New trees to reclaim Amazon lands
There is good news from Brazil with the government of Acre in the Amazon. Ranchers may be made to reforest up to 30% of their land. The government has established a nursery growing seedlings of species such as mahogany which they will issue to ranchers. The government sees this as a vital component of its longterm aim to develop sustainable forestry as a key income generator for Acre.
Until a decade ago, private landowners were allowed to deforest 50% of their land. Now legislation has amended the figure to 80%; but many ranchers have not replanted at all.
Luis Menezes from the environmental group WWF, based in the Acre capital Rio Branco, says the impact of deforestation is being felt locally.
Mr. Menezes — “I believe this is the first time that any Brazilian state has embarked on reforestation as a public policy,”
It has yet to be determined if this policy will take flight. Cattle ranchers of Acre has a non-conformist attitude when it comes to re-forestation. In 1988, Chico Mendes a local rubber tapper and social activist was murdered. It is his concept of sustainable forestry that inspired Jorge Viana’s government. This concept would move Acre from being dependent on a single product such as cattle, to a more diverse economic development with products such as: sustainably logged timber, Brazil nuts, berries, rubber and medicinal plants.
To read more about reforestation in Brazil, click here.
Technorati Tags: Amazon lands, brazil, reforestation
Written by steve on September 28th, 2006 with
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