The Government of the Azores opened a new international tender for the cutting, sale and reforestation of seven forest plots on the island of Terceira. This measure was implemented to revitalise the timber industry under the Azorean Agenda for Employment Creation and Business Competitiveness.

The 61 hectare area put to tender mainly consists of Japanese cedar, eucalyptus, acacia and pittosporum woods is located in the forests of Serra de Santa Bárbara, Serra das Quatro Ribeiras and Fontinhas, within the Forest Perimeter of Terceira Island. It was also subject to an Environmental Impact Study.

By implementing this measure, the Regional Government also aims to foster the creation of new business opportunities in the area of processing and innovation within the timber industry. This tender follows those already launched on the island of São Miguel.

This use of good wood from trees at the end of their useful life is complemented with the replanting of public forests, thereby contributing to the creation of direct and indirect jobs in the private sector as well as to the environmentally sustainable renovation of regional forests.

The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and the Environment, through the Regional Directorate for Forest Resources, manages a total of 1,200 hectares of forest areas on Terceira Island. This area encompasses regional forests, under the private domain of the Region, and wastelands of forest perimeters.