Green Firebreaks

We develop this unique project to recover sustainable and organic crops in the Natural Park Desert de Les Palmes (in Barranc de Miravet) as a strategic line for the prevention of forest fires. Our objective is to recover old crops located in this area located in the Natural Park and in the Natura 2000 Network. The actions look for the support from the owners to create farming areas in their lands to act as firewalls within the Natural Park. Likewise, we advise farmers on the management of organic agriculture and we carry out pruning and sanitation courses on existing fruit trees, and we deliver olive trees for planting in areas that have no crops.

The land abandonment leads to a recolonization of the forest vegetation, and it increase fuel forest, causing the loss of areas of vegetation discontinuity. So we promote agroecological models to break vegetation continuity and to reduce fire breaking out. This work is similar to other fire prevention actions such as grazing.

This innovative initiative meets both rural development and fire prevention objectives, it benefits fauna, maintains the landscape and the diversity of habitats. We offer training options, and we strengthen the links between traditional agriculture in terraces and forestry.

To ensure the sustainability of the project we promote the creation of land stewardship entity, that means, to sign agreements with land owners for joint actions that make production and conservation compatible.

We work with the Cabanes Local Council and this project is funded by the Rural Development Programme of the Valencian Community.