A national forest (Portuguese : Floresta Nacional, FLONA) in Brazil is a type of sustainable use protected area. The primary purpose is sustainable exploitation of the forest, subject to various limits. These include a requirement to preserve at least 50% of the original forest, to preserve forest along watercourses and on steep slopes, and so on. More than 10% of the Amazon rainforest is protected by national forests or other types of conservation unit.
The concept of the National Forest originated with the 1934 Forest Code. It is an area with forest cover of predominantly native species and has the basic objective of the sustainable multiple use of forest resources and scientific research, with emphasis on methods for sustainable exploitation of native forests. [1] The forest is publicly owned, and any private lands in its boundaries are expropriated when it is formed. Indigenous populations may remain in the forest. Public visits are allowed, and research is encouraged, subject to the rules set out by the responsible agency. The term "national forest" is replaced by the equivalent terms "state forest" and "municipal forest" when it is created by the lower administrative level. [2] The responsible agency must prepare and publish a management plan for the forest. [3]
Under the Forest Code any new national forests must maintain at least 50% of the original forest coverage, although older forests may have as little as 20%. Properties in the south of Brazil in which the Paraná pine (Araucaria angustifolia) occurs cannot be deforested. Areas with slopes between 24 and 45 degrees cannot be deforested, but lumber may be extracted without clearcutting. Forests along waterways and around springs, on topographical heights, on slopes of more than 45 degrees, in salt marshes, on the edge of plateaus and above 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) may not be touched. The minimum amount of wild coverage must be preserved at each level of the property. Industries that use forest products are expected to invest in forests to meet their needs. [4]
Financial incentives envisioned in the Forest Code including tax exemptions on forest income and tax incentives for reforestation have not been implemented or have been substantially modified. The regulations prohibit trade in wildlife products and by-products including 14 plants species and 207 species of animal. These include the black caiman, manatee, jaguar, marsh deer, giant otter, macaw and giant anteater. However, enforcement has been hampered by lack of personnel, there is pressure from poor people who need the resources for survival, and tropical plants and animals fetch high prices in the international market. [4]
Seven new national forests were created in the Amazon by presidential decree of Fernando Henrique Cardoso on 2 February 1998. According to the Socio-Environmental Institute (ISA) this did not increase the protected area of the Amazon since the forests had previously been military areas protected from predatory exploitation, or the perimeter of the Carajás Project, the mining area of the Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD). However, the decrees did let the government claim that 10% of the Amazon forests were protected. According to Paulo Benincá of IBAMA the chosen areas had high potential for logging and were close to major rivers to transport. The goal was to create 40,000,000 hectares (99,000,000 acres) of national forest, which would be sufficient to meet domestic and foreign demand for wood products. The 700,000 hectares (1,700,000 acres) Carajás National Forest around the Carajás project would ensure financial partnership with CVRD for environmental projects. [4]
Ilha dos Lobos is a small island and wildlife refuge on the Atlantic coast of Torres, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
The Tapajós National Forest is a Brazilian national forest in the state of Pará, Brazil. It supports sustainable exploitation of the natural resources in an area of Amazon rainforest.
Trairão is a municipality in the state of Pará in the Northern region of Brazil.
A Wildlife refuge in Brazil is a type of strictly protected area of Brazil defined by law. The purpose of the wildlife refuge is to ensure survival or reproduction of a species or community of flora or fauna, with access rules defined by the administrative agency.
A biological reserve in Brazil is a legally defined type of protected area of Brazil, a conservation unit that aims for full preservation of biota and other natural attributes without human interference. It may be visited only with prior approval of the responsible agency, and only for research or educational purposes.
The São Francisco de Paula National Forest is a national forest in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
A state park in Brazil is a legally defined type of protected area operated by one of the states. Their goal is to preserve important or beautiful natural ecosystems. Public access is allowed subject to regulations defined by the responsible agency.
Trairão National Forest is a national forest in the state of Pará, Brazil. It contains a large area of Amazon rainforest with high biodiversity. It is a sustainable use conservation unit in which logging is allowed subject to a management plan, and was created in an effort to curb illegal deforestation in the area.
The Amazonas National Forest is a national forest in the state of Amazonas, Brazil.
The Rio São Francisco Natural Monument is a natural monument in the states of Alagoas, Bahia and Sergipe, Brazil. It protects a section of dramatic canyons on the São Francisco River and the surrounding caatinga environment, while supporting tourism and ecotourism.
Altamira National Forest is a national forest in the state of Pará, Brazil.
Itaituba II National Forest is a national forest in the state of Pará, Brazil.
Itaituba I National Forest is a national forest in the state of Pará, Brazil.
Amaná National Forest is a national forest in the state of Pará, Brazil. Most of it has been allocated for use in sustainable forestry or community forestry. Mining is allowed.
The Carajás National Forest is a national forest in the state of Pará, Brazil. It covers the Serra dos Carajás, an area with large deposits of iron ore, and attempts to combine the roles of supporting mineral extraction with preserving the environment and maintaining biodiversity.
Tapirapé-Aquiri National Forest is a national forest in the state of Pará, Brazil. It is surrounded by other protected areas, so has suffered relatively little from deforestation.
A state forest in Brazil is a type of sustainable use protected area managed at the state level. The primary purpose is sustainable exploitation of the forest, subject to various limits. These include a requirement to preserve at least 50% of the original forest, to preserve forest along watercourses and on steep slopes, and so on.
The Purus National Forest is a national forest in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. It surrounds the shamanic-Christian community of Céu do Mapiá.
The Tefé National Forest is a national forest in Amazonas, Brazil. It protects a relatively well-preserved area of Amazon rainforest to the south of the town of Tefé on the Solimões River . The resident population, scattered in small communities along the rivers, are engaged in sustainable farming, fishing and extraction of forest products.
The Crepori National Forest is a national forest in the state of Pará, Brazil. It is home to rich biodiversity including several endangered animal species.