In the southeast region great extensions of forest became endangered by the expansion of lumber and livestock activities, and in the last years provoked by the construction of dusty road routes and the consequent illegal occupation and speculation of public territory covered by virgin humid forests.

Isolated as they are, these forests have not been occupied by pioneers, and therefore the Ecuadorian State continues to be its owner. In order to make the conservation of these forests possible, investigations are in progress on legal possession and flora, in order to delimit the potential State Forest Patrimony areas in the Amazonian regions of Palanda and Chinchipe. This achievement will transform the present regime of trading and protecting public forestland. It is expected to obtain the Declaration of Patrimony on behalf of 90,000 ha of natural forests, by the year 2007.

LOJA: Av. Pío Jaramillo A. y Venezuela, esq. (593) 7 2573-691 / 2573-623
nciecuador@natureandculture.org