It was through a diploma of the Legislative Assembly of Madeira, Regional Legislative Decree 18/96/M, of 6 August, that Vila Baleira was elevated to the category of city. Twenty-five years after that date, the City Council marked the anniversary, on Saturday 7th, at 10:00 am, with a tribute to the 100 years of reforestation of Pico do Castelo, with a session that brought together the Municipality of Porto Santo, the Regional Secretariat Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, and the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation, with interventions by the Mayor, Idalino Vasconcelos and the Regional Secretary, Susana Prada.

The tribute recalled António Schiappa de Azevedo, forestry regent and all the men who carried out the reforestation, in the eastern mass of the island, starting at Pico do Castelo and extending the forestry, «covered with a half-slope up», the Picos do Facho, Branco, and Pico da Gandaia, fighting against all difficulties and “committing the greatest sacrifices”. As the island had been depopulated of its centuries-old dragon trees and junipers bent by the winds, a great will and commitment were needed to reforest Porto Santo so bare in the middle of the Atlantic. It was an authentic epic to tree the steep slopes of rocky soil and beaten by the winds without the modern means of today, but doing it by the strength and sweat of the men who supported the initiative.

The official commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the elevation of the city of Porto Santo was attended by the Community Center Choir and the Porto Santo Senior University Choir, who performed the song “Porto Santo”, by Max and a poem “Oh Pico, Verde Pico”. This was followed by the presentation of the book, “O regent da forest” by Rute Areal, by Diana Branco. "O Regente da Floresta" is a story about adventure, courage and determination, aimed at any age group, which takes the reader on a journey through the island's history and culture, seeking to awaken in each one of us the will to contribute to the development of our territory and our people.