The Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) today rejected that it is its duty to sanction breaches of the exceptional restrictions arising from the declaration of the state of alert, such as those reported on July 5 in Gerês.
On that date, the commander of the Salto Firefighters, Hernâni Carvalho, reported to Lusa the presence of dozens of people in the Sete Lagoas area in Montalegre, warning then of the danger they faced due to the fires.
That weekend, he revealed, two people had to be rescued from the site, located inside Peneda-Gerês National Park (PNPG), despite the state of alert and the prohibition on entry and stay there.
The official demanded responses from the Montalegre City Hall, from the PNPG administration, from the ICNF, as well as from the GNR. On the same day, the president of the Montalegre City Hall, Fátima Fernandes, argued for fines to be applied whenever rescues occur due to breaches of the rules.
In the response today to the clarification request sent earlier by Lusa, it reads: “it is not the ICNF’s remit to sanction breaches of the exceptional restrictions arising from the declaration of the state of alert.”
The ICNF notes that it monitors the situations recorded in PNPG, recognizing that they occurred during the validity of the declaration of the state of alert, which determines exceptional measures to prevent rural fire risk, to be complied with by the population, including restrictions on access, movement and presence in certain forest spaces.
The institute notes, however, the need to “distinguish the situations of potential non-compliance with the temporary restrictions imposed by the declaration of the state of alert from the use of places whose visitation is legally permitted under the territorial management instruments for which this Institute is responsible, as is the case of the Peneda-Gerês National Park Planning Regulation.”
“Pedestrian access to the site known as Sete Lagoas is permitted under the Peneda-Gerês National Park Planning Regulation. However, during the validity of exceptional measures, such as the declaration of the state of alert, the legally provided restrictions apply and must be fully respected,” he added.
To finish, the ICNF guarantees that it “will continue to strengthen information, awareness and surveillance actions, urging compliance with the restrictions in force and the adoption of responsible behaviours, essential to protect human life, prevent rural fires and safeguard the natural values of the Peneda-Gerês National Park.”
On Friday, Vila Real GNR identified 47 people in the Gerês area, in Montalegre, and one in Sabrosa for remaining in a forest space that is prohibited during the state of alert period.
A source from the GNR told the Lusa agency that most of the people were identified for being in the Sete Lagoas area.
