Olive grove authorized in the Natura 2000 Network of Torrecilla

The General Directorate of Sustainable Management and Forestry Policy of the Regional Ministry of Industry, Energy, Science and Territory has issued a favorable environmental impact report for the project to change the land use of forest area to agricultural for olive grove planting promoted by Cristian Domínguez Sánchez in the municipality of Torrecilla de los Ángeles (Cáceres). The resolution, signed on August 17, 2026, concludes that the action is not expected to produce significant adverse impacts on the environment and that it is not appropriate to subject it to an ordinary environmental impact assessment. The document is published in the Official Gazette of Extremadura number 165, dated August 26, 2026, with reference 2026062181 and file IA25/1187.

The action affects 9.49 hectares of grassland and scrubland with scattered maritime pine (Pinus pinaster), which will be transformed into rain-fed olive groves with a planting frame of 6 x 6 meters. The stated objective is to increase the profitability of the farm. The estate is located 1.80 kilometers southeast of the urban center, within the basin of the Tagus Hydrographic Confederation, and is included in the Natura 2000 Network, within the Sierras de Risco Viejo Special Area of Conservation (SAC) (ES4320047).

Processing and consultations

The request for a simplified environmental assessment was submitted on December 11, 2025, to the then General Directorate of Sustainability, and consultations with administrations and entities were carried out on January 26, 2026. Six bodies responded, including:

• General Directorate of Libraries, Archives and Cultural Heritage
• Tagus Hydrographic Confederation
• General Directorate of Urbanism, Territorial Planning and Urban Agenda
• Forest Fire Prevention and Extinction Service
• Nature Conservation and Protected Areas Service
• Forestry Planning and Management Service

No response was recorded from entities such as Greenpeace, AMUS, Ecologistas en Acción, Adenex, or SEO-Bird/Life, among others consulted.

Favorable reports and conditions

The Nature Conservation and Protected Areas Service reported favorably on the activity in its report on the impact on the Natura 2000 Network (CN26/0617/03), considering that it is not likely to appreciably affect the protected sites nor significant species or habitats. The Forestry Planning and Management Service also issued a favorable report on June 22, 2026. The report incorporates extensive conditions including:

• Respect the roots of oaks and do not plant olive trees within 8 meters of holm oaks.
• Maintain a minimum distance of 5 meters from the forest vegetation of the boundary.
• Fully preserve natural boundaries and elements of the agricultural landscape.
• Remove plant debris within a maximum period of two months and before the high fire risk season.
• Comply with fire prevention regulations (INFOEX and PREIFEX plans) and water protection regulations against nitrates.

Validity and Scope

The environmental impact report will lose its validity if, once published in the Official Gazette of Extremadura, the project is not authorized within a period of four years. The document is issued for environmental purposes only, without prejudice to the corresponding sectoral authorizations, including that for the change of forest land use, which must be granted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Environment in accordance with Decree 57/2018. The report is not subject to administrative appeal, without prejudice to the appeals that may proceed against the authorization act.

The resolution, signed by the general director Juan Eloy Rodríguez Ucedo, highlights the tension between agricultural promotion and the conservation of protected areas: although the estate is located in an SAC (Special Area of Conservation), the environmental body considers that the action, in an area of interest and without confirmed natural values in the plots, is compatible with the Natura 2000 Network provided that the imposed measures are met. The decision sets a relevant precedent for future transformations of woodland into olive groves within the European network spaces in Extremadura.

Source: Official Gazette of Extremadura, no. 165, August 26, 2026, section III Other Resolutions (official reference: 2026062181, file IA25/1187).