Private owners of woodland in Catalonia are no longer under a general legal duty to manage their forests after the Parliament of Catalonia amended part of a Government decree on the agricultural and forestry sector. The change matters for landowners, nearby residents and councils in fire-prone areas, because it shifts who is legally compelled to carry out routine forest maintenance.

The issue returned to the centre of debate on Monday when President Salvador Illa said in an interview with RAC1 that, “Cutting down trees is not a crime,” and called for “a change of mentality” because “the forest must be managed”. His remarks came as opposition parties criticised the Govern over recent wildfires.

“Cutting down trees is not a crime.”

“The forest must be managed.”Salvador Illa, in comments reported after his RAC1 interview on Monday

What changed in the law

According to the reported parliamentary amendment, Catalan lawmakers backed a modification that removed the requirement which would have obliged private owners to maintain woodland on their land. The practical effect is that private forest management is no longer framed as a blanket obligation in that part of the decree.

The source material supplied for this article does not include the text of the amended provision or the vote count, so the exact legal wording cannot be reproduced here. What is clear from the parliamentary change, and from the debate that followed, is that the previous obligation on private owners was renounced.

  • Who is affected: private owners of forest land in Catalonia.
  • Why residents should care: unmanaged woodland can increase fuel loads in fire-prone zones.
  • Who still has a role: the Generalitat, local councils and other public bodies responsible for fire prevention and forestry policy.

Illa defended his government's climate and forest policies on 8 July, according to reporting that cited his response to criticism over fires. In that exchange, he argued that Catalonia needs active management of wooded areas rather than treating tree felling as inherently wrong.

That line is consistent with the Generalitat's public communications through its Sala de Premsa, the official Government press office, which is the primary source named for this story. The official press office is the channel residents should check for announcements on forestry policy, prevention measures and any new guidance for landowners or municipalities.

Illa called for “a change of mentality” in forest management.

For people living near wooded areas, the immediate point is straightforward. The political argument is not only about conservation. It is also about whether enough clearing, thinning and other maintenance is being done to reduce fire risk.

What owners and residents can do now

Because the legal obligation cited in the debate has been withdrawn, private landowners who want to know what still applies to their plots should check the Generalitat's official notices and any instructions from their local council. The material provided here does not set out replacement rules, deadlines or penalties.

Residents in forest-edge neighbourhoods can take three practical steps:

  • Check the Generalitat press office for any current wildfire prevention announcements or forestry measures.
  • Contact their Ajuntament, the local council, to ask whether local clearance rules or civil protection guidance apply in their area.
  • If they own woodland, confirm whether any sector-specific requirements remain in force under Catalan forestry or fire-prevention rules, because the source material only confirms the removal of this particular obligation.

The confirmed public record from this week's debate is Illa's position that forest management is necessary, and that Parliament has already stepped back from imposing that duty on private owners through the amended decree.

Primary sources: Generalitat de Catalunya. Reported by Source Text Link, Àlex Cárcel, rac1.cat, Albert Sáez,Júlia Regué, David Miró, Núria Orriols, CatalunyaPress.es, Ivan Sànchez Clivillé, blog.ctfc.cat, segre.com, elplural.com, Camilo S. Baquero, vietnamnews.vn, dailyfinland.fi, cubanew/acn, Mirko Kotlas, Hespress EN, Diari ARA.