Oscar Briones, the political scientist fighting to save the Atlantic forests

Ana Tuñas Matilla Political scientist Oscar Briones fights to protect the Atlantic forests by finding alternative ways to generate income for their owners and thus prevent them from succumbing to the pressures of urban development or monoculture plantations, activities that are accelerating deforestation in many regions.

A doctor in political science, a graduate in law, and a master's degree in management of public organizations, social services, and the third sector, Briones is part of the G3 Governance Observatory at the University of Vigo , a research group that seeks to study and promote good governance, good administration, and good citizenship.

All the hectares of forest that are protected will be integrated into the Galician Network of Ancient Atlantic Forests , designed to identify and preserve these valuable ecosystems through the conservation of native flora and fauna, the restoration of degraded areas, the connection of spaces, and citizen awareness and participation.

Stop deforestation

"My concern arises from seeing the state of the El Salnés region," an area of ​​the Rías Baixas that has been enduring "a lot of tourist pressure" for decades and where the increase in monocultures, such as vineyards (Albariño), avocados, and eucalyptus, is driving the change from forest land to agricultural land with the authorization of the Xunta.

This is leading to significant deforestation . Where there were once hardwood forests, there are now housing developments, campsites, and monoculture plantations, and "that's where I come in, trying to change the logic and seeking, through mediation, preservation formulas compatible with local economies ," Briones explained to EFEverde.

The goal is to make people understand that money can also be made by preserving a common good like forests and the ecosystem services they provide, such as capturing and storing CO2 or improving water quality, and not just by changing land use.

From 200 euros per hectare/year

"I'm looking for alternatives because if we don't do anything about the intense pressure we're experiencing, many forests and mountains are in danger," Briones warned, seeking to attract businesses and local governments to help conserve areas with species such as oak, birch, willow, chestnut, cherry, and other trees.

It's about securing funding to make it worthwhile to protect them, the lawyer pointed out, who asserted that doing so is "very cheap": for between 200 and 300 euros per hectare per year (the size of a football field), it's already more profitable than logging, and there are forest communities that are even willing to exchange eucalyptus for native species:

This formula, he stressed, represents an innovative opportunity for companies to exemplify their environmental commitment.

This is the case of the Antonio Pérez Lafuente canning factory , which has signed a collaboration agreement with the Observatory and the András Mountains Community for the preservation of 16 hectares of broadleaved forests out of a total of 161 hectares of local forest.

We live off natural resources

The company will contribute approximately 4,000 euros per year for at least ten years, while the forestry community agrees to respect the environmental uses of the area and carry out maintenance work.

"We dedicate part of our profit, when there is any, to supporting conservation and environmental preservation actions on land and sea" to ensure the future, Juan Pérez-Lafuente Bóveda, head of the canning factory, founded more than a hundred years ago, explained to EFEverde. He emphasized that they are committed to sustainable fishing because they recognized a problem years ago.

"We are a family business. They have left me something and it is my responsibility to leave it too. What I apply as a company, I also think about the earth, the planet (...) Companies have a certain responsibility, we live off natural resources and we are the first interested in keeping things," he asserted.

Forest school

For its part, the Vilagarcía City Council has reached an agreement with the University of Vigo team to create a forest school on public land, reusing pre-existing vegetation and orienting it toward an old-growth or mature forest. This means not intervening and allowing its development to be left to nature.

Researchers will provide technical support for the conservation of the land, while the municipality will provide the necessary resources to revitalize the space and use it in ways that are compatible with the development of nature and education.

City councils and individuals can request the protection of spaces

To achieve the goal of preserving forests, Briones also intends to promote the use of two legal entities provided for in the regulations for natural spaces in Galicia: Spaces of Local Private Interest (ENIL) and Private Spaces of Natural Interest (EPIN) .

The former allow a council to request a declaration for spaces within its municipal boundaries that, due to their unique characteristics, merit some type of protection for their natural values.

Institutions and private owners of land containing natural formations, species, or habitats of wild flora and fauna can request their protection by applying for an EPIN declaration.

In both cases, the final say rests with the Xunta's Department of the Environment, Briones recalled, lamenting that these procedures take a long time due to excessive bureaucracy.

Living towards nature

"I do all this because it allows me to unite my two passions, my profession and nature (...) I raise money because everyone should do what they can to prevent the environment from further deteriorating," he said.

"We must live toward nature and stop living against it," asserted the public management expert, who noted that there is abundant scientific evidence of the benefits forests provide to our mental and physical health, as well as for improving the quality of air, water, soil, etc. EFEverde

atm/al