Sustainable Tourist Tax helps the natural environment on Mallorca

NO less than €620,125 collected from the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS) has helped the Balearic Government to undertake environmental improvement works at eight locations.
The Minister of the Environment and Territory, Miquel Mir, the Director General of Natural Spaces and Biodiversity, Llorenç Mas, and the manager of the Balearic Institute of Nature (IBANAT), Joan Ramon, visited the public estate of Son Real, to view the work that has allowed the creation of more than 13 hectares of forest fire protection strips.
Thus, the project ‘Public Forest: improvement of the forest landscape’, has led to the management of 54.2 hectares of public forest land, which will serve to protect the entire forest.
According to Mir, this work helps to “adapt forests to climate emergencies and make them more resilient in the face of adverse scenarios such as forest fires”.
The Minister stressed that the actions of active management of the territory not only avoid the danger of fire, but also “those of other damages suffered by native forests such as drought, the introduction of exotic species or the abandonment of the field.”
Safety strips have been created at the boundaries, as well as an auxiliary defence strip in the event of a forest fire. The aim is to achieve greater protection against fires while creating a landscape mosaic that promotes local biodiversity.
The actions have consisted of clearing, pruning, support for natural regeneration, elimination of pruning and preventive treatments against disturbances due to erosion, snow or fire, in accordance with the provisions of the Forest Plan of the Balearic Islands.