Greenpeace revealed that the Salta government called public hearings to authorize clearing of land on 30 farms for a total of 25,916 hectares, an area larger than that of the city of Buenos Aires.
The environmental organization also warned that the provincial government’s proposal to update the Forest Ordinance violates the National Forest Law and will allow the deforestation of 720,000 hectares.
“The government of (Gustavo) Saenz is moving towards the legalization of an ecocide: it is about to authorize clearing of 26,000 hectares and intends to make the current provincial forest law more flexible in favor of large agricultural producers who want to continue destroying forests with total impunity. At the Climate Summit held in Glasgow in 2022, Argentina signed a commitment to Zero Deforestation by 2030. The provinces should go in that direction,” said Noemí Cruz, coordinator of the Greenpeace Forests Campaign.
Among the companies and entrepreneurs that will obtain clearing permits are: Agrodesmontes SA, SILHER SRL, Antonio Ricardo Talavera, Maria Luisa BraceroCampos del Trópico SA, Alberto Canizares, Rodrigo Rene Cuellar, José Ignacio Lecuona de Prat and Joaquín Alejandro Paz Salazaramong others.
In January of this year, the environmental organization sent the provincial government a document pointing out several points of the proposal to update the Territorial Planning of Native Forests of Salta that violate the provisions of the National Forest Law. Among them, it allows clearing of an extremely excessive surface; that validates the illegal clearings already carried out and does not require their restoration; which allows authorizing clearing in currently protected forests; fragments the territory of large mammals such as the yaguareté; and that the indigenous communities were not previously consulted.
“We hope that the government and the provincial legislature do not move forward with the approval of this new territorial order that clearly violates the Forest Law. It will be a catastrophe for the forests and for the indigenous and peasant communities. If approved, we will go to the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation to stop it,” Cruz warned.
According to official data, since the sanction, at the end of 2007, of the National Forest Law until the end of 2022, 714,052 hectares were cleared in the province of Salta. Much of the clearing was carried out in areas where it is not permitted (Categories I – red, II – yellow).
It also points out that the clearings carried out were considered illegal by both the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of the Nation and the General Auditor’s Office of the Nation.
Communities:
As Greenpeace points out, National Law 26,331 highlights the importance of respecting the territories of indigenous peoples, which is why it is important to conclude the territorial survey of communities established by Law 26,160. In Salta, the survey, which must be carried out by the National Institute of Indigenous Affairs (INAI), was not completed, which would prevent the updating of the Territorial Planning of Native Forests. Another aspect that stands out is that no workshops were held in their territories and in their native language, a requirement to comply with the free, prior and informed consultation established in treaties.
