for?" Rodríguez Medina concludes that "it is extremely serious, and we believe it devalues and mistreats the national park."

The PSOE seeks to "force a profound shift in the management of Teide National Park," questioning "both the content" of the new Master Plan for Use and Management approved by the Government of the Canary Islands and "the manner" in which the Island Council is implementing it. The motion "is not just technical; it is a political challenge to the governance model chosen by Rosa Dávila and her government."