The decree-law that suspends the Rural Fire Danger Letter will be published this Monday, the PS announced this Thursday, highlighting that until March 2023 the documents contained in the municipal plans for the defense of the forest against fires will be in force.
We know that next Monday the decree law will be published and, until the end of March 2023, what will remain in force will be the danger letters contained in the municipal plans for the defense of the forest against fires”, said the socialist deputy Joaquim Barreto, during a hearing in the parliament of the intermunicipal communities (CIM) of the North region, at the request of the PSD, in the Agriculture and Fisheries Commission.
The socialist’s announcement came during concerns shared by representatives of five CIMs and the Porto Metropolitan Area (AMP) regarding the Rural Fire Danger Charter and its suspension, which, despite having been confirmed to Lusa, in June, by the Minister of Territorial Cohesion, “continues to be published” in the Diário da República.
The Rural Fire Hazard Charter, an instrument for planning measures to prevent and combat rural fires, to define the limitations of activities for the enjoyment of rural spaces, was published in a notice in the Diário da República on 28 March.
East The instrument ended up motivating criticism from several inter-municipal communities, municipalities and an association of fire victims.
To the representatives of the inter-municipal communities, Joaquim Barreto stressed that the letter was prepared “based on concern, taking into account the fires” that broke out in the country in 2017.
If you ask us if the letter reflects the reality of what is happening in the territory, we consider that it will not reflect that reality. Naturally, let us bear in mind that the letter is a technical-scientific document, which has a national dimension so that there is a continuity of danger in certain places”, he observed.
Saying that the Socialist Party is “sensitive” to the concerns of the mayors, the deputy stressed that the redesign of the instrument will seek to address the territorial reality.
It is defined in the decree of law that the methodology [da nova carta] will be prepared through ICNF [Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas]of the National Authority for Emergencies and Civil Protection (ANEPC), the General Directorate of the Territory (DGT) and the Agency for the Integral Management of Rural Fires (AGIF),” he said, adding that the party will do “everything within reach ” to adapt the document to the reality of the territories and listen to the municipalities, either through the National Association of Parishes (ANAFRE) and the National Association of Municipalities of Portugal (ANMP).
Joaquim Barreto added that the inter-municipal communities, the confederations of farmers and producers and “other agents” who day by day “help build a better forest on the land” must intervene in the elaboration of the new instrument.
In June, the Minister of Territorial Cohesion, Ana Abrunhosa, stated that the State Budget Law for 2022 “suspended the Rural Fire Danger Charter” and “determined that the municipal charters remain in force,” which ended up not being implemented.
In the meantime, a working group will be created to review the legislation, in which the mayors will naturally be involved,” added the official in Aljustrel, in the Beja district, on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the 20th edition of the Fair. of the Alentejo countryside. .
On June 30, the Council of Ministers approved the decree-law that allows the subregional committees for the comprehensive management of rural fires “to adapt the priority areas of prevention and safety to the territorial reality and the needs of fire protection actions rural”. March 31 of next year”, and “until then, the danger letters contained in the current Municipal Plans for the Defense of Forests against Fires remain in force”.
Source: Observadora
