An environmental group has reported scrub clearance at El Recorral park in Rojales to the Civil Guard’s nature protection unit, Seprona. Amigos de los Humedales del Sur de Alicante (AHSA) claims that at least 10,000 square metres of Mediterranean undergrowth have been cleared in an area of hills that has survived intense urban development.

After visiting the site, the group described the damage as serious, particularly on steep slopes where heavy machinery removed vegetation cover. It warned this could trigger erosion and the loss of fertile soil, making natural recovery more difficult. AHSA said species such as blackthorn, albaida and esparto grass may have been affected.

The organisation has also raised concerns about disturbance to nesting birds, as the work has taken place during the breeding season. It has asked both Seprona and Rojales Town Hall to halt the clearance immediately and to seek guidance from the regional Environment Department. The group wants any further action postponed until after the breeding season, with replanting planned for winter.

Rojales mayor Antonio Pérez has said the intervention followed regional technical criteria. He stated that dead Aleppo pines, affected by Tomicus beetle or drought stress, were shredded on site to create ground cover, and denied damage to shrubs or wildlife. He has invited the group to inspect the replanting work.