The environmental association Quercus denounced the felling of 1,400 cork oaks, dozens of which are centuries old, for the expansion of the Tortosendo Industrial Park in Covilhã. The measure is part of the revision of the municipality's Municipal Master Plan, which is currently in public discussion. According to Quercus, the affected area will also include 10 primary residences, whose residents will be expropriated to make way for industrial lots, when the already built industrial zone has half of its lots empty or abandoned.
The environmental association accuses the City Council of bad faith, stating that it pretends to be unaware of the existence of the cork oak stand by not referencing it in the municipality's Conditions Map. Quercus states that, even after formal notification by ICNF regarding the existence of the forest stand, the municipality refused to include it in the documents, justifying itself with the absence of a georeferencing map of the trees, which, according to the association, has already been shared.
On an environmental level, Quercus alerts to very significant impacts, since besides the cork oaks and the woodland they form, there are two watercourses, three ponds and several springs on the land that will be waterproofed. The association recalls that the presence of a legally protected species, such as the cork oak, should force a revision of the soil classification and impose environmental restrictions on building. To obtain an exceptional felling permit, the municipality would have to prove that the expansion over the forest stand is the only viable alternative to satisfy the public interest.
The mayor of Covilhã, Hélio Fazendeiro, guaranteed that everything is being done in legality, with the aim of increasing the supply of industrial land, attracting companies and creating jobs. The mayor recalled that the park expansion has been planned for three decades and that exceptional situations are provided for in legislation for the removal of cork oaks when there is a superior interest. Fazendeiro assured that the municipality is a serious entity that will respect all applicable rules and laws.
