Portugal launches public consultation on National Nature Restoration Plan

Portugal has launched a 30-working-day public consultation on its proposed National Nature Restoration Plan (PNRN), inviting citizens, organisations and stakeholders to comment on the country’s long-term strategy for restoring degraded ecosystems and meeting European Union biodiversity targets.

The consultation began yesterday following the publication of a notice in the official government gazette (Diário da República). It also covers the preliminary Environmental Report for the plan’s Strategic Environmental Assessment.

According to the notice, the National Nature Restoration Plan will serve as Portugal’s main strategic framework for restoring terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems. The plan sets out the objectives, measures and actions required to meet national and EU commitments on nature conservation while helping to reverse biodiversity loss and improve ecosystems’ resilience to environmental change.

During the consultation period, the draft plan and supporting documentation will be available through the Portuguese Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF), the Restauro da Natureza portal and the Participa public consultation platform. The documents can also be consulted in person at ICNF headquarters in Algés during the opening hours specified in the official notice.

Individuals and organisations may submit comments through the online consultation portal or by email to the address provided in the notice. The government says contributions must relate specifically to the draft National Nature Restoration Plan and its Strategic Environmental Assessment, and should be properly reasoned.

According to Diário da República, all submissions received before the consultation closes will be reviewed and considered in preparing the final version of the National Nature Restoration Plan. The results of the consultation process will be published in accordance with the applicable legislation, says the official release.

This public consultation comes as the government is also seeking public feedback on its extremely controversial Green Map (ZAER) which identifies ‘priority areas for future renewable energy projects’, which opponents (of which there are a considerable number) claim will destroy precious natural areas, ecosystems and biodiversity. The pushback against the Green Map is remarkable, including several municipalities/ parish councils/ NGOs and other bodies. Public participation closes in five days time, and already has 1,847 logged comments, which are almost certain to be overwhelmingly critical.

That a new public participation exercise has opened on ‘restoring degraded ecosystems and meeting European Union biodiversity targets’ when there is one still running that promises to degrade myriad thriving ecosystems in order to meet the European Union’s renewable energy targets, would seem ridiculous, if it wasn’t so chilling.

Source material: ambienteonline/ Lusa

Natasha Donn

Journalist for the Portugal Resident.