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The tender for the most ambitious reforestation and removal of invasive plant species in Malaga province, promoted by the Junta de Andalucía, is about to be closed at long last. The process has moved along at a frustratingly tedious pace since going out to tender on 7 August 2023. More than a year and a half has passed. Some 30 administrative notes or updates are logged on the regional procurement platform. What is more annoying is that these are two sizeable contracts, totalling almost six million euros, have attracted the interest of up to 27 companies.
Atfortis SL is looking like the winner of the first project in the Axarquía with Noceda (Servicios Integrales Medioambientales) seemingly winning the second for the Guadalhorce, pending the resolution of some administrative issues. The forecast, regional government sources explained to SUR, is to formalise closing this process by the end of this month.
111,000 square metres
of reeds and eucalyptus trees will be removed
The overall figures for the work to be undertaken are, broadly speaking, the planting of 15,000 new trees and the removal of 111,000 square metres of reeds and eucalyptus trees across 11 municipalities. The work is scheduled to last two years.
The first contract is focused on forest restoration for hydrology in the Vélez, Algarrobo, Chíllar and Torrox river basins. The tender was for 3.4 million euros and it attracted 16 companies. The second, for the Guadalhorce, Fahala and Pereilas rivers, was put out to tender for 2.3 million euros and attracted 21 bidders.
The areas to benefit from these improvements to environmental quality are located in the towns of Cártama, Pizarra, Álora, Coín, Alhaurín El Grande, Alcaucín, Canillas de Albaida, Canillas de Aceituno, Cómpeta, Frigiliana and Nerja. The planting and clearance work aims to improve air quality, to correct or alleviate the effects of drought, tipping, rubbish and fires, to prevent soil erosion, to improve the landscape and to give priority to native species.
11 municipalities
will see the rollout of this ambitious plan, which includes the planting of 15,000 trees.
In the Axarquia one of the first tasks will focus on restoring an area affected by the fire in Canillas de Aceituno in 2012. Sixty hectares of forest will be reforested with pine trees.
An area devastated by the flames in 2014 in Cómpeta and Canillas de Albaida is also to be reforested. In this case, it has been determined that it will be replanted with pines, holm oaks and carob trees over an area in excess of 116 hectares. Work is also planned to be carried out on improving areas for timber stockpiles and forest roads.
Along the Chíllar river, so important in the current drought situation together with its groundwater wells for supplies to the Axarquía area, the usual forest management actions are planned - thinning, pruning and clearing - to clean up the mass of trees in the Dehesa and Monte Pinar areas. There are also plans to open new trails. In terms of protecting the forest, four areas will be adapted for helicopter manoeuvres, which will mean cutting down some trees and removing tree stumps. In addition, half a dozen abandoned buildings will be demolished.
In the Barranco de la Coladilla and Fuente del Esparto areas, eucalyptus trees and reeds (non-natives) will be removed and riverside vegetation will be planted. Between the rivers Vélez, Torrox and Chíllar, 53 hectares will be planted with poplar, almond and ash trees.
In the area around Alcaucín, the trees will be cleared and thinned for a heliport area to be created.
This contract will also include improvements to access points and road repairs in the municipalities of Cómpeta and Canillas de Albaida.
What is going to be done in the Guadalhorce valley ? The scope of the work here falls into a SAC (a special conservation area). The aim is to manage better the forestry that is in the public domain here - that means both woodlands and riverbanks covering some 200 hectares. Then, the priority is the restoration of native riverbank plants. This involves removing and replacing the non-native, invasive species that have populated the riverbeds.
In the area of preventing forest fires, the project involves the designing of firebreaks and reducing the fuel mass to reinforce fire safety.
The winning contractor will be required to create leisure areas in the vicinity of the Guadalhorce, Pereilas and Fahala rivers. The pandemic in particular triggered more demand for outdoor spaces in which to enjoy nature and so the maintenance, management and creation of visitor features such as walkways, rest areas and viewpoints are expected.
Removing rubbish and debris from river courses and riverbanks is another motivation for this project, which covers up to 85 linear kilometres of work to be done.
As in previous improvement work, reeds and eucalyptus trees will be targeted for removal - a total of 68,500 square metres of reeds and 43,000 square metres of eucalyptus. This helps to prepare for the introduction of 10,000 plants going into the Guadalhorce riverbed and 3,000 in the Pereilas river (Mediterranean hackberry, tamarisk, ash, oleander and poplar).
These forest restoration contracts are supported by European Next Generation funds.
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