- More than 20 healthy trees were cut off at the Gurutzeta Institute in Barakaldo in early January, it is the responsibility of the Government, but did not apply for a license to perform the court, according to the City Hall. The City Hall has initiated the investigation and EH Bildu has asked for parliamentary explanations; by February the government will have to answer several questions.
The felling of trees “has been carried out without any public communication or prior warning or explanation”, criticized Ekologistak Martxan denouncing “indiscriminate felling”. Asked the question, the City Council of Barakaldo replied that the Education Department of the Basque Government is competent at the Institute and that it did not request a license for the court, that they will ask for clarification and that if not correctly alleged a fine dossier will be initiated. Barakaldo has an Urban Trees Protection Ordinance, against which he acts.
EH MEP Bildu, Ikoitz Arrese, has now put a number of questions to the Basque Parliament, and before 6 February the Education Advisor, Jokin Bildarratz, why has the trees been felled? What's been the cause of this felling? What permission has the Department of Education requested to do this and what license does it have to do it?
"They should promote the protection of nature at school and see how trees cut down is not the best way to teach it"
In Barakaldo, more than 100 trees were cut down last year and only 19 were replanted, according to the environmental movements. “The systematic felling of urban trees is a bad model for citizens. Moreover, it is a gross negligence in the climate emergency we live in,” says EH Bildu.
At a time when work is being done to make the courtyards have more natural spaces in many schools, the trees in the Cruces Institute have been demolished: “We don’t know what this massive cut has caused, but it’s not the best example the school can give its students – Ekologistak Martxan criticized – should encourage nature protection in school and see how trees cut down is not the best way to teach it.”
ARGIA spoke to the director of Cruces to ask if he heard about the court and what his opinion is, but did not want to make any statement.