The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry announced today that the Regional Government has already completed the proposal for a legal scheme regulating forestry police activity. It will be approved by the next Council of the Government after a long and hard work involving forest rangers, whose contributions were duly analysed and included in the final proposal.
 
"Last week, PSD announced its intention to present at the Legislative Assembly a draft regional legislative decree creating a legal scheme on forestry police activity. However, it already had the knowledge that the Government was developing a proposal for legislation on a matter about which the PSD Parliamentary Group had already submitted a request. This comes at a time when the Regional Government has already completed its proposal," said João Ponte.
 
The Regional Secretary added that, nevertheless, the Government "awaits the contents of the PSD project and is available to receive contributions to improve the Government's proposal" so that the Azores may have "the best possible legal scheme."
 
João Ponte spoke on the sidelines of a working meeting with the Deputy Counsellor for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Policy of the Government of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country. On the occasion, he stated that the proposal for a legal scheme regulating forestry police activities is yet to be analysed at the Council of the Government and will be submitted to the Legislative Assembly soon after its approval.
 
The Regional Secretary emphasised that the regulation of forestry police duties involves complex and sensitive aspects, such as the power of authority, the use of force and the bearing of arms, which required a thorough reflection and legal consideration.
 
The forest ranger career began in the archipelago in the 1950's. Currently, there are more than 50 forest rangers in the Region with an ever growing theoretical and practical training.
 
Recently, 14 new forest rangers were admitted in the Azores, who will reinforce the crucial role played by these professionals in the defence and surveillance of forests, seeing that they are a structuring element of the Azorean landscape and a factor of economic and social dynamics.