President Ricardo Lagos
Palacio de la Moneda
Santiago, CHILE

Dear President Lagos,

I am very concerned that your government is failing to meet the urgent need to protect Chile's native forests. The Chilean government has not been effective in creating policy proposals that reinforce actions towards conservation and the sustainable management of the native forests in Chile.

I am also disturbed that the Chilean government is complicit in illegal logging of ALERCE (fitzroya cupressoides), a tree species that lives to be 4000 years old and is protected by CITES. Authorities are now investigating a case of corruption within CONAF, indicating a clear abandonment of this governmental institution's inspection duties regarding the ALERCE. Even more disturbing is the fact that the Ministry of Agriculture passed a decree six months ago, "in the name of the President of the Republic," that removed the protection status of natural monuments of the most vulnerable and emblematic native species, including the ALERCE.

Chile's native forests of great importance and concern to millions of citizens worldwide. They are part of the rare temperate rainforest ecosystem that extends along the coast from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. Temperate rainforests are globally rare—less than 1/5 of one percent of Earth's land mass—and are biologically rich. The Chilean forests are quite unique since they have evolved apart from the rest of the continent and they possess extraordinary endemism within their flora and fauna.

I join Chileans who are demanding that the Chilean government take immediate action to protect Chile's native forests. Also, the signing of the "Tratada de Libre Comercio" with the United States binds the Chilean government to enforce its own environmental laws and oversee what is happening in the forests, or violate the Environmental Chapter (19) of the US-Chile agreement. This could impact the lucrative US market for Chilean wood products.

I respectfully urge that you take the following actions:

• Immediately end the extraction and commercialization of the ALERCE.
• Create a native forest management subsidy.
• Create a modern governmental entity that can respond to the current challenges and that assures the proper development of the forestry sector.
• Establish a clear, legal prohibition of the practice of replacing native forests with tree farms.
• Create a new institution with sufficient legal power and funding to protect Chile's native forests.

EAN Alerts Email List | Tell a Friend | Links | Contact | Site Map