The Generalitat will pay shepherds to keep the forests clean and thus prevent the spread of forest fires. The Government has started a pilot test in forested areas of four massifs, in about 150 hectares, and will pay up to 400 euros per hectare to ranchers who take care of this task.
At the moment there are five farmers who have started this pilot test, which was presented this morning in the Gavarres massif. However, Climate Action estimates a potential of 515 livestock farms that could join the initiative and a minimum area of about 20,000 hectares.
At the moment, the initial surface with which they have started working is 150 hectares. Apart from the massif of Las Gavarres, where a hundred dairy goats live, the project includes the grazing of La Albera cows in the Gran del Montgrí Mountain and performances with cattle in the Serra de Prades (Rojals and Capafons) and in the Serra de Querol, at the head of the Gaià river.
This public livestock service in strategic areas to prevent fires was one of the "star" measures of the Strategic Plan for the Extensive Livestock of Catalonia, which was approved last April.
The action pursues a triple objective, as explained this morning by Marc Vilahur, director general of Environmental Policies and the Natural Environment: "We want to conserve biodiversity, prevent fires and make grazing viable for livestock".
For her part, the general director of Agriculture and Agriculture, Elisenda Guillaumes, has highlighted the role of animals beyond being a source of food. “The power of extensive livestock farming is not only to produce food, but also to maintain clean open spaces.” A livestock - explains Guillaumes - that will be concentrated mainly in marginal forested areas, which have no income.
The department will pay up to 400 euros per hectare, depending on the quality of the grazing and the complexity of management, and the proposed contracting formula is valid for five years.
