Most of the trees felled in the construction of the variant to Capelas, in São Miguel, Azores, are of exotic or plantation species, and, in compensation, thousands of specimens of native and endemic species will be planted, assured the Regional Government.
“O abate will be compensated with a positive substitution ratio through the Landscaping Integration Project. The planting of thousands of specimens (far exceeding the number of felled trees) of native and endemic species (Laurus azorica, Juniperus brevifolia, Vaccinium cylindraceum, Morella faya) is foreseen,” reveals the Azorean government (PSD/CDS/PPM) in response to a request presented in the Azorean parliament by PAN.
The construction of the variant linking the city of Ponta Delgada to the northwest area of São Miguel island and to Capelas represents a total investment that exceeds 46 million euros, mostly funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), and has a length of 8.3 kilometers, plus a 1.4-kilometer link to the village of Capelas.
In response to a public petition calling for the preservation of century-old trees at risk of being felled as part of the construction of the variant, the PAN’s sole deputy, Pedro Neves, questioned the Azorean government in a formal request about the felling.
Pedro Neves warned of the “irreversible environmental impact” of felling large trees that are decades old, arguing that “it is not fully offset by future plantings or by merely mitigating measures.”
When questioned about the overall number of planned felling, the Azorean government says that in the clear-cutting zones, consisting of “dense thickets of invasive species (Acacia melanoxylon and Pittosporum undulatum)”, the individual count is “impracticable.”
In areas with isolated trees and alignments, such as roundabouts and verges, “the felling of, approximately, 158 specimens is foreseen,” with “the majority of exotic or plantation species (Cryptomeria japonica, Eucalyptus spp., Populus spp.)”.
Asked about alternatives to the felling of large Acacia trees, the government reveals that “conservation alternatives were not evaluated,” since the species is legally classified as invasive and its removal “is a positive environmental management measure.”
As for the felling of trees at the junction of the Cerrado das Covas, the government states that the measure “is strictly necessary to guarantee the construction of the infrastructure and, fundamentally, to ensure the visibility triangles indispensable for road safety at the intersection.”
“Significant deviations to completely avoid the arboriculture would require larger expropriation areas or the creation of geometrically dangerous routes (tight curves), which would violate road safety standards. The solution adopted is the only one that reconciles traffic flow, user safety, and minimization of urban soil occupation,” it points out.
The Regional Government adds that the project has a favorable environmental impact statement, which “legally and environmentally validates the proposed intervention, considering the associated minimization and compensation measures.”
Asked about the phytosanitary state of the trees at the Cerrado das Covas, the government states that “although there is no individualized report” for each tree, “large trees in peri-urban environments and on roadside verges frequently show signs of root stress due to soil compaction and past mechanical damage.”
The Regional Government adds that “the alignments of old willows and plane trees often present problems of senescence, internal rot, and biomechanical instability, representing risks of falling onto the road,” arguing that “the removal of these specimens, besides being necessary for the project, eliminates safety liabilities.”
Regarding the possibility of transplanting oaks and chestnuts, it is said to be “technically inadvisable due to the low survival rate (loss of root system) and the risk of spreading diseases.”
Regarding the citrus orchards and mulberry trees, the government states that they are “agricultural crops and not natural habitats” and that the owners will be compensated to “establish new orchards in suitable locations.”
Asked about mitigation measures for the project’s impact on the endemic species, the Azorean bat, the government reveals that measures are planned such as surveying shelters in larger trees before felling, scheduling felling outside sensitive reproductive periods, or using “soft felling” techniques to allow animals to escape.
