Brazil this month announced the creation of protected areas covering 1.35 million acres (550,000 has) of rainforest land, including the first Amazon tracts to be set aside for conservation by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s 18-month-old administration. In the Amazon, the government created the 457,000-acre (185,000-ha) Cururupu extractive reserve in northern Maranhão state and the 751,000-acre (304,000-ha) Capanã Grande extractive reserve in western Amazonas state. Sustainable fishing will be allowed in both reserves. In addition, ecotourism will be permitted in Cururupu and sustainable rubber tapping and Brazil-nut gathering will be allowed in Capanã Grande. All told, the two Amazon tracts account for 88% of the newly set aside land. The government also created two small national forests... [Log in to read more]