The statement was mentioned in a press release, regarding the formulation process of the Serra da Estrela’s Revitalisation Programme.

An open letter that was sent as a response to recent revelations regarding the government's plans for the post-wildfire recovery of the natural park, mentioning the information revealed after the Council of Ministers, on 8 February highlights “a total investment of €155 million and some of the measures planned under the Serra da Estrela’s Natural Park Revitalisation Programme (PRPNSE)”, was not properly communicated to the population and associations.

"There was an initial consultation to which some associations were invited randomly, but it was neither a comprehensive nor a sufficiently participatory process," said Manuel Franco, president of the Guardians of Serra da Estrela association, in the press release sent to The Portugal News, formed in the aftermath of the 2017 fires.

"We were confronted with a communiqué that speaks of major construction projects without a word addressed to the conservation or resilience, completely disconnected from the true origins of the cyclical catastrophes that have been devastating this natural park”, he adds.

Joana Viveiro from the Estrela Viva Movement, quoted in the press release, voiced scepticism about the prioritisation of infrastructure projects over the urgent need for ecological regeneration. While calling the process a “Marshal’s Plan”, Joana Viveiro mentioned that it “got off to a bad start, with the lack of effective involvement of civil society and the lack of transparency in drawing up the document, which was not the subject of any public consultation”. Adding that “the main concern of this programme should be the regeneration of a conservation area and fair remuneration for ecosystem services, and it seems to us that this is not going to be the priority.”

During the statement, it is evident that the associations complain about “the lack of transparency evident in the definition and approval of the Programme made it impossible for it to be evaluated and discussed publicly in due time.”

In the communiqué is also stated that all the concerns have been raised regarding the Programme's apparent focus on infrastructure development at the expense of ecological restoration. All the associations wanted to emphasize the importance of sustaining and regenerating the park's landscape, particularly in terms of water and soil conservation, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity preservation.

After a shared commitment to effectively regenerate Portugal’s largest protected area, the associations demanded an urgent hearing with Ana Abrunhosa, Minister of Territorial Cohesion, as well as the responsible Ministry. The Intermunicipal Community of Beiras and Serra da Estrela has also received notification with a request for a meeting.

Author

Deeply in love with music and with a guilty pleasure in criminal cases, Bruno G. Santos decided to study Journalism and Communication, hoping to combine both passions into writing. The journalist is also a passionate traveller who likes to write about other cultures and discover the various hidden gems from Portugal and the world. Press card: 8463. 

Bruno G. Santos