Lula plan seeks to save forest by logging it

Brazil

The administration of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has drafted legislation that would allow the government to grant sustainable-logging concessions in public forests, mainly in the Amazon region. The bill, to be submitted to the Brazilian Congress next month, could open a huge amount of land to managed forestry as well as such other activities as fruit and nut gathering and rubber tapping. Approximately 50% of all forested land in Brazil and 75% of all forested property in the Brazilian Amazon is publicly owned. Of the public forestland in the Amazon, about 30% comprises national parks, indigenous reserves and other protected areas, while the remaining 45% is unprotected. The government believes that by promoting sustainable use of Amazon forestland, it will discourage... [Log in to read more]

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