PS urges Albuquerque to back its grazing plan for Madeira's hills

Madeira's PS party has challenged regional president Miguel Albuquerque to adopt its proposed silvopastoral regime for fire prevention, after years of the PSD/CDS majority rejecting similar plans. PS deputy Sílvia Silva accused the government of contradicting its own past positions and relying on propaganda rather than results, citing wasted spending on mechanical land clearing and failed reforestation. She argued the current grazing rules, which require proof of land ownership, block transhumance-style rotational grazing. The PS proposal would integrate shepherds into the region's rural fire management system and pay them for cleared areas.