The Cabildo of Lanzarote has opened this Monday the public exhibition period for the initial approval of the Special Plan for the Protected Landscape of La Geria. The document has been defined by the island's main institution as "one of the most relevant territorial planning documents for the protection of this emblematic space on the island".
The president of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, and the Minister of Territorial Policy and Land Management, Jesús Machín, appeared before the media accompanied by members of the Regulatory Council of Wines of Lanzarote, to explain this step.
The president of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, highlighted that "this is the greatest progress made to date in the planning of one of the most emblematic, sensitive, and representative spaces on the island". He also explained that the document "has been worked on through consensus with farmers, winemakers, residents, and involved groups to safeguard the landscape and agricultural tradition of La Geria".
Betancort also pointed out that the Special Plan will allow "to provide security and order to those who live and work in La Geria", focusing on the protection of the landscape and the traditional agricultural activity historically linked to this environment.
For his part, Minister Jesús Machín valued the public exhibition as "a decisive step for Lanzarote to finally have rigorous planning adapted to the current reality of La Geria". Machín explained that the document divides the Protected Landscape into three differentiated areas: a natural area without transformation, another where population centers coexist with cultivation in trenches and pits, and a third central area of maximum protection where only traditional pit cultivation will be allowed.
"The objective is to protect what exists today in La Geria and to make it clear that the central core will not be able to continue growing," pointed out the minister, who added that complementary activities will be linked to the main agricultural and wine-growing activity, "because without winegrowers and without wineries, the landscape that today internationally identifies Lanzarote would not exist".
The Special Plan also incorporates measures to regulate existing population centers and recognizes the role of wineries and wine-growing activity as fundamental elements for landscape conservation.
Three differentiated areas
The Special Plan of the Protected Landscape of La Geria establishes different levels of protection and land management with the objective of "preserving the volcanic landscape and guaranteeing the continuity of traditional agricultural activity".
The Traditional Use Zone (ZUT), which occupies more than 2,877 hectares and represents 54.10% of the protected area, concentrates practically all the wine and agricultural activity of La Geria, including pit cultivation, 'chabocos', trenches, and sandy soil cultivation. Within this area is located the zone known as “La Geria Testeyna”, where the centuries-old pits of maximum protection are found.
For its part, the Restricted Use Zone (ZUR), with more than 2,093 hectares, protects volcanoes, 'malpaíses', and volcanic cones where practically all productive use is prohibited, except for pre-existing crops. The document also delimits the Special Use Zones (ZUE), corresponding to existing population centers such as Uga, Masdache, Conil, La Asomada, or El Islote, without allowing expansions with respect to the already consolidated land.
Furthermore, the Plan's use matrix establishes that traditional pit cultivation will be the priority system and permitted in practically all of the Traditional Use Zones, while other agricultural systems, such as trench cultivation or artificial sandy soil cultivation, will be subject to authorization and specific conditions.
New participation tables
New participatory working groups will be held soon, aimed at farmers, winemakers, residents, and groups linked to La Geria, with the objective of explaining the content of the document and facilitating the process of submitting objections during the public exhibition period.
“We continue to work by consensus, supporting all those involved so that they can make the contributions they deem appropriate within the procedure,” added Machín.
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