Environmental green light for 46.97 hectares of rain-fed almond trees in Monfragüe

The General Directorate of Sustainable Management and Forestry Policy of the Ministry of Industry, Energy, Science and Territory has issued a favorable environmental impact statement for the project to implement rainfed woody crops promoted by El Parralejo, CB, in the municipality of Torrejón el Rubio (Cáceres). The resolution, signed on August 18, 2026, by the general director Juan Eloy Rodríguez Ucedo, is published in the Official Gazette of Extremadura (DOE) No. 166, of August 27, 2026, with official reference 2026062185 and file IA25/0035.

The project consists of the change of land use from forestry to agricultural through the planting of rainfed almond trees over an area of 46.97 hectares, located in polygon 38, plot 41, enclosure 11. The action falls under Annex IV of Law 16/2015, of April 23, on environmental protection of Extremadura, and group 9, 1.), of Annex I of Royal Decree 445/2023, which requires this statement to be formulated prior to the authorization of the change of use, which is the competence of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Environment.

A sensitive project within the Natura 2000 Network

The plot is included in protected spaces of the Extremadura Protected Areas Network, which has conditioned the environmental analysis:

• SPA “Monfragüe and the surrounding dehesas” (ES0000014).
• SAC “Monfragüe” (ES4320077).
• Biosphere Reserve, according to the zoning of the Management Plan in the Interest Zone ZI 56 b, “Oreganal irrigation zone”.

The land, currently dedicated to pastures, presents a flat or slightly undulating morphology with an approximate slope of 3%, and does not house forestry specimens of more than fifteen centimeters in diameter, except for two holm oak trees on the western boundary which must be respected. The crop will be established with a planting frame of 6 x 6 m², with planting during the winter vegetative dormancy between December and February.

Alternatives and participation process

The promoter presented three alternatives, in addition to the “no-action” option, evaluated through multi-criteria analysis:

• Alternative 1: 65.59 ha, with the disappearance of 18.29 ha of dehesa and a pond of 0.31 ha.
• Alternative 2: 65.27 ha, which also affected the dehesa area.
• Alternative 3: 46.97 ha, without affecting the dehesa, chosen for its lower impact on hydrology, vegetation, and habitats.

Public information was carried out via an announcement in the DOE no. 180, of September 18, 2025, and no allegations were received. During the consultation process, responses were provided by the Nature Conservation and Protected Areas Service, the Tagus Hydrographic Confederation, the Forest Fire Prevention and Extinction Service, the Land Use Planning and Urbanism services, and the Forest Management and Planning Service, which issued a favorable report on the change of use. Among the interested parties consulted were Ecologistas en Acción, SEO/BirdLife, ADENEX, Greenpeace, and AMUS, with no allegations.

Conditions and validity

The declaration incorporates extensive conditions: works shall be carried out outside the period between May 1 and June 15, holm oak bases shall be respected, earthworks shall be limited, and the designation of an environmental coordinator shall be required. The declaration will lose its validity if execution does not begin within four years of its publication.

The resolution concludes that the project is not likely to appreciably affect Natura 2000 Network sites nor produce significant effects on the environment, provided that the collected preventive, corrective, and compensatory measures are met. The decision sets a relevant precedent for the transformation of forest land into dryland within protected spaces, balancing agricultural development and the conservation of one of Extremadura’s most emblematic natural sites.

Source: Official Gazette of Extremadura, no. 166, August 27, 2026, section III (official reference: 2026062185, file IA25/0035).