Within the framework of the Comprehensive Plan for the Management and Restoration of Areas Affected by Forest Fires 2014–2015, the province of Chubut launched an ambitious forest restoration strategy in areas degraded by fire.
The initiative included the planting of 17,000 native trees across 23 hectares distributed between the Nacientes del Río Tigre Protected Natural Area (Cholila) and the Currumahuida Provincial Forest Reserve (Lago Puelo).
Reforestation with native species: coihues and cypresses to recover the forest
The restoration was carried out with:
- 10,000 coihues (Nothofagus dombeyi)
- 7,000 Andean cypresses (Austrocedrus chilensis)
The planting was conducted with a density of between 850 and 900 plants per hectare, with technical support from the Chubut Forests Secretariat, the Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina (FVS), and civil society organizations, within the framework of the “Forest Landscape Restoration” component of the ProCLIM-AR project.
Environmental education and community participation
In Lago Puelo, the reforestation involved teachers and students from secondary schools in Lago Puelo, El Hoyo, Epuyén, Cholila, Esquel, and Trevelin, as part of an environmental education program promoted by the Forests Secretariat. In Cholila, the tasks were concentrated in the Alerce River valley, with the planting of 15,000 specimens in pilot implementation activities.
“Restoration not only recovers the ecological functionality of the forest but also strengthens the bond between communities and their environment,” highlighted Ariel Medina, forest specialist at FVS.
Restoration with an integral approach: conservation, resilience, and development
These actions are part of a larger effort to recover the 42,176 hectares affected by fires in the northwest of the Andean Patagonian Forest. In addition to reforestation, a participatory process is being promoted to update the Strategic Restoration Plan, integrating:
- Biodiversity conservation
- Climate change adaptation
- Local socioeconomic development
“Chubut is undergoing an unprecedented ecological and social reconstruction process,” expressed Gastón Arancibia, Director of Programs and Projects at the Forests Secretariat.
International cooperation and multi-actor articulation
The “Forest Landscape Restoration” component is part of the ProCLIM-AR project, implemented by the German Cooperation Agency GIZ within the framework of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German government. The consortium is led by FVS, along with Fundación AVINA and GIZ, with participation from:
- National Directorate of Native Forests (Argentina)
- Directorate of Sustainable Production (Agriculture Secretariat)
- Chubut Forests Secretariat
- Ministry of Ecology of Misiones
This collective effort seeks to restore one of Patagonia’s most valuable ecosystems, laying the foundations for a long-term restoration model that links human well-being with the protection of native forests.
