Public utility for 2.87 hectares of the Matorro and Vargas mountain in Palencia

The Regional Ministry of Environment and Energy of the Junta de Castilla y León has declared 2.87 hectares owned by the Junta Vecinal de Villalafuente to be of public utility and has added them to the cataloged forest «Matorro y Vargas» no. 272 in the province of Palencia. The decision was adopted via Order MAE/889/2026, dated September 9, published in the Official Gazette of Castilla y León number 179, on September 15, 2026, pages 56 to 58.

The order, signed by the regional minister María González Corral, resolves file PA-AG-0087/26 (PA-UP-IC-01/26), initiated by the Territorial Environment Service of Palencia at the request of the Junta Vecinal itself. The lands, corresponding to plot 20001 of polygon 302 in the municipality of Saldaña, are incorporated into the Catalog of Forests of Public Utility of Palencia due to their forestry vocation and their role in soil protection and fire prevention.

A forest with more than 160 years of history

The «Matorro y Vargas» forest was incorporated into the Catalog of Forests of Public Utility on January 22, 1862 and, as stated in the file, is not currently demarcated or marked with boundary stones. The request for the inclusion of the new plot was approved in a plenary session by the Junta Vecinal de Villalafuente on March 6, 2026, and forwarded to the Territorial Service of Palencia on March 17.

The favorable report from the Territorial Section I of Forest Management, issued on March 31, 2026, concluded that the lands comply with the provisions of Law 43/2003, on Forests, as they are essential for protecting the soil against erosion and contributing to the conservation of biological diversity. The technical report fixed the area to be included at 2.87 hectares.

Processing without objections

The procedure followed the hearing and public information steps without receiving any objections:

• On March 31, 2026, the hearing process was notified to the Junta Vecinal for a period of 10 days, with no objections.
• On May 4, 2026, the announcement of public information was published in B.O.C. y L. number 82 for one month, without any objections being presented.
• On June 11, 2026, the favorable Report-Proposal was signed and forwarded to the Directorate General of Natural Heritage and Forestry Policy.
• On August 28, 2026, the Directorate General formulated the draft Order.

New data for the cataloged forest

With the addition, the data for the «Matorro y Vargas» forest no. 272 are updated according to sub-metric precision cartography:

• Total and public area: 235.8813 ha (233.0148 ha + 2.8665 ha).
• Boundaries: no change.

The declaration is based on sections a) and d) of Article 13 of Law 43/2003, which require the proposal of public utility for forests essential for soil protection against erosion and those that contribute to the conservation of biological diversity. Against the order, which concludes the administrative process, a contentious-administrative appeal may be filed before the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the High Court of Justice of Castilla y León based in Valladolid within two months, or an optional appeal for reversal within one month.

The measure reinforces the forest protection of an area in the Saldaña region, expanding the surface area under the public utility regime and guaranteeing the sustainable management of lands that are key to halting erosion and reducing the risk of fires in the rural environment of Palencia.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla y León, no. 179, September 15, 2026, section I.D (Other Provisions), pp. 56-58 (official reference: BOCYL-D-15092026-179-15).