Teulada-Moraira gets €66,000 boost to protect forests from wildfires

Teulada-Moraira is set to step up its efforts to protect vulnerable woodland and reduce the risk of forest fires after securing almost €66,000 in funding from Alicante Provincial Council.

The three grants will finance work across several areas of municipal forest land, as well as help update the town’s local strategy for preventing and responding to wildfire risks.

The funding comes as authorities across the Marina Alta continue to focus on protecting forested areas and reducing the potential impact of fires.

€60,000 for woodland near Cap d’Or

The largest of the three grants is worth €60,000 and will fund forestry maintenance work in the area known as Monte de la Viuda, Peña del Águila and Peña de la Torre, close to Cap d’Or in Moraira.

The work will focus on maintaining forest vegetation and improving the condition of the woodland on land owned by the municipality.

This represents the bulk of the €65,771 secured by Teulada-Moraira through the three funding schemes.

The planned forestry work is intended to improve the condition and management of the area while supporting wider efforts to reduce the risk posed by forest fires.

Cap d’Or is one of Moraira’s best-known natural areas, making the management of surrounding woodland particularly relevant to both residents and visitors.

Local wildfire prevention plan to be reviewed

A second grant, worth €3,250, will be used to update Teulada-Moraira’s Local Forest Fire Prevention Plan.

The municipality’s existing plan was approved on February 1, 2021, and the new funding will allow the council to prepare a revised document reflecting current prevention planning.

Updating the plan forms part of the municipality’s wider approach to managing wildfire risks and coordinating future preventative measures.

Rather than funding physical work alone, the grant will therefore support the planning and technical side of the council’s fire prevention strategy.

New plans for two forest areas

The remaining €2,521 will be used to prepare a technical project for improvements at Monte la Seldeta and Monte la Garganta, two other areas of forest land owned by the municipality.

The project will establish the basis for potential future forestry treatments designed to improve the structure and quality of the woodland.

This means the latest funding package combines immediate maintenance work with planning for further interventions in other forested parts of the municipality.

Teulada-Moraira’s Councillor for the Environment, Pilar Vidal, said the grants would allow the council to continue improving municipal woodland while making progress on wildfire prevention.

She highlighted the combination of specific work in different areas and the revision of the Local Forest Fire Prevention Plan as important elements of the programme.

The total €65,771 package consequently covers both on-the-ground woodland management and longer-term planning, giving the municipality additional resources to maintain its forests and strengthen measures designed to reduce wildfire risks.