Neighbors Walk Saladar collaborate to develop a plan of restitution of palm trees attacked by the weevil

Although the efforts of the Department of Parks and Gardens in the fight against the red weevil in our city are being titanic, that little animal goes much faster devouring the dianenses palm trees.

The Paseo del Saladar, with 86 palm trees on its way, is one of the most affected areas. So far they have removed 25 palm trees attacked by the weevil and there are other 7 waiting to be removed. For this reason, the department of parks and gardens that Juan Carlos Signes Is working on a plan to act and restore the area's palm trees.

It is a project that will take several years and in which they will count on the collaboration of the neighbors, who will consult on the specimens to be planted in replacement of the palm trees and the shrubs. It is anticipated that before the end of the year an explanatory meeting will be held in Portelles, where they will be informed about the situation of the palm trees and the existing proposals for the project.

From the department they discard the option to re-flood the walk of palm trees, as they would breach European Union regulations that no redistribution should be re-planted in areas sensitive to red weevil if the aim is to eradicate the problem.

The problem of red weevil in Denia

The plague of the red weevil is being especially cruel to the palms of our city since 2010. Two years in which the council has collaborated with individuals who have had to remove their dead and in which, until a few months ago, it had subsidies from Consellería and other supra-municipal bodies.

But this 2012 Consellería has eliminated the aid against the weevil, the company TRAGSA no longer removes the trunks for free and individuals can not cope with the costs of removing the palm.

This year the municipality is facing a cost of 200.000 euros corresponding to the composting plant to prevent it is the citizen who pays that charge. In this way, now the individual affected by red weevil must hire a company authorized to transfer the trunk and that company is responsible for depositing it in the composting plant without charge.

Since last January, a total of 1.100 trunks have been deposited in the plant. The department of parks and gardens has attended 850 consultations of individuals, going to the affected area to study the case, and 150 sanction files have been opened to owners with affected palm trees, although no one has been sanctioned.