The initiative, open until July 4, aims to collect citizens' concerns and suggestions before drafting the first specific planning document for this natural area. The contributions will be integrated into the initial draft of the plan, according to Victor Delisau, Insular Director of Technical Development of Planning and Landscape for the Council.
The main objective of the PORN is to legally safeguard the Special Natural Reserve of the Maspalomas Dunes, a process expected to take approximately 17 months until final approval. This plan will provide the enclave with a specific environmental management tool, detailing the reserve's boundaries and justifying its current delimitation, which is already established in regional legislation.
The document will define permitted and prohibited uses within the reserve, as well as those requiring future regulation through the Management and Use Plan. Delisau highlighted the need to substantiate the current boundaries against those previously approved by the Parliament and noted that the controversy surrounding the Digitalization Law, which could affect coastal delimitation, must be considered.
“"The Maspalomas natural park must be protected much more severely"; "the real problem of the environment is not the people who enjoy it, but the lack of cleanliness, security, and maintenance"; "the conservation level must increase drastically"; "there should be a space where the importance of this natural and unique environment is explained"; "conservation should not imply the exclusion of people or disproportionate restrictions on access."
The Reserve, spanning approximately 404 hectares in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, includes the dune field, the Maspalomas Pond, the Oasis Palm Grove, and Tony Gallardo Park. The coexistence of conservation and public use is a recurring theme in citizen contributions, with some participants demanding stricter restrictions while others prioritize cleanliness, security, and environmental education, consistently advocating for orderly access.
This new PORN addresses a state legal requirement and the need to enhance the legal effectiveness of the reserve's declaration, given the absence of a specific plan. The Department of Territorial Policy and Landscape considers the development of these plans for natural spaces declared without such an instrument to be a priority.
Concurrently, a technical assistance service for environmental informers has been tendered for 562,538 euros to manage visitor flow in the area's most ecologically fragile zones. These professionals will guide visitors along authorized paths to mitigate impacts such as excessive trampling, the creation of uncontrolled trails, and incompatible activities, like the use of the dune field for unauthorized purposes.
