The Department of Environment and Tourism will manage in 2027 a total budget of 302.99 million euros, which implies an increase of 48% compared with the 204.6 million in own funds for this year, once extraordinary funding coming from the FITE and MMR funds has been excluded. Within these accounts, prevention and fire-fighting are especially reinforced, to which up to 86.24 million are allocated.
So this Monday the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Luis Biendicho, has explained in his appearance before the Budget, Appropriations and Public Administration Commission of the Cortes of Aragon, where he defended budgets that reflect a "change of priorities" and place the management of the territory at the center of action of the regional Executive.
Biendicho presented the budgetary project as the economic embodiment of a "change of course based on a policy of common sense, protection and defense of the territory, and attention to the real problems of people in Aragon".
The head of Environment and Tourism has opted for an environmental policy focused on active management, prevention and balance, as opposed to an approach sustained only by restrictions.
Likewise, he has called for proportionality and a view adjusted to rural reality regarding the obligations that the "primary sector faces through the application of the principles of the 2030 Agenda and the European Green Deal".
Historic reinforcement in forest management and fires
The Directorate General for Forest Management will have 86.26 million euros, compared with 51.14 million in 2024, which represents an increase close to 70%. With this item, a forest policy will be articulated based on three lines of action: prevention, firefighting, and recovery.
Biendicho has emphasized the importance of intervening before the months of greatest danger, through silvicultural treatments, maintenance of tracks, reduction of plant fuel, and sustainable use of timber and biomass.
"To conserve is to manage the mountain. It is not to abandon it," he said, asserting the active and responsible role of farmers, ranchers, hunters and forest professionals as allies of conservation.
The INFOAR device will have 51 million euros for the prevention and firefighting of fires, the largest allocation recorded so far in Aragon for this purpose.
In this section, the accounts foresee a progressive reinforcement of the workforce, with a forecast of up to 215 new hires, and a 10% salary improvement set for 2027, within the framework of the pre-agreement reached in September with the SAMA.
The operation will also be reinforced with four additional helicopters and two additional amphibious aircraft, with 3.92 million euros, and 9.52 million for the hiring of nine helicopters. In total, 13.44 million euros are allocated to air assets, which implies an increase of up to 223.86% compared to 2024.
In addition, one million euros is reserved to modernize the bases and ground infrastructures. The personnel reinforcement also extends to the Agents for the Protection of Nature (APN), with twenty new positions planned for 2027, within a plan to create fifty jobs over three years. The budget also includes, likewise, 1.2 million euros to renew the APN vehicle fleet.
The prevention and restoration measures are completed with one million euros to implement the Plan for the Promotion of Timber Uses (PIAMA), 1.08 million to continue the Reforestation Plan for Aragon, and 1.5 million earmarked for the restoration of areas affected by wildfires in the summer of 2026.
Natural environment and support for municipalities
The General Directorate of Natural Environment will have 24.6 million euros, with priority for the compensation fund aimed at town councils located in natural spaces, which increases by 10%, to reach two million euros.
The budget also includes investments to improve access and infrastructure in natural enclaves, such as the forest track of the North axis of Guara (1,000,000 euros); the improvement of access to the Añisclo sector (500,000 euros) in the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, and 1.05 million euros for the Escalona-Sarvisé axis.
Likewise, 2.76 million euros are allocated to continue recovering the banks of the Huerva in Zaragoza and another two million euros to the renaturalization project through a river park in Cuarte de Huerva.
Hunting and fishing: reduction of fees and collaboration
The new General Directorate of Hunting and Fishing will have 1.84 million euros. Among its lines of action is the promotion of collaboration with the Federación Aragonesa de Caza, with an allocation of 65,000 euros through three subsidies for the monitoring and tracking of species.
Among the most relevant measures is included an 80% reduction in the regional fees for hunting and fishing licenses and permits. In this context, the minister Biendicho has highlighted the social, economic and environmental contribution of these practices, as well as their "contribution to controlling species that cause damage to crops or may pose health risks".
Tourism, environmental quality and water
The General Directorate of Tourism and Hospitality will have 17.3 million euros, with support for projects in the three provinces, including the Aragonese Way of St. James, the Way of the Holy Grail, and the Fiat Lux project, as well as investments in tourism infrastructure. The 2.3 million euros planned for the connection between Astún and Candanchú stand out.
The General Directorate of Environmental Quality will have 24.8 million euros. Among its main lines is included the continuity of the work to control and monitor historical lindane contamination at the locations of Sardas, Bailín and Inquinosa, as well as the start of the early processing of actions for the remediation of Las Tiesas and the definitive closure of the safety cell of Bailín.
The Aragonese Institute for Environmental Management (INAGA) includes 275,000 euros to create new positions and reinforce its technical structure. For its part, the Aragonese Water Institute will manage 90.67 million euros for the improvement of water supplies, wastewater treatment, and hydraulic infrastructures in the Aragonese municipalities.
Of this amount, 13.1 million are reserved for the Special Drainage Plan. In addition, the Government agreement includes a 40% reduction in the Environmental Tax on Wastewater (IMAR) for certain uses by large families, applicable from 2027 to large families of special category.