The Montes law was modified in 2015 and changed the characteristics of the land requalification after a fire. That is, in the old Law of Mountains, When a forest floor caught fire, it was necessary to wait 30 years to be able to requalify and change the type of use that is given to the soil. This was done to give the ecosystem time to recover and, if it did not recover its optimal conditions, the soil could be re-classified and urbanized.
Of course, in Spain construction companies and real estate companies are eager to convert natural spaces and forest land into developable land in order to be able to build and obtain benefits from the sale of houses. In 2015, the Forestry Law was modified in such a way that, if a forest floor is set on fire, you can instantly requalify the land and change the use of that land. What about this?
Changes in the Forestry Law
The PSOE has asked the Senate to rectify the 2015 Forestry Law so that the autonomous communities are prohibited from requalifying land affected by a forest fire. With this ban, an attempt is made to obtain a guarantee for the communities to make an effort to restore burned forest lands instead of requalifying them and converting them into developable land, with the consequent loss of forests and continued deforestation.
The PSOE has also proposed "the express prohibition of any activity in the burned area that is incompatible with its regeneration during the period determined by regional legislation."
The PSOE has recalled that the modification of the 2015 Forestry Law was rejected by many groups that are involved in the protection of forests, owners, forestry professionals and nature conservation groups. This ability to requalify the soil after being burned threatens the protection of forests, since the construction companies will fight for the requalification of the land to be able to build on it.