ACTION ALERT

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WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS

Help Keep the Bulldozers out of Ecuadorian Amazon Biological Station

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Forest Networking a Project of forests.org

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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

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