Serious New Threat to Brazilian Forests

[Extract] Brazil's Forest Code was enacted in 1965 and protects forests in certain locations, such as along rivers and on steep slopes and hilltops. It is the only legislation in the world that requires private rural landowners to retain reserves of natural vegetation. In the Atlantic Rainforest, the Forest Code states that 20% of a property has to remain in reserve whereas in the Amazon forest this amount is 80%. However, an amended Forest Code was overwhelmingly approved in the lower House of the Brazilian legislature, and it seems likely that a version will be passed by the Senate and could be signed into law by the president. If passed, the new legislation may not only provide amnesty to those who illegally cleared forests in the past, but also greatly intensify the risk of future deforestation. The new law includes changes in forest protection that will allow for harvesting of legal reserves on private lands as well as reducing the proportion of a property that must be preserved (Metzger et al. 2010).