During the parliamentary discussion of the executive’s bill, both the PAN and Livre parties questioned the Government about the absence of mention of eucalyptus trees in the ‘Forest 2050, Future + Green’ Plan.
The sole deputy of PAN, Inês Sousa Real, emphasized that the Government’s proposal does not mention the conversion of eucalyptus territories, a measure her party supports.
“We propose a National Plan for the Conversion of Eucalyptus Plantations with real, fair incentives for landowners to replace eucalyptus with native species, thereby recovering more than 100,000 hectares in classified areas for sustainable forest management,” stated the deputy.
Jorge Pinto from Livre noted that while his party does not blame the Government for the monoculture of eucalyptus, it does criticize the executive for not addressing the many thousands of hectares of abandoned eucalyptus plantations.
Representing the Government in the debate, the Secretary of State for Forests, Rui Ladeira, emphasized in his initial remarks that the Forest 2050 Plan “is not solely focused on reacting to fires,” which distinguishes it from previous plans.
In his speech, the Secretary of State for Forests outlined the four pillars of the Forest 2050 Plan – valuation, resilience, ownership, and governance – placing particular emphasis on ownership, highlighting the fragmentation of rural properties as a key issue requiring attention.
