Expanding the forest area and protecting natural or established forests against different phenomena is the fundamental mission of the State Forest Service (SEF) and, in the province of Las Tunas, this activity registered slight advances at the end of 2022.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- Currently, that area exceeds 129 thousand hectares of forest heritage -that amounts to 165,561-, according to Osleydis Seoane Richardson, head of the SEF in the Delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture, who added that the index of forest in the territory is 20.19 percent.

During the past year, the areas of plantations and natural forests grew; however, reforestation was well below what was planned for the period. It was barely possible to sow 40 percent of the 1,325 hectares to which they aspired.

Low availability of fuel to guarantee cultural attention to the seedlings and the weather conditions, characterized by intense drought are among the causes with the greatest impact. The municipalities of “Jesús Menéndez,” Manatí, Las Tunas, Majibacoa, Jobabo, and “Colombia” failed to comply.

Although only 14 percent of the area is reached under the forest management project and management plans, an increase is reported concerning 2021 and it is intended to expand these areas, based on actions promoted by the Integral Agroforestry Company.

In the Naranjo sub-basin -it is part of the Cauto river basin, and is located in the municipality of Majibacoa- some 1,537 hectares are expected to be reforested by 2030. Half of this plan has already been fulfilled, a significant part with hydro regulatory belts.

In the forested areas of the eight municipalities, the previous calendar was decisive in preventing and confronting crime and illegalities that affect forest resources, wild flora, and fauna, such as logging, poaching, and fires.