Neighbors ask for the installation of protective nets in the century-old grove to avoid accidents
The Local Police Cieza warns of the risk of falling of some centennial trees in the El Maripinar elmeda. Specifically, the agents have issued a report to the City Council of Cieza in which they warn that near the so-called Bridge of the Nine Eyes, “a centenary elm has leaned about thirty degrees with respect to its vertical, while a crack in the ground with a drop of almost two centimeters ”.
Although two years ago an important pruning of these trees was carried out due to the continuous fall of branches that had been taking place, the neighbors who live in this place have been warning that the danger continues. Some of them pointed out to THE TRUTH that the actions carried out “are not enough”, and indicated that “it is necessary to place protective nets in order to avoid accidents and, at the same time, the mutilation of these elms.”
This elm tree, which is protected and cataloged within the selection of Monumental Trees of the Region of Murcia, preserves about forty specimens, which are found in the ciezano area of El Maripinar, on the RM-532 regional road that connects Cieza with the municipality of Mula.
Some of these elms, about 120 years old, reach a height of 30 meters. The trees were planted at the beginning of the 20th century to provide shade for the carriages that traveled to nearby places such as Almadenes or El Cagitán. It is the best preserved elm tree in all of Spain as it was subjected, since the second half of the 90s of the last century, to a treatment against graphiosis, a disease that wiped out a large part of the elm specimens from almost all of Spain. .
Technicians assess the situation
The City Council received the report from the Local Police agents. It so happens that workers from the Autonomous Community carry out a monitoring of the state of centennial trees in different municipalities. Yesterday, the Consistory confirmed that “the technicians of the Ministry were evaluating the situation of the elmeda trees of El Maripinar.”
The General Directorate for the Natural Environment explained to this newspaper that “we are preparing a contract to clean up the entire El Maripinar grove, through a specialized company.”
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