Results

Public expenditures for long term sustainable services in Sousa Valley between 2004 and 2006

Sources:

1)Municipalities of Sousa Valley and http://www.ifadap.min-agricultura.pt/ifadap/incentivos/agris/mainAGRIS.html;

2)http://www.ifadap.min-agricultura.pt/ifadap/incentivos/ffp/listagem.html#area%202

3) http://scrif.igeo.pt/servicos/pvigia/;

4) AFVS

¹AGRIS Programme

²Fundo Florestal Permanente (Forest Permanent Fund)

³Rede Nacional de Postos de Vigia (National Net of Surveillance Towers)

Remarks

The main long term sustainable services in Sousa Valley are the actions of protection of forests against forest fires which include prevention and fire fighting. In Sousa Valley, the public stakeholders that spends funds with this actions are the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Interior:

A)Transfers from the Ministry of Agriculture to the municipalities

The 6 municipalities of Sousa Valley do not own forest land; however they spend public money in the protection of forests against fires through de development of preventive and strategic actions in public forest roads or other public spaces. For this activity, there were some public funds available from 2000 to 2006 through the AGRIS Programme the Permanent Forest Fund (FFP-Fundo Florestal Permanente).

The table above shows the total of funds approved for the 6 municipalities. The transfers of funds from the Ministry of Agriculture to the 6 municipalities of Sousa Valley amounted 308500 Euros for the period 2004/2005 for funds coming from the AGRIS Programme and 636373, 72 Euros for the period 2005/2006 from funds coming from the FFP.

B)Expenditures of the Ministry of Agriculture with the Fire Surveillance Towers in Sousa Valley

In Sousa Valley there are 4 surveillance towers under the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture. These towers are active during the months of higher risk of forest fire, usually the months of June, July, August and September. Each tower of surveillance has 4 people working by turns of 8 hours earning about 600 Euros/month. This makes a total of 28800 Euros spent by the Ministry of Agriculture per tower of surveillance and per year. (4 towers x 4 people x 600 Euros x 3 monthes).

C)Transfers from the Ministry of Interior to the local FOA

In 2005, the Ministry of Interior transferred 70 000 Euros to the local FOA in order to co-finance the work of fire prevention carry out by the 2 brigades of forest sappers with 5 men each working there.