logo Agência Brasil
General

More conservation units in Brazil approved for concession

Four parks and one national forest have been added to the program
Pedro Rafael Vilela
Published on 08/02/2022 - 14:22
Brasília
(São Roque de Minas - MG, 18/10/2021) Escav reconhecimento, Serra da Canastra, Nascente do São Francisco. 
Foto: Clauber Cleber Caetano/PR
© Clauber Cleber Caetano/PR

A decree signed Monday (Feb. 7) by President Jair Bolsonaro adds a number of conservation units under the government’s National Destatization Program (PND): the Restinga de Jurubatiba National Park, in the state of Rio de Janeiro; the Serra da Canastra National Park and the Serra do Cipó National Park, both in Minas Gerais state; the Caparaó National Park, on the border between Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo; and the Ipanema National Forest, in São Paulo.

The decision grants a recommendation from the council of the Program of Partnerships and Investments (PPI) and aims, the government says, to grant these areas to the private enterprise in order to offer public visitation services and raise funds for conservation and management.

“Making conservation units apt for visitation is an important driver of economic development in the regions where they are located. The implementation of concession projects will therefore lead to an increase in both the domestic and foreign tourist inflows, resulting in benefits for the region, including the generation of employment, income, and socioeconomic development; an increase in tax collection; and an improvement in the dialog with the surrounding communities and in the services provided to locals and visitors,” a note from the president’s office reads.

The new conservation units were added to others undergoing concession by the federal government, and come under a contract signed between the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) and the National Economic and Social Development Bank (BNDES), supported by the Environment Ministry.

In all of its scope, the contract covers national parks in Brasília, the Serra dos Órgãos (Rio de Janeiro), the Serra da Bocaina (São Paulo), Anavilhanas (Amazonas), the Jaú (Amazonas), the Serra da Canastra (Minas Gerais), the Serra do Cipó (Minas Gerais), and the Caparaó (Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo), in addition to the national forests of Brasília (Federal District) and Ipanema (São Paulo).

The plan includes technical research studies commissioned by the BNDES and should encompass project modeling and preparations for the concession of said units. The auction will be held by ICMBio.