Brazil Will Privatize Amazonian National Forest

Brazil plans to turn over control of an 850-square mile national forest in the Amazon Basin to private companies, according to a story in Chinese state-run media. The Jamari National Forest is about half the size of Rhode Island, and sits in the northern portion of the country, in the Amazonian rainforest. As deforestation rates have increased there, the government has decided to turn over management of 350 square miles of the forest to private companies, after dividing it into three separate parcels.

The companies will be allowed to explore and log the land -- using "environmentally sustainable techniques," as Brazil's environment minister said -- for 40 years. Private management of forests isn't always a bad idea, but in this region where the carving up of the Amazon has grown into such a worldwide issue -- particularly as concern over the loss of biodiversity has been compounded by concern about losing a huge reservoir for industrial carbon pollution -- this deal should be scrutinized closely.

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