ARCHIVED - Orihuela approves new palm protection plan
The purpose of the new ordinance is to safeguard and protect the Orihuela Palm Grove in the Vega Baja, Alicante province.
A new palm protection ordinance has been approved to maintain and conserve Orihuela Palm Grove (El Palmeral), declared an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC), along with all other palms in the municipality.
The Palm Grove is the second largest in Europe boasting 9,000 trees, behind El Palmeral de Elche, 36 km away, and the new order makes the continued maintenance of all palms in Orihuela mandatory "to safeguard and protect the crescent shaped Grove itself".
"This ordinance is a necessary tool, but at the same time we must continue to implement budgets, European funds and act against pests to enhance the value of El Palmeral and date palm," said the council, urging residents with palms in their gardens to ensure they too are healthy and well maintained.
As part of the new ordinance, which replaces an outdated version from 1992, every inch of the Palm Grove - on public and private land - with be "exhaustively" mapped and detailed.
And the council will have the authority to step in and carry out necessary tree maintenance measures "if owners fail to do so".
The palm grove (palmeral) is sheltered by the Sierra de Orihuela to the north, the mountain of San Miguel to the south and the Oriolet to the west, and has an interesting agricultural system of intensive irrigation of Islamic origin with palms located along the perimeters of terraces, roads and irrigation channels.
IMAGE: Ayuntamiento de Orihuela