Chile Fast Track Threatens Ancient Forests
7/23/97
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Headline: Chile Fast Track Threatens Ancient Forests
Source: Steve Holmer
Campaign Coordinator
Western Ancient Forest Campaign
1025 Vermont Ave, NW, 3rd Floor
Washington, D.C. 20005
202/879-3188
202/879-3189 fax
wafcdc@igc.apc.org
Date: 7/23/97
To: Forest activists
From: Jim Jontz
Date: July 23, 1997
WHITE HOUSE CAMPAIGN FOR FAST TRACK BEGINS; CHILEAN ACTIVISTS VISIT TO
WARN OF THREAT
Today's Congress Daily reports that President Clinton will host
Congressional leaders at the White House later this week to launch the
Administration's campaign to gain Congressional approval of "fast
track" authority to negotiate expansion of NAFTA to Chile and other
countries, and possibly also the Multilateral Agreement on Investment
(MAI).
Coincidentally, a pair of Chile's leading forest activists, Adriana
Hoffmann of Defensores Del Bosque Chileno (Defenders of the Chilean
Forests) and Maria Luisa Robleto of Greenpeace were in the U.S. last
week to warn of the threat of multinational logging companies and
NAFTA to Chile's forests. They specifically cited the logging plans of
the U.S. based Trillium Corporation, which they hope can be
redirected.
I accompanied Adriana and Maria Luisa to visits with several Members
of Congress, where they explained that Chile is not ready for greater
foreign investment in logging which would result from Chile's inclusion
in NAFTA. Chile's laws and protections are simply not adequate, they
said, to deal with additional logging pressure. Adriana and Maria
Luisa repeated the warning, originally issued by the Chilean Central
Bank, that if logging continues at even the current rate, Chile's primary
forests will be gone in 20 years.
The Western Ancient Forest Campaign is opposing "fast track"
expansion of NAFTA to Chile and other Latin American countries
because it will create even more incentive for governments in NAFTA
nations to lower standards, as we saw the U.S. do during the Logging
Rider.
It is anticipated that the Clinton Administration will send a fast track
proposal to the Congress some time in September. The vote count
shows that there are still dozens of Members of Congress who have not
made up their minds on fast track/NAFTA expansion.
We urge you to raise this issue with your Representatives while they
are home during the August Congressional recess which begins August
1. If you would like to be a part of a meeting others have set up, the
Citizens Trade Campaign can link you with local contacts. Call
(202)783-7400x213 to reach CTC. Thanks for your interest.
Steve Holmer
Campaign Coordinator
Western Ancient Forest Campaign
1025 Vermont Ave, NW, 3rd Floor
Washington, D.C. 20005
202/879-3188
202/879-3189 fax
wafcdc@igc.apc.org