Brazil: First ever sustainable forestry concession promised in Para?

The state of Pará will soon accept the first bid for a sustainably
managed forest concession. The Pará Forestry Institute (IDEFLOR) has
indicated that the concession area will be about 150,000 hectares
within a total area of 1.3 million hectares and will have a forest use
plan prepared by the state, which will be released in February 2009.
Studies on land use restrictions are currently being concluded in the
concession area. These restrictions will assist land use planning to
identify traditional community areas, biodiversity preservation and
conservation areas and areas to be used for economic purposes. Of the
over 15 million hectares of state forests, IDEFLOR states that when
management plans for state conservation areas of the Calha Norte
region are completed in 2010, there will be a supply of over 8 million
hectares of legal concessions in Pará.

The new plans are anticipated
to revamp the forest economy for the state and solve land conflicts.
According to IDEFLOR, 2008 was a key year for many reforestation
activities such as the establishment of seed labs of native forest
species in the Tailândia, Altamira and Marabá municipalities. These
initiatives will stimulate seedling production and expand
reforestation programmes. In addition, other actions will be taken to
revitalize forest nurseries, establish West Pará University and the
Santarem Technological Complex focusing on forest products
technologies. http://www.ihb.de/wood/news/softwood_logprices_18982.html