The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry announced that the Regional Directorate for Forest Resources will invest this year 1.2 million Euros in infrastructures on the island of Terceira, including the work on Pico Gaspar Rural Road. This intervention will reduce production costs, enhance safety and prepare the sector to meet future challenges.
 
"This year, the financial allocation of the Regional Directorate for Forest Resources for investments throughout the Region reaches nearly 11 million Euros, of which 1.2 million Euros will be invested on Terceira. The investment evidences the Regional Government's priority to infrastructures," said João Ponte.
 
The government official spoke in Angra do Heroísmo at the end of a hearing at the Committee on General Policy at the Legislative Assembly about a draft resolution submitted by CDS/PP on resurfacing the access road to Lagoa do Negro lake, Gruta do Natal cave and Mistérios Negros hiking trail on Terceira island.
 
For João Ponte, the work on Pico Gaspar Forest Road falls within the Regional Government's strategy to improve access to the agricultural and forest sector, thus contributing to cost reduction in farms and enhanced safety as well as to preparation of the sector for future challenges.
 
"When the fair income of farms is called into question, whether be dairy or milk farms, and when this discussion takes place, with special emphasis on Terceira, the Government has to provide conditions towards the improvement of the profitability of farms. This will be achieved by reducing costs, namely those related to infrastructures, promoting training and supporting income," stated João Ponte. According to him, the government official ensured that the Regional Government will do everything within the reach of its powers to do so.
 
As for the work on Pico Gaspar Forest Road, scheduled to start in June, João Ponte ensured that the intervention was already planned by the Regional Government long before the opposition addressed the matter.
 
"The intervention had already been scheduled under the draft Plan for 2019.  We are talking about August last year, long before the CDS/PP initiative," João Ponte said, adding that the tender specifications are at the final stage of preparation for the tender to be launched."
 
The work covers an extension of 3.5 kilometres and represents an investment of more than 250 thousand Euros, whose benefit goes far beyond the agricultural and forest sectors as it also provides access to tourist sites.
 
Moreover, this intervention will benefit more than twenty farms, comprising 70 hectares of pastureland and 30 hectares of forest area within the Forest Perimeter of Terceira Island.