Wednesday, January 25, 2017
The children of Valdagno, close to Vicenza and Venice in Northern Italy, can now climb, slide and play sustainably with the unveiling of their new PEFC-certified playground equipment.
The chestnut timber used to make the new structures comes from local, PEFC-certified forests in the Italian Small Dolomites of Veneto region. In fact, the timber is from the world’s smallest certified forest – a group of forest owners with just a seven hectare forest.
The use of chestnut to build the structures also marks the first public action of a regional project to promote the use of local chestnut wood.
“Italy is increasingly rich in forests. Forests that support tens of thousands of wood processing companies,” explained Giustino Mezzalira from Veneto Agricoltura. “However, we are still importing at least 80% of timber from abroad. This means we are failing to transform this abundant wood resource into an opportunity for the local economy and the environment.” Giustino added further.
Safeguarding local forest
By increasing the use of chestnut timber within the local industry, the project aims to ensure the active management of these forests. Without regular use and management the forests do not generator income and are therefore often abandoned.
“It’s a real pleasure to be a part of this project, which is giving a new dignity to the resources of our territory,” said Giancarlo Acerbi, the Mayor of Valdagno.
“The project will help to stimulate the attention given to our forests. As more companies invest in our territory, it will not only help our local economy, but also improve the environmental functions our forests provide, such as the prevention of landslides.” Giancarlo concluded.
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