The Gardens Department of Calpe Town Council has planted more than fifty trees in the Las Salinas area, which were purchased through the Green Sponsorship scheme. The trees planted are mulberry trees, which will create a shaded area in Las Salinas.
The Green Sponsorship procedure, set out in Calpe's Urban Environment Protection Ordinance, establishes that to fell trees on urban land, a felling permit must be obtained from the Municipal Environment Services, and the authorisation requires the interested party to transfer three trees of the specified species and sizes to the council for each tree felled.
The same ordinance establishes that the construction of new buildings will entail the obligation to transfer trees of the specified species and sizes to the Calpe Town Council. In addition, depending on the type of construction, the number of specimens to be delivered is established. In the case of new single-family properties, five specimens per dwelling are delivered; in the case of new multi-family properties, two specimens per dwelling are delivered; and in the case of new hotel properties, one specimen per room is delivered.
It is estimated that through this procedure, the Town Council acquires around 1,300 trees each year to replant in different areas of the municipality. Through the Green Sponsorship scheme set out in the ordinance, residents can get directly involved in protecting nature. This is a very common practice in some countries and involves citizens donating trees, suggesting where they want the City Council to plant them, and reclaiming specific spaces and turning them into gardens.
There are two types of green sponsorship: zonal, which is intended for the design and planting of specific spaces, considering them as a whole, and individual green sponsorship, which consists of the transfer of individual plant species for subsequent planting by the City Council.
It should also be noted that the local council regulates the species that can be donated in its own ordinance, with the most suitable being those that grow naturally and are adapted to the climate and water regime. Invasive species included in Decree 2013/2009 of the Consell cannot be donated.