SP reopens 69 parks after closure due to risk of fires

The São Paulo government will reopen 69 of the 81 parks and conservation areas that have been closed to visitor access since September 1st due to the risk of forest fires.

The State is facing one of the worst droughts in recent years, with a water supply crisis in the interior. The capital of São Paulo ranked first in the international ranking of cities with the worst air quality for two days in a row.

From Monday (30th) it will be possible to visit the Cantareira State Park and the public use areas under concession in the Campos do Jordão State Park (trails will remain closed).

As well as the Serra do Mar State Park, both in the Cunha nucleus and in Santa Virgínia, among other conservation units managed by the Fundação Florestal.

“The decision was taken after a meeting of the Government’s crisis cabinet and is based on the weather conditions predicted for the next few days and the degree of risk of forest fires”, states the State Secretariat for the Environment, Infrastructure and Logistics (Semil) .

Another 13 conservation units will remain closed until at least October 12th. “These are parks located in areas without rain and with fires in the surrounding area, which also require intensive dedication to prevent fires”, says the ministry. This is the case of the Furnas do Bom Jesus State Park and the Valinhos Ecological Station.

Ecotourism activities can only be carried out as long as there is no risk to the visitor on the day, so it is important to consult the park beforehand about its operation, if this is the purpose of the visit.

Some parks have adopted different opening hours for ecotourism operations. Others remain with some attractions or trails closed, as is the case with Campos de Jordão.

“Fundação Florestal teams remain dedicated to monitoring, fighting fire outbreaks and raising awareness among surrounding communities. In the event of an increase in the risk or occurrence of fire, the Conservation Units may be closed again to ensure the safety of visitors”, says Rodrigo Levkovicz, executive director of Fundação Florestal.

Fires devastate parks

As shown by the Estadãothe Cabuçu nucleus, in Cantareira, in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, was prohibited from entering on September 5th to combat the flames that spread across the region and reached areas of Guarulhos, Mairiporã and the capital.

The problem does not just affect São Paulo. In Brasília, the National Park lost 2 thousand hectares of vegetation, according to ICMBio, between the 15th and 16th of September due to fires. The area is equivalent to 5% of the total park.

The Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, in Goiás, was closed last Thursday, 26th, due to a new forest fire near Vila de São Jorge. The visitors, including those who were in the Sete Quedas camping area, were removed by the Parquetur concessionaire team.

At the beginning of the month, a fire had also destroyed 10 thousand hectares of the park, in the northeast of Goiás, between the municipalities of Alto Paraíso de Goiás, Cavalcante, Teresina de Goiás, Nova Roma and São João d’Aliança.

Check out the list of conservation units in SP that will be reopened on September 30th:

Area of ​​Relevant Ecological Interest (ARIE) Leopoldo Couto Magalhães;

Ecological Station (EE) Angatuba;

Ecological Station (EE) Assis;

Ecological Station (EE) Avaré;

Ecological Station (EE) Caetetus;

Ecological Station (EE) Itaberá;

Ecological Station (EE) Itapeti;

Ecological Station (EE) Itapeva;

Ecological Station (EE) Itirapina;

Ecological Station (EE) Marília;

Ecological Station (EE) Mata do Jacaré;

Ecological Station (EE) Noroeste Paulista;

Ecological Station (EE) Paranapanema;

Ecological Station (EE) Paulo de Faria;

Ecological Station (EE) Ribeirão Preto;

Ecological Station (EE) Santa Bárbara;

Ecological Station (EE) Santa Maria;

Experimental Station (EEX) Araraquara;

Experimental Station (EEX) Bauru;

Experimental Station (EEX) Bento Quirino;

Experimental Station (EEX) Buri;

Experimental Station (EEX) Casa Branca;

Experimental Station (EEX) Itapetininga;

Experimental Station (EEX) Itapeva;

Experimental Station (EEX) Itararé;

Experimental Station (EEX) Itirapina;

Experimental Station (EEX) Jaú;

Experimental Station (EEX) Luis Antônio;

Experimental Station (EEX) Mogi Mirim;

Experimental Station (EEX) Paraguaçu Paulista;

Experimental Station (EEX) Santa Rita do Passa Quatro;

Experimental Station (EEX) São José do Rio Preto;

Experimental Station (EEX) São Simão;

State Forest (FE) Assis;

State Forest (FE) Guarulhos;

State Forest (FE) Northwest Paulista;

State Forest (FE) Pederneiras;

State Forest (FE) Santa Bárbara;

State Forest (FE) Serra D’Água;

Edmundo Navarro de Andrade State Forest (FEENA);

Angatuba Forest;

Avaré I Forest;

Avaré II Forest;

Bebedouro Forest;

Botucatu Forest;

Cajuru Forest;

Manduri Forest;

Paranapanema Forest;

Piraju Forest;

Natural Monument (MONA) Mantiqueira;

Natural Monument (MONA) Pedra do Baú (3am to 11am: Pedra Ana Chata – access Trilha do Chico Bento; Pedra do Baú; and Trilha do Chico Bento – North Face – Pedra do Baú; 8am to 12pm: Bauzinho; Trilha do Mirante; closed: Roteiro das 3 Pedras);

Natural Monument (MONA) Pedra Grande (access only by road; access to trails and Pedra da Baleia is not permitted);

Aguapeí State Park (PE) (except Trilha dos Angicos);

State Park (PE) Águas da Billings;

Águas da Prata State Park (PE);

State Park (PE) Agrarian Reform Advisory;

Campos do Jordão State Park (PE) (closed trails and open public use areas under concession);

Jaraguá State Park (PE) (except Pai Zé Trail);

State Park (PE) Juquery;

State Park (PE) Mananciais Campos do Jordão;

Morro do Diabo State Park (PE) (except Paranapanema Trail);

State Park (PE) Porto Ferreira (from 8am to 1pm);

Rio do Peixe State Park (PE) (except Trilha da Capivara and Trilha da Casa Amarela – Estrada da Capivara);

Serra do Mar State Park (PE) – Núcleo Cunha;

Serra do Mar State Park (PE) – Núcleo Santa Virgínia;

State Park (PE) Cantareira – Núcleo Cabuçu;

State Park (PE) Vassununga;

Biological Reserve (ReBio) Mogi-Guaçu;

Aimorés Wildlife Refuge (RVS).

Units that will remain closed until at least October 12th:

Ecological Station (EE) Bananal;

Ecological Station (EE) Barreiro Rico;

Ecological Station (EE) Bauru;

Ecological Station (EE) Ibicatu;

Ecological Station (EE) Jataí;

Ecological Station (EE) Mogi-Guaçu;

Ecological Station (EE) Valinhos;

Experimental Station (EEX) Mogi-Guaçu;

Experimental Station (EEX) Tupi;

Batatais Forest;

State Park (PE) Furnas do Bom Jesus;

State Park (PE) Itaberaba;

State Park (PE) Itapetinga.

This content was originally published in SP reopens 69 parks after closure due to risk of fires on the CNN Brasil website.

Source: CNN Brasil