The President of the Principality of Asturias, Javier Fernández, and the Chairman of Red Eléctrica, José Folgado, have today agreed to collaborate on the execution of joint actions regarding sustainability, which include, among others, the reforestation of 29 hectares of the public highland area of Cordal de Santín and San Fernando, in the municipality of Boal.
As a result, the Principality of Asturias and Red Eléctrica today signed an agreement for the reforestation of this highland area, through which the Company will invest 200,000 euros during 2018 as part of its Red Eléctrica Forest project. Work will be carried out on the felling and clearing of damaged trees and the planting of 22,013 native trees, such as pines, oaks, wild cherry trees and chestnut trees, in 29 hectares of a public highland area in Cordal de Santín and San Fernando, in the municipality of Boal.
The restoration work will include other important actions for the conservation of the wooded highland such as the construction of a firebreak and the repair of 3 km of forest track. It also includes carrying out a programme of educational activities and to raise awareness on the subject in schools in the area, as well as volunteer activities.
Prevention of forest fires in Asturias
In addition, the Principality of Asturias and Red Eléctrica have signed a second agreement today, this time to define forest management criteria and join forces for the establishment of protocols and awareness campaigns, as well as training sessions, in this field.
This agreement includes an annual financial contribution by Red Eléctrica of 20,000 euros for the carrying out projects, actions or innovation and awareness campaigns related to the prevention and fight against forest fires, as well as for providing training courses for forestry agents and personnel of the Government of the Principality of Asturias.
Since 2007, the Company has been promoting the signing of agreements for the prevention and fight against forest fires with the various regional administrations. 13 similar agreements currently remain in force nationwide.
The Red Eléctrica Forest
With more than two million euros invested since its inception in 2009, the Red Eléctrica Forest is an environmental project undertaken by the Company in different wooded areas nationwide with the aim of collaborating in the conservation of natural spaces rich in biodiversity and the recovery of degraded areas, as well as contributing to the fight against climate change, enabling the Company to offset part of its greenhouse gas emissions.
Including the forest in the municipality of Boal, there are now 14 Red Eléctrica Forests located across Spain, specifically in the provinces of Badajoz, Teruel, Cádiz, Murcia, Valencia, Vizcaya, Albacete, Majorca, Zamora, La Coruña, Gran Canaria and Tenerife. These Forests have enabled the recovery of more than 800 hectares of degraded wooded areas through the planting of 647,053 trees and shrubs of different species native to the area or region in which the Forest is located and will help offset around 193,000 tonnes of CO2 throughout their lifecycle.
This initiative responds to the commitment undertaken by Red Eléctrica to collaborate with the regional, local and island administrations on the sustainable economic and social development of the communities or areas in which the company’s facilities are located.
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