The Municipality of Braga planted 614 trees in 2024. For decades, the urban trees in the municipality of Braga were the target of systematic aggressive, poorly executed and technically inadequate pruning.
In addition to this fact, it should be noted that the urban trees were also the target of various ‘mistreatment’ (cutting and mutilation of roots and poorly carried out staking). According to the municipality, “since 2013, the Municipality of Braga has imposed rigor and rules regarding the pruning and felling of trees. In this context, since 2015, incorrect pruning has stopped being carried out by the municipality’s team of gardeners”.
Atino Bessa, councilor for the Environment at Braga City Council, highlights the importance of evaluating and analyzing the trees based on studies carried out by technicians and academics capable of issuing reliable opinions that meet, above all, the population’s safety context. “It is in this strategy of study and technical evaluation that we have been investing in a logic of planning the management of the municipality’s trees. Thus, since 2015, the Municipality has stopped carrying out pruning without being based on duly substantiated technical opinions. It should be noted that poorly executed pruning techniques have caused a somewhat accentuated decline (depending on the species) in the public tree heritage”.
According to the person responsible, this “disoriented action” caused many specimens to be placed at greater risk of fractures and falls. “Faced with this reality, we changed the methodology and considered it essential to carry out a diagnosis of the phytosanitary state and biomechanical soundness. We are keen to make this diagnosis public so that there are no doubts about the state of the municipality’s tree structure. This is transparency work that we have been developing since 2015, the year in which excessive and strategic pruning stopped being practiced”, maintains Altino Bessa.
The Municipality has cut down trees that pose a danger to the population. In addition, it is important to highlight the fact that the number of plantations exceeds, “on a large scale”, the number of slaughters which, it should be noted, are carried out based on the phytosanitary assessment of the risk of fracture. Between the months of January and March 2024, 68 trees were felled after assessing their phytosanitary status and the risk of fracture as they were in a state of severe degradation and in danger of falling, thus potentially causing damage to people and property.
Altino Bessa adds that thousands of trees have been planted throughout the municipality, including through awareness-raising actions that involve the entire community. “This year alone, 614 new trees were planted, with the main concern being that the new trees planted adapt to the available space so that when they reach an adult state, they do not conflict with the buildings, roads (sidewalks and lanes) and infrastructure. -buried structures”.
Based on the data presented, it is possible to see that there is a broadly positive ratio between the number of trees felled and the number of trees planted. “For every tree felled, the Municipality planted nine new trees”, concludes Altino Bessa.
It should be noted that, in addition to the thousands of trees planted over the last few years in various initiatives, such as Reflorestar Braga and Oxigenar Braga, the Gardens and Green Spaces Division also planted thousands of trees. This team proceeds to fell and plant the numbers presented here.
