Why did you decide to create the Living Forests Association of Amurrio Uhandre?

The massive expansion of eucalyptus has already become a very obvious issue. In addition, the pandemic has caused more and more people to approach the mountain, causing concern about eucalyptus to reach more people.

We understood that the situation was very serious, we saw the need to meet and reflect. We want to challenge the institutions and, above all, to show that there is an extreme problem here.

What welcome have you had in the village?

Very good! At first we were a small group, but when we addressed people and associations moving in the natural environment (mountaineers, mycology members, young people...) we saw that the concern was widespread. Everyone was willing to address the issue.

Has the subject of eucalyptus arrived in time or are the surrounding mountains at an irreversible time?

The problem is not just the eucalyptus, but the exploitation model. We've been with the same exploitation model for over 100 years. The monocultures of the insignis pine caused the disease of the “brown band” and we are now immersed in a new natural catastrophe, as we maintain the same model.

How have we come to this situation?

We're getting further and further away from natural environments. When pine monocultures began to be created, they were said to be a way to help the baserritars, benefiting a very poor sector.

The model quickly became industrialized and today it is the heirs of these baserritars who own the forests and forests. They see the existence of a soil as a problem and they are selling these mounds in exchange for misery to the companies that will plant eucalyptus. Fewer and fewer owners remain in the hands of the mountains of the region and the surrounding area.

Eucalyptus is a reflection of this lack of sensitivity to nature. From an urban point of view, it is very easy to exploit eucalyptus: it does not require any kind of maintenance, only ten years after the destruction of the mountain, it is already.

We should think about the land that we leave to the following: How will a young man want to live in a home when the hunger for money has destroyed the natural environment and destroyed the land?

Is there an alternative?

Yes, there is always an alternative. There are many examples in the Basque Country where the commitment to local forests has brought economic and social benefits for society, such as Ultzama or Irati. And what about its benefit in diversity and in the protection of endemic species! Resources are needed, aid is needed. The model cannot be repeated until now, in which all the facilities for monoculture are placed from the institutions and only hinder the commitment to local trees.

What are the next steps in the partnership?

We want to continue to raise public awareness. The debate is at the centre and information is essential. On the other hand, and as has been said at the beginning, our objective is to question the public institutions, because it is in their hands to take steps to change the exploitation model. First of all, we need control bodies, just as there is strict control of the spread of eucalyptus gelditzeko.Hirigunean, the mountain also needs its mechanisms. In this regard, we will shortly be presenting a motion at the City Hall of Amurrio. In the rest of the towns of Aiaraldea we would like to follow the same path.