The Regional Director for Forest Resources stated that the tagging of trees authorised for cutting during the Christmas season safeguards Azorean forests, while keeping alive the natural Christmas tree tradition at this time of the year.
 
"The provision of tags has yielded good results insofar it allows, on the one hand, consumers to buy trees from areas authorised for cutting, where there is an excess population, and, on the other hand, keep alive the tradition of natural Christmas trees, "said Anabela Isidoro.
 
The Regional Director spoke on the sidelines of a procedure to tag Cryptomeria trees cut by Faial Forest Services in order to meet requests from schools during the Christmas season. The initiative involved the participation of students from Castelo Branco Elementary School and Kindergarten.
 
"These trees are cut in a sustainable managed forest. It was really necessary to cut these trees. I believe this message is passing and if we did not have tagged trees people would be surprised," Anabela Isidoro said, adding that the tags placed on the trees are numbered and inviolable for inspection purposes.
 
Anabela Isidoro recalled that the process of tagging trees for Christmas began seven years ago and prevented many illegal cuttings as well as the cutting of the best trees, thus avoiding future income losses for timber producers.
 
"Forests are an invaluable asset for the services they provide us.  It is important to point out to younger generations the importance of managing forests in a responsible manner by not taking from them more than it is possible and by taking care of them so that they may grow," said Anabela Isidoro. On the occasion, she noted that forestry thinning serves precisely to remove the trees in excess and choose the best ones, which will remain until the final cut.
 
The Regional Director for Forest Resources also considered that, for forest owners who have to wait many years for the return of their investment, forestry thinning may bring intermediate revenue and is important for the management of their forest areas.