Tell Chile's government to protect endangered forests! (ForestPress)

: Super User; News; 23 November 2004; Hits: 1450; Rating:

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Chile's native forests, dominated by the globally rare Siempre Verde (forever green) forest type, include the world's second largest expanse of temperate rainforest, the Valdivian Rainforest. More than one-quarter of the world's remaining temperate rainforests are in Chile. After eons of biological isolation, these forests are home to the world’s oldest surviving tree species (araucaria araucana), the world’s smallest deer (pudu pudu) and the world famous Alerce tree, also known as the “Chilean redwood” (fitzroya cupressoides).

We are writing to express our concern that the Chilean government is failing to protect Chile's native forests, despite the obvious urgency to do this. The Chilean government has not been effective in creating policy proposals that reinforce actions towards conservation and the sustainable management of the native forests in Chile.

Further, we are aware that the Chilean government is complicit in illegal logging of ALERCE (fitzroya cupressoides), a tree species that lives to be 4000 years old and is protected by CITES. The law is now investigating a case of corruption within CONAF, which shows that there is a clear abandonment of this governmental institution's inspection duties regarding the ALERCE.

What is even more serious is the fact that the Ministry of Agriculture passed a decree six months ago, "in the name of the President of the Republic," that removed the protection status of natural monuments of the most vulnerable and emblematic native species, including the ALERCE.

The native forests of Chile are of great concern to us. They are part of the rare temperate rainforest ecosystem that extends along the coast from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. Temperate rainforests are globally rare, less than 1/5

of one percent of Earth's land mass, and are biologically rich.

They are found only in Alaska, British Columbia, the Pacific Northwest of the U.S., Chile, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. The Chilean forests are quite unique since they have evolved apart from the rest of the continent and they possess extraordinary endemism within their flora and

fauna.

Linked by our common temperate rainforest ecosystem into a World Temperate Rainforest Network, we stand by Chileans who are demanding that the Chilean government take immediate action to protect Chile's native forests. Also,

the signing of the "Tratada de Libre Comercio" with the United States binds the Chilean government to enforce its own environmental laws and oversee what is happening in the forests, or violate the Environmental Chapter (19)

of the US-Chile agreement. This could impact the lucrative US market for Chilean wood products.

We demand:

- An immediate end to the extraction and commercialization of the ALERCE.

- A native forest management subsidy.

- A modern governmental entity that can respond to the current challenges and that assures the proper development of the forestry sector.

- A clear, legal prohibition of the practice of replacing native forests with tree farms. (Amend the proposed native forest legislation so that it includes a clear prohibition of conversion/substitution.)

- Creation of a new institution with sufficient legal power and funding to protect Chile's native forests.