Sponsors
New Minister of Agriculture Confirms Urgency for Expedited Processing of Forest Fire Prevention Law
Sponsors
The bill aimed at regulating the prevention of forest and rural fires has been in the Senate for over a year and nearly two years in total in the National Congress. In this regard, the Government has expressed the urgency of passing the initiative soon, in anticipation of the upcoming 2025-2026 fire season.
Now, the new Minister of Agriculture, Ignacia Fernández, confirmed the project as a priority for the ministry and stated that "one of our main challenges is to continue advancing relevant bills for the ministry and the country. Among these is the Forest Fire Prevention Law, which strengthens the national care and prevention strategy through new tools and the improvement of existing ones."
Similarly, the Secretary of State argued that the project includes key measures such as "Urban-Rural Interface Zones (ZIUR), Buffer Zones, preventive management plans, and incentives for agroforestry systems."
Furthermore, Fernández acknowledged that they have identified aspects of the regulation that require adjustments, "such as the potential reduction of fines and funding for preventive measures for small and medium-sized landowners. We are convinced that this project must move forward, as it represents a fundamental step in protecting our territories and communities."
Details of the Regulation
Specifically, according to the Executive, the proposed regulation aims to strengthen the prevention strategy regarding fires, emphasizing coordination between municipalities, communities, landowners, and forestry companies. In addition, it establishes stricter penalties for illegal or negligent burning.
According to the Executive, the project recognizes prevention as a priority and that emergency response cannot continue to be merely reactive. In this regard, the initiative proposes concrete measures such as firebreaks, involvement of organized communities, new management plans, coordination with the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (Senapred) and the private sector. It also includes collaboration with small landowners.
The Association of Municipalities of the Biobío Region (Amrbb) also commented on the processing of the bill focused on forest fire prevention.
The president of the Amrbb and mayor of Hualqui, Ricardo Fuentes, stated that "municipalities are the first line in emergencies; regarding forest fires, the future Fire Law is key in terms of tools for prevention, territorial planning, and coordination with emergency agencies."
Fuentes, based on the context of the Region during the latest forest fire seasons, such as that of 2023, affirmed that "it is necessary to have a legal framework that mandates comprehensive risk management. In this regard, we hope this law strengthens municipal plans and ensures permanent resources for the protection of communities."
"This law is a necessity, both to save lives and to protect the flora and fauna of the territories," concluded the president of the Biobío municipalities association.
Risk in Biobío
It is worth recalling that the analysis conducted within the framework of the Risk Map, released in April of this year, highlights that the Biobío Region has the largest area under the very high threat category, equivalent to 6.5% of its territory (156,270 ha), concentrated mainly in Gran Concepción, Arauco, Lebu, and Curanilahue; it is followed by the Valparaíso Region with 4.7% of its territory (75,556 ha) in this category, mostly focused in Gran Valparaíso and the municipalities of La Ligua, Casablanca, and San Antonio; while the Metropolitan Region ranks third, with its area under very high threat conditions corresponding to 4.5% (69,323 ha), which is mostly represented in the territories surrounding Santiago, and the municipalities of Melipilla, Curacaví, and Alhué.
Source:Diario Concepción
