'Forest fires not due to eucalyptus' states eucalyptus lobby

Paul Rees 14 November 2018

The eucalyptus lobby has attempted a hearts and minds operation in a new manifesto that notes the percentage of the species burnt in last year and this year’s forest fires.

Several personalities and companies allied to the trade in this fast growing wood, state that the fires that broke out in Portugal were not due to the presence of eucalyptus, but due to the "very low level of management of the forest and of overgrown and unattended forests."

"The signatories have been watching with great concern the multiplication across different media of unrelenting or manifestly incorrect references to the forest management and the causes of the fires in Portugal."

The document signed by Celpa, Altri, Navigator, CIP, Forum for Competitiveness, CAP, among other entities, as well as by several municipal councils, educators and former politicians such as Bagão Félix, Mira Amaral and Daniel Bessa.

"This concern is aggravated by the fact that many of the statements claim, without any basis, that eucalyptus is responsible for the tragedy of forest fires, thus preventing efforts to focus on combating their true causes," states the manifesto.

The fires have been due to, "an excessive biomass load on the ground as a result the very low level of management of the forest and the excess of scrub in Portuguese territory."

According to data from the Institute of Nature Conservation and Forests cited in the manifesto, "more than 80% of the area burned in Portugal has not been eucalyptus," with around 17% being eucalyptus in the last fifteen years.

Comments

+1 #8 Alentejo cat 2018-11-18 11:12

This is apart from the people killed and injured when this species is planted on road verges and fall on cars, like ours last march. we are very lucky to still be here!

+1 #7 Peter Booker 2018-11-18 10:23

"This is all designed to be authoritative and convincing while not mentioning overplanting, illegal planting, lack of fire-breaks, lack of maintenance and the economic advantages of paying morons to set light to forests in order to buy the fire-damaged timber at knock-down prices," you write on your weekly summary, Ed.

None of this is peculiar to eucalyptus. It may be the habit of the owners of plantations of eucalyptus to indulge in the habits you show, but I suspect that pine forests (such as the one in Leiria) will also burn if mismanaged.

+2 #6 Dr Colin Key 2018-11-16 13:46

Quoting AL:

There is no biomass or excess of scrub within an eucalyptus plantation as nothing grows on the ground where these evasive trees live.

You have clearly never been into a Eucalyptus forest.

+1 #5 AL 2018-11-15 11:23

Quoting liveaboard:

There are no eucalyptus in California though, and it's burning too.

You are wrong on that. Eucalyptus trees were first planted in California over 100 years ago. Agree that it should not be blamed for starting fires but they contain flammable sap which can exacerbate wildfires.

+1 #4 AL 2018-11-15 09:41

There is no biomass or excess of scrub within an eucalyptus plantation as nothing grows on the ground where these evasive trees live.
Eucalyptus trees might not be the main reason that start fires but they are certainly a fire hazard.

+2 #3 liveaboard 2018-11-15 08:51

I've head many people blame eucalyptus for the fires; a simple explanation feels good, providing a perpetrator, a solution, and of course the hint of conspiracy.
There are no eucalyptus in California though, and it's burning too.
Dry forest will burn, whatever species it's made up of.

0 #2 Barb 2018-11-15 00:54

Wow, avoiding responsibility is a national art in Portugal,surely it must be a university course here as so many are so proficient at it. Now if only they could offer a Postgraduate in Apologies here also.

+8 #1 Frank McC 2018-11-14 18:16

Too laughable for words but sadly to be expected ...

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