Red Eléctrica de España is concluding its environmental restoration works of 32.4 hectares of public forest in the municipality of Altura in Castellón, an area that had been affected by a forest fire in 2012. This action has been carried out over the last year as part of the Company's commitment to the conservation of biodiversity and the fight against climate change.

This tree planting, with a budget of €154,000, contributes to the restoration of the landscape and wildlife habitat, and to the protection of the soil against erosion and the loss of nutrients and organic matter. Work has been carried out in coordination with the Directorate General for the Natural Environment of the Regional Ministry for Agriculture, Rural Development, Climate Emergency and Ecological Transition and the Altura Town Council.

Agriculture, Rural Development, Climate Emergency and Ecological Transition Regional Councillor, Mireia Mollà, today visited the area where the last stage of the works is being carried out, together with the Mayoress of Altura, Rocío Ibáñez, and the Director of Environment of Red Eléctrica, Luis Velasco. During the visit, Mollà rated as "invaluable" the public and private partnership "in a tremendously necessary action in an environment such as this one, carried out in a highly professional manner and entailing a huge investment", while Velasco stressed the high degree of coordination between the parties "in accordance with a common feeling and a commitment to improving biodiversity, which is worth celebrating". Finally, the mayoress celebrated the fact that the affected area "is beginning to rise from the ashes" and that the administrations and companies "truly believe that it is well worth committing resources to the territory".

During the visit, the authorities participated in a symbolic planting and the placement of nesting boxes for birdlife, carried out in a small demonstrative arboretum of the local vegetation –existing and potential– aimed at facilitating educational and awareness-raising work within a public use framework.

Red Eléctrica maintains a line of cooperation with the Regional Ministry through two collaboration agreements, the first aimed at the prevention of forest fires, and the second focusing on biodiversity conservation initiatives. Similarly, the company signed a specific agreement with the Altura Town Council in order to develop the project.

Restoration with native vegetation

The area where the work has been carried out was affected by a major forest fire in 2012, which broke out in Andilla (Valencia) and spread over eight different municipalities between the provinces of Valencia and Castellón. The environmental restoration has been carried out using native vegetation, and has been developed in "Las Torrecillas-Puntal de Navarrete" municipal area as well as in the recreational area of Los Llanos de Gaetano, in a mountain catalogued as a Public Utility, belonging to the Altura Town Council and managed by the Generalitat Valenciana Local Government.

The specimens planted in this project include: Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis), juniper (Juniperus phoenicea), terebinth (Pistacia therebinthus), black hawthorn (Rhamnus lycioides), laburnum (Phillerea angustifolia), strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), holm oak (Quercus ilex), hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and snowy mespilus (Amelanchier ovalis).

Red Eléctrica is investing continually in projects aimed at preserving and regenerating the country’s ecosystems and biodiversity, providing solutions to issues in territories in which the Company is present, most of which correspond to the rural environment. Biodiversity is one of Red Eléctrica Group’s main priorities in terms of sustainability, understood, in accordance with its 2030 Sustainability Commitment, as its commitment of perdurability through the creation of shared value for all its stakeholders in the responsible development of its activities.