Brazil to Auction Off Virginia-Sized Section of Amazon to Timber Companies

[n2doc]

by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.13.10
BUSINESS & POLITICS
It may seem shocking, but according to reports by Reuters, Brazil is preparing to auction off big chunks of the Amazon rainforest to timber companies. By year-end 2.47 millions of acres of forests will go under private management, with 27 million acres privately controlled within five years--that's an area the size of Virginia.

Currently just 370,000 acres are allocated for private logging concessions. indigenous people have been allocated 47 million acres, with resettled peasants being granted 21 million.

The whole thing is being done in the name of combatting deforestation and climate change--according to the head of Brazil's National Forestry Service, "The future of the Amazon...is strengthening forest management. I don't see any other solution."

Though deforestation rates have been falling in the Brazilian Amazon, illegal logging and land-clearing for agriculture is very difficult to enforce, which is why the Forestry Service believes that private management of the forests may do a better job.

more

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/10/brazil-auction-virginia-sized-section-amazon-to-timber-companies.php

[w4rma]

1. No. Anyone who believes that this is being done to prevent further deforistation is naive. (nt)