The proposal to classify Lagoa dos Salgados as a Nature Reserve already has 212 participations in the Participa.pt portal, just four days after the opening of the public discussion period.
But this massive participation is expected to increase further in the coming weeks, when the Participatory Movement, which includes various environmental protection associations, private persons (namely researchers and ornithologists) and tourist entertainment companies in the ecotourism sector, provide a draft for sending a more substantiated position and even a guide “so that anyone can simply say: I agree!».
The Lagoa dos Salgados Participatory Movement, which presents itself as a «civic movement for public participation in the creation of the Lagos dos Salgados Nature Reserve», has already created a page on Facebook. It comprises the environmental non-governmental organizations Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA), Almargem, A Rocha, League for the Protection of Nature (LPN), Zero, Portuguese Society of Botany and Quercus, as well as individual citizens and ecotourism companies .
Anabela Santos, director of Almargem, told the Sul Informação that, in conjunction with the Municipality of Silves and the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF), a "public session to educate the population" will also be held in January, as well as "an open day at Lagoa dos Salgados , with activities for everyone».
“We have already sent an email to the Chamber and ICNF requesting the appointment of the public session, but we still don't have a date. Taking into account the festive period and after that week of confinement and teleworking, we are aiming for the week after January 10th», added the environmentalist.
«What we really want is that those who live here do not understand that the reservation will be a limitation, but that they understand the added value that this can be, namely for a more sustainable tourism, and what is here in cause, because it is a very large area and with very different habitats, but that complement each other», he explained.
The period of public discussion of the proposed creation of the nature reserve, which will also cover the Pêra/Alcantarilha marshes and the agricultural land between the two wetlands, started on 9 December and ends on 20 January.
“Anyone can participate in this public discussion and we even make an appeal for participation. To help those who are not so comfortable with the Participa.pt portal, which is actually quite simple to use, we are going to make a sort of script, on how to enter and say «I agree, I am in favor of the nature reserve!», explained Anabela Santos.
Both this script and the draft, which is already being prepared, will be made available later on the Participative Movement's Facebook page and sent to the members of the various NGOs.
The Participatory Movement platform is also preparing its joint position, and is now at the stage of analyzing all the documentation that accompanies the process.
«Having 212 participations after just four days is already very good, but we will have to have many more. Therefore, here is an appeal for the participation of all in this public discussion», concluded the director of Almargem.
A area to be classified as a Nature Reserve it is located between Ribeira de Alcantarilha, to the west, and Ribeira de Espiche, to the east, on the border with the municipality of Albufeira, Praia Grande, to the south, and the municipal road M526, to the north.
With an extension of more than 400 hectares, the area comprises two wetlands, the Ribeira and Sapal de Alcantarilha, to the west, and the Espiche and Lagoa dos Salgados streams, to the east, as well as agricultural fields, dryland orchards and dry meadows that mediate between the two wetlands, and even by the dune cord itself.
This complex of wetlands and its surroundings brings together natural values of special relevance, such as Portuguese endemism Algarvian Linaria Chav., another 12 RELAPE species ((rare, endemic, localized, threatened or endangered plants), several species of arthropods with conservation value, two species of reptiles of community interest. high diversity of bird species.
These are, in short, the reasons that led ICNF to propose the classification of this 400-hectare area as a nature reserve.
Himself Environment minister was in the Algarve a week ago to present this proposal.
This will be the first creation of a protected area in the national territory in the last 21 years, since the Natural Reserve of Lagoa de Santo André and Sancha was created, in the municipalities of Sines and Santiago do Cacém.
Click here to access the Participa.pt portal
Click here to access the Lagoa dos Salgados Participative Movement's Facebook page
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