ACTION ALERT
Mahogany Needs Protection
11/3/99
OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY
The logging of scattered populations of Big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia
macrophylla) is frequently the catalyst for widespread and severe
forest degradation, if not outright deforestation. It is critical
that this keystone species be given the protection its endangered
status warrants. Doing so will contribute to habitat protection in
vast areas of New World rainforest. Please take the time to respond
to this excellent action alert from the Center for International
Environmental Law.
g.b.
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: ACTION ALERT: MAHOGANY NEEDS PROTECTION
Source: Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)
Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20036-1860
Tel: (202) 785-8700 x26
Fax: (202) 785-8701
E-mail: BassMS@aol.com
Web: www.econet.apc.org/ciel/
Status: Distribute freely with credit given to source
Date: 11/3/99
We need your help in convincing the US Government to protect mahogany
and to support more sustainable use of tropical forests in Central
and South America. From November 6-12, 1999, the US Government will
decide whether or not to propose big-leaf mahogany for an Appendix II
listing under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species (CITES). This is the treaty which is currently being used to
protect African elephants, sea turtles, orchids, and many
other species that are negatively impacted by international trade.
Big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) is increasingly threatened
by logging and habitat loss. Loggers are overharvesting populations
in the tropical forests of Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Nicaragua,
Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico. Many logging operations are
harvesting the species unsustainably from old-growth forests. Up to
half of the mahogany that is logged is taken illegally from parks,
reserves, and indigenous areas.
Brazil is the largest exporter of mahogany. Populations in Colombia,
Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador have already been drastically
reduced, are too small too harvest commercially, and may be
threatened with extinction.
Mahogany logging is one of the leading catalysts for tropical
deforestation. Logging companies are building thousands of roads to
reach mahogany's scattered wild populations. These roads often
result in deforestation because farmers use them to access remote
areas and then clear forests for ranching and agriculture.
At least half of the mahogany harvested is exported, and the United
States imports eight times more mahogany than any other known
importing country in the world. The wood is used for items such as
high-end furniture, door and window frames, beams, musical
instruments, decorative woodwork, and coffins.
If the species is listed in Appendix II of CITES, logging companies
will have to change the way they harvest the species. They will have
to demonstrate to governments that the mahogany wood they export is
obtained in a sustainable manner and is legally obtained. This
should better protect the species, and encourage sustainable use of
tropical forests.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Because time is so short, we are asking folks to go directly to the
top. Please call, e-mail or fax both President Clinton and Secretary
of the Interior Bruce Babbitt and tell them that you support an
Appendix II listing for big-leaf mahogany. The logging industry has
lobbied the US Government extensively to oppose an Appendix II
listing, so your phone calls or letters supporting an Appendix II
listing are especially important.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please
contact the Center for International Environmental Law at (202) 785-
8700 or Defenders of Wildlife at (202) 682-9400.
President Clinton:
Phone: (202) 456-1414
Fax: (202) 456-2461
e-mail: president@whitehouse.gov (Your letter should include your
name, address, and Zip Code.)
Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt: Phone: (202) 208-7351
Fax number. (202) 208-6950. e-mail: bruce_babbitt@ios.doi.gov (Your
letter should include your name, address, and Zip Code.)
SAMPLE PHONE CALL:
"I am calling to urge the United States Government to propose big-
leaf mahogany this month for an Appendix II listing in the Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species. The species needs to
be managed more sustainably, illegal logging needs to be reduced, and
we need to slow down tropical deforestation."
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear President Clinton/Secretary Babbitt,
The United States should propose big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia
macrophylla) by November 12, 1999, for an Appendix II listing in the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
I support an Appendix II listing for big-leaf mahogany because
logging companies are not harvesting the species in a sustainable
way, and illegal logging of mahogany is so widespread. Mahogany
logging is also one of the key catalysts for tropical deforestation,
and needs to be addressed now before we lose the many species that
are native to tropical lowland forests.
Because the United States is the largest importer of mahogany in the
world, I think that our Government should take responsibility for
promoting legal, sustainable use of the species. As we are consumers
in an increasingly global marketplace, we need to ensure the
protection of species that are threatened by international trade.
Sincerely,