ACTION ALERT
Help Keep the Bulldozers out of Ecuadorian Amazon Biological Station
9/6/99
OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY by EE
A redundant and unnecessary road is to be constructed through one of
the most diverse rainforest habitats on Earth. The Jatun Sacha
Biological Station in Ecuador is located in the small belt of Wet
Tropical Rainforest, which connect the Andes Mountain Range and the
Amazon River Basin. The small reserve is to be dissected by a road,
putting at risk of possible extinction numerous endemic species.
Please take the time to respond to this important action alert.
g.b.
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: Help keep the bulldozers out of Jatun Sacha Biological
Station
Source: Jatun Sacha Foundation
Casilla 17-12-867,
Quito, Ecuador
Phone: (593 2) 441-592 Fax: (593 2) 250-976
mccolm@jsacha.ecx.ec
Status: Distribute freely with credit given to source
Date: September 2, 1999
Friends, We need your help to prevent road construction in our Amazon
biological station. The Provincial Government of Napo is threatening
to enter our reserve with bulldozers. Jatun Sacha Biological Station,
the Children's Second International Rainforest reserve of 2,000
hectares is legal property of the our foundation, but the Provincial
Government is again planning to construct a road dissecting our
reserve. The Jatun Sacha Biological Station contains as many or more
species than the United States.
The Napo Provincial Government in the Ecuadorian Amazon, is
considering constructing a road directly through the Jatun Sacha
Biological Station, transecting over 4 km of primary rainforest. The
road would service 5 communities along the Arajuno and Puni rivers,
tributaries of the Napo River. Roads are a necessity for travel and
commerce, however the Government has initiated and never completed
two parallel roads within 8 and 12 kilometers of the proposed road.
Completion and extension of one of the unfinished roads, through
Quisacocha, would serve more than twice as many communities for an
equivalent cost.
Community people need access to transport their agricultural goods,
and reach professional help in emergencies. The Jatun Sacha
Foundation supports technological advancement and even road
construction for our neighbors, however the provincial government has
recently bulldozed other road openings with no ability to finish
their actions.
We request they first complete the Quisacocha road, before bulldozing
through our biological reserve.
Jatun Sacha Biological Station
Established in 1985, the biological station protects 2,000 hectares
of one of the most diverse rainforest habitats on earth. Numerous
botanical and wildlife studies conducted have documented several of
the top worldwide species counts inside the small reserve: 120
mammals, over 800 butterfly species, over 540 bird species, as many
as 250 tree species in one hectare, and over 2,000 plant species in
20 sq km. Unfortunately no other reserve in Ecuador protects
rainforests located in the small belt of Wet Tropical Rainforest
which connect the Andes Mountain Range and the Amazon River Basin.
The national park system of Ecuador has no plans to establish
reserves in the small, threatened area of lowland wet rainforest,
which is recognized as an international conservation hotspot due to
the incredible diversity and rapid destruction of private forests.
The Jatun Sacha Biological Station is at risk of a possible
extinction of various endemic species if the road is constructed and
utilized, since it will dissect the biological station.
Alternatives
The Provincial Government has the option to complete a similar road,
already bulldozed and extend the road to the same destination as the
proposed Jatun Sacha road, for the same price. This option will cut
through more than 1/4 km of primary rainforest, and will provide
access for more than twice as many rural people.
A road through the Jatun Sacha reserve is no less expensive
completing a nearby road. Can the world afford to cut in half one of
the world's most diverse rainforests reserves?
What You Can Do
Help us re-route the Chichico Rumi-Puni Bocana Road, and terminate
the Venecia-Quisacosha-Shiguacocha Road. Please prevent a tragedy
from occurring. WRITE A NOTE TO STOP THE CHICHICO RUMI-PUNI BOCANA
ROAD directed to the:
Dr. Edison Chavez
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF NAPO,
Consejo Pronvincial del Napo
Fax: (593)-6-887-495
Tena Ecuador
ECUADORIAN MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT
mma@ambiente.gob.ec
JATUN SACHA FOUNDATION
jatsacha@jsacha.ecuanex.net.ec