Management of Green Corridors in Portugal - Protection from Forest Fires

Portuguese TSO, REN developed an active approach to the vegetation management of buffer strips under overhead lines, maximising the services provided by the ecosystem and introducing new approaches to its conservation and restoration. The practice aims to add value to the land and the species themselves through the plantation of native trees and shrubs. As a result, the abandonment of these corridors can be avoided while protecting them from forest fires and enabling them to become income generators for landowners.   

The territory covered by REN included 66% of forest areas, which is susceptible to frequent forest fires. The green corridor initiative plans to create an ecological corridor to prevent frequent fires and provide new opportunities for local stakeholders. The integrated vegetation management will cover 9000 ha per year, and will involve innovative methods such as using Garrano horses for vegetation removal through extensive grazing, and planting of native productive species such as cork oaks (Quercus suber) and strawberry trees (Arbutus unedo). Its main objectives include increasing the resilience of powerlines from forest fires, creating socio-economic value for landowners, and protecting biodiversity around the grid.

Highlights: 

• 745,000 native forest trees planted (400 trees per day) on circa 1,450 ha of land belonging to more than 7,700 owners.
• Raising awareness for the protection of biodiversity and native forests through training actions for over 1000 children from 11 countries.
• Creation of local employment through the exploitation of non-timber products. 
• In 2015, REN entered into a formal partnership with the LIFE-Elia project to further their work on green corridor development.
• 3645 ha of forested area reconverted, involving 20764 landowners between 2010 and 2021.
• The horses this horses will feed daily on about 7,000 kilos of shrub and herbaceous vegetation, substantially reducing the risk of forest fires.

Scope: 

The practice has been used in mainland Portugal since 2010.   

Main information: 

Hydro and wind power generation in Portugal are integrated into areas covered by the National Network of Protected Areas and by Natura 2000. Reforestation with native trees minimises infrastructure impacts and increases their resilience to forest fires as the buffer strips are integrated into the defence system of forests against fires. As REN has usage rights but does not own these reforestation areas, it is key to involve landowners in the process, showing how the management of these areas can be an income generator even though the species planted are not fast-growing or large-sized.   

This paradigm shift in vegetation management of the transmission line corridors was implemented through 4 key activities:

• Mapping of the territory and identification of landowners and biodiversity specifications
• Developing an action plan for each biodiversity type 
• Training actions with the landowners and partnerships with national bodies and NGOs
• Raising awareness in local communities in partnership with relevant educational biodiversity initiatives 

With the introduction of IVM, REN’s reconversion plan includes converting forest areas for agricultural use, and replacing fast- growing, highly flammable, invasive species such as eucalyptus with low growing, native forest species that are more compatible with the grid. This ensures the maintenance of the natural ecosystem of the areas while protecting the forests and the grids from frequent fires. REN has played a critical role in establishing protocols for fire management, by also training their employees and service providers ways to mitigate and reduce the impact of forest fires.

An innovative approach to IVM initiated by REN included establishing a protocol with ACERG (Association of Garrano Equine Breeders), APOSC (Association of Planning of Serra da Cabreira) and the Municipality of Vieira do Minho for the shared management of an area of 100 ha. The project will use Garrano horses, a native animal species, for extensive grazing to reduce fires in Serra da Cabreira. This will create shared value among different national and local stakeholders, improve the biodiversity in the region, protect the grids from fires, and provide a habitat for the endangered species. 

Additional information:  

• REN, the Portuguese TSO, is one of the largest-contributing companies to the recovery of the native forest. The practice was developed in cooperation with landowners, local authorities, the association of forestry producers, the Institute for Nature and Forest Conservation (ICFN), the Ministry of Education, and QUERCUS (environmental NGO).
• In partnership with the LIFE Elia project, who won the Good Practice of the Year award in 2015, REN developed a reference manual on the vegetation management of transmission line corridors for the Mediterranean region .