Portugal faces two‑year forest cleanup after Storm Kristin damage

Pedro Serra Ramos, president of the National Association of Forestry, Agricultural and Environmental Companies (ANEFA), told a parliamentary inquiry that removing storm‑torn timber and clearing the areas most affected by Storm Kristin will require at least two years. He said the cleanup task has been mistaken for forest management and warned owners that failure to clear the zones by the end of June could result in fines higher than in previous years.

Ramos highlighted the financial strain on small and micro‑forestry firms, noting a loss of about €10 million during a 17‑day summer work ban and estimating that mandatory annual clean‑ups across Portugal would cost roughly €423 million. He criticized the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF) for lacking capacity to supervise the work and warned that removing personnel from forests increases fire risk. The association, representing around a thousand forest companies, called for greater focus on proper forest management rather than costly, possibly unnecessary clean‑ups.