Actuality

Galician Law on the Recovery of Agricultural Land Approved

The Parliament of Galicia approved on 11 May the Law on the Recovery of Agricultural Land in Galicia, which includes, among other things, the so-called “eucalyptus moratorium” and the development of the figure of the active silviculturist Aimed at supporting, through grants and incentives, forest owners who manage their woodlands sustainably.

The definition of an active silviculturist is established as persons or entities, with or without legal personality, who are owners, holders or managers of the ecosystem services and benefits of those forest management units that have a forest management plan and are included in, or covered by, a certificate of sustainable forest management issued by an internationally recognised forest certification system, without prejudice to the provisions of the ninth additional provision of this law.

Persons registered on the Voluntary Register of Active Foresters will be recognised as holders of agricultural holdings.

The Forestry Association of Galicia has for years advocated the need for a similar designation for those who manage their forests sustainably.

Moratorium on eucalyptus

The new law establishes the so-called “eucalyptus moratorium”, which remains as follows:

1. On a transitional basis, until 31 December 2025, only restocking with species of the genus will be permitted. Eucalyptus in the following cases:
   a) Replantings provided for in forest planning or management instruments that had been approved by the Forestry Administration before the entry into force of this provision, or in the said instruments where their application for approval was under consideration prior to the entry into force of this provision, and which were ultimately approved by the Forestry Administration.
   b) Restockings that, in terms of area, are equivalent to others already existing and that have a dominant occupancy of individuals of the genus Eucalyptus, and whose owners decide to transform them into other specific formations, whether coniferous or broad-leaved deciduous stands. These plantings must comply with the provisions of this law and the rest of the applicable sectoral legislation, and the new planting area will belong to the same owner and may not exceed that which was the subject of the transformation. In any case, prior authorisation must be issued by the territorial authority competent in rural matters where the woodland or forest land is located.
2. On a transitional basis, until 31 December 2025, reforestations with species of the genus Eucalyptus They shall only be permitted when the land to be reforestedd was previously occupied by a pure or dominant mixed stand of this species, and provided that the previous plantings were carried out in compliance with the provisions of the applicable sectoral legislation.
3. For the purposes of the foregoing, the dominant occupation shall be understood as that which, within the same cadastral parcel, constitutes a percentage of the larger trees of the genus. Eucalyptus greater than 50 per cent of the total stand. For these purposes, larger trees will be considered those with a breast height diameter of 7.5 centimetres or more. In the event that eucalyptus cover exceeds 50 per cent and is less than 80 per cent of the total stand, prior authorisation must be obtained from the territorial authority competent in rural matters in which the woodland or forest land is located.
   Likewise, authorisation may be requested from the same authority for those plots planted with specimens of the genus Eucalyptus that are being managed in accordance with adherence to the EG2 or EN2 guidance silvicultural models, whose management objective is the production of timber for sawing, veneer or pulpwood in rotations exceeding twenty-five years.
4. The deadline for the execution of the new plantings carried out with the genus Eucalyptus and which were authorised in accordance with Article 67 of Law 7/2012 of 28 June on Galician forests, shall expire 30 days after the entry into force of this law.
5. The date established in paragraphs 1 and 2 above may be subject to review based on the consolidated data obtained from the continuous forest inventory of Galicia and on a review of the measures established in the 2021-2040 Galician Forestry Plan.
6. For the purposes of this provision, "forestry regeneration" shall mean the introduction of tree or shrub species onto land by sowing or planting, and may consist of afforestation or reforestation.

Reforestation will consist of the reintroduction of forest species, by sowing or planting, on land that was forested until recent times but was left bare due to felling, fires, gales, pests, diseases or other causes.