Should Private Companies Manage Madeira’s Hiking Trails?

Quercus Opposes Government’s Proposal to Privatize The Management of Hiking Trails

The Madeira branch of Quercus, one of Portugal’s leading environmental organizations, has publicly criticized a plan by the government to hand over the management of public hiking trails to private companies. In a statement released Sunday, Quercus said it clearly opposes the idea, arguing that most of these trails are located in protected natural areas and must be handled with care.

Concerns Over Nature Conservation

According to the group, the trails in question pass through Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Zones. These areas fall under European law, which requires member states to maintain or restore the health of habitats and species considered important for the EU.

Elsa Araújo, president of the Quercus Regional Branch, stated that the government is already failing to meet these obligations. She pointed to several problems, including the

• absence of an updated management plan for Natura 2000 areas

• lack of proper review for large projects like the Curral cable car

• weak control of invasive plant species.

Profit Versus Protection

Quercus says there is a conflict between protecting the environment and allowing heavy tourism activity run by private interests. “The financial gains from usage fees should go entirely to maintain and restore trails and protect nature. It is not acceptable for part of this money to support private business,” the statement reads.

The group also argued that conservation often requires limiting the number of visitors, something that does not match the goal of private companies aiming to earn more money.

Does the Government want to take on the costs and hand over the income? This only strengthens the impression that nature conservation is clearly not a priority for the Government, and that the new Regional Secretariat aims to use the environment to serve uncontrolled tourism, which unfortunately is already harming the Region

Quercus, Diário de Notícias da Madeira

Government Actions Questioned

The group also expressed confusion about the timing of the privatization plan. In 2024, the government introduced a €3-per-person fee for classified hiking trails, which brought in €351,000 in just two months. At the same time, 36 new forest guards were hired, and over €59,000 was spent on monitoring and counting visitors.

Quercus questions why, after these improvements and the new income, the government is still choosing to hand over trail management to private groups. “Is the government trying to keep the costs and give away the profits?” the group asked.

They ended their statement with a warning: “It has become clear that nature conservation is not a serious concern for the government. The new Secretariat seems more focused on turning the environment into a tool for