Earmarked for conservation (Illustration)
צילום: אלון רוטשילד, החברה להגנת הטבע
ILA to form environmental fund
Israel Land Administration to allot $18 million for conservation of open spaces as part of overall reform
The Israel Land Administration (ILA) announced that it plans to form a new environmental conservation fund and will allot NIS 70 million (roughly $18.3 million) of its revenues to that effect.
According to an ILA statement, the fund is part of the administration's reform, which mandates that it allots 1% of its annual revenue in favor of environmental conservation. The current allotment is based on ILA revenue projections of NIS 70 billion.
The new fund will oversee various conservation activities, as well as the environmental development, rehabilitation and cultivation of existing open spaces across Israel.
Areas found to be important for the conservation of bio-diversity, as well as areas known to have fragile or endangered eco-systems will be given a priority.
The fund will be run by an executive board comprised of nine members, including the ILA director and representatives from the Interior Ministry, the Treasury, the National Union of Local Authorities, the Israel Nature and National Parks Service and several environmental groups.
"The land belongs to the Israeli public and it cannot be solely used to line the State's pockets," Housing and Construction Minister Ariel Atias, who serves as the chairman of the ILA board, said.
"The revenues must be funneled back to the public, via housing solutions and the conservation of open spaces, for a better quality of life."
