| reported by Mauro Rios
In accordance with the Forestry and Wildlife Law, the Peruvian Ministry
of Agriculture has allocated 21.5 million hectares of Amazonian tropical
forests located in the departments of Ucayali (4.2 million hectares),
Loreto (14.8 million hectares) and Madre de Dios (2.5 hectares), as permanent
production forests; this area will increase to about 25 million hectares
when allocations are finalised in the departments of Cuzco, Trujillo and
Piura. Permanent production forests will be further divided into concessions
granted to micro, small, medium and large forest companies for a minimum
of 40 years. They are to be harvested sustainably under approved management
plans according to internationally accepted norms of sustainability. Concessions
will range in size from 5.000 to 40,000 hectares and will be allocated
by auction or public competition. For areas of
10,000-40,000 hectares, concessionaires must deposit
an amount equivalent to 15% of the resource value in a bank to be held
in trust as a guarantee of performance in environmental management and
community relations, among other things.
Peru's 67.5 million hectares of forests are now divided as follows:
- permanent production forests: 25 million hectares (37%);
- totally protected areas: 17 million hectares (25%);
- wetlands: 10 million hectares (15%);
- indigenous communities: 6 million hectares (9%);
- secondary coastal, montane and Amazonian forests:
9.5 million hectares (14%).
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