Milvoz has established an environmental measures support protocol with Boavista Sun Cernache, effective from July 2024 with a minimum duration of 2.5 years.
The organisation initially opposed the solar farm project, which threatened 70 hectares of Mediterranean forest and scrubland — an area housing an endangered eagle owl pair. Through sustained mobilisation and engagement with entities such as the Portuguese Society for Bird Studies, Milvoz succeeded in securing environmental protections from the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF).
Following negotiations, a compensation protocol was established transferring 15 hectares to Milvoz at a nominal cost of €1, and securing a 30-year management contract covering approximately 70 hectares in Serra da Lousã — the territory that today forms the Integral Bio-Reserve of Vale da Aveleira.
When operational control transferred to Boavista Sun Cernache in 2022–2023, Milvoz continued engagement to ensure implementation of previous commitments and expand environmental measures through a new formal protocol.
This agreement represents a conservation victory: transforming a conflict into a lasting partnership in the service of the land and its biodiversity.
