Update: Iguassu National Park
10/17/97
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Headline: Update: Iguassu National Park
Source: News From Brazil
Date: 10/17/97
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NEWS FROM BRAZIL supplied by SEJUP (Servico Brasileiro de Justica
e Paz).
Number 290, October 17, 1997.
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ECOLOGY
- Update: Iguassu National Park
On May 14 last (NEWS FROM BRAZIL 272) we sent you a report
on an invasion which took place in the internationally famous
Iguassu National Park in the State of Parana. The invaders
planned to open a road through the park. Environmentalists warned
that this in turn would lead to the devastation of the area.
We now bring you an update on the situation.
Message sent by Silvia R. Ziller (sziller@sul.com.br)
IGUASSU NATIONAL PARK
To all of you who have received my previous messages
regarding the situation of the Iguassu National Park, in
southwestern Brazil, I would like to give some updated news. The
invaders left the park in the month of July and wanted the
Environmental Agency in Brazil (IBAMA) to make a deal stating
there would be an environmental impact study and, in the period
of three months, the study would be concluded and the road,
opened up. Fortunately, IBAMA did not agree to this nonsense, and
stated they would not make any kind of negotiation before the
invaders left the park. That made them move from inside the park
area to the entrance area, but not for long. Since all this
happened, IBAMA has proposed to review the management plan of the
park. A dangerous attitude at this point, since changing the
attribution of zones inside the park would be a political way to
give in to the pressure. But how can one technically sustain
changing an intangible zone (intended for strict preservation)
into an intensive use zone?
At this moment a group of consultants is being chosen to
perform this re-evaluation and we have proposed to form a second
group to analyse the plan on the side in order to be fully aware
of what might happen. This study should take some time, probably
a year or so, to be concluded. In the meantime the association
pro-road has promoted one gathering at the park gates on
September 13, and it was clear that they've lost force, since
they managed to gather about 500 people, not half as many as at
the first time. There's another protest scheduled for the 1st of
October, with a threat for a new invasion. We have sent letters
to the government demanding that they do whatever is necessary to
prevent this from happening, and any kind of help from all of you
is welcome, so please do send mails to the state governor, Jaime
Lerner, at duda@lepus.celepar.br
and to the Minister for the Environment in Brasil, Gustavo
Krause, at gkrause@mma.gov.br asking them to keep the park safe. (plus
a copy of the mails to me at sziller@sul.com.br so I can fax
them to other state environmental agencies and NGOs in the
country).
Once again thank you very much for cooperating. This process
puts in risk all conservation units in Brazil and we cannot let
anything happen to the best portions of our already so
deteriorated territory.
Silvia Ziller,
Forester,
Curitiba, Brazil