Italian towns contest municipal forest cutting and call for systematic green plans

Residents of Valcanneto, a district of Cerveteri, have appealed to the municipal council to halt a forest‑utilisation plan that would fell about 70 % of the local woodland. The citizens argue the proposal, approved by the town hall on 16 April, lacks solid scientific backing, ignores the area’s hydro‑geological fragility and could threaten biodiversity and slope stability. They are demanding an immediate suspension of the cuts and the creation of a comprehensive forest‑management and settlement plan based on ecological studies.

In the nearby town of Recanati, a group of opposition councilors submitted a minority motion urging the mayor and the executive board to draft a Municipal Green Plan. The motion calls for a coordinated strategy for the protection, maintenance and development of the town’s urban and peri‑urban tree stock, the establishment of a municipal green council, dedicated annual funding and greater transparency through public online reporting. Both initiatives reflect growing local pressure for more sustainable and participatory management of green spaces in Italy.