ECUADOR: Oil Road
threatens
Famous Research Station and Reserve
A new road (200ft wide) is being planned in the Ecuadorian Amazon, which will cut right through the world famous Jatun Sacha Biological Research Station and its adjoining reserve.
Where
The reserve is in Napo Province in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Near the town of Tena.This is the only protected piedmont rainforest in Ecuador. This forest has been determined to be the most species rich in the world for tree species, birds and butterflies. It 1993 the Reserve was declared the Second Children's International Rainforest (the first being Monteverde Cloudforest in Costa Rica).
The Ecuadorian National Park Service has not set aside any protected conservation areas and has no plans to do so. Jatun Sacha provides the only protection in all of Ecuador for this valuable tropical wet forest. It seems reasonable that this road could be constructed on some other site that is not so important for conservation purposes -- especially when most of the surrounding forest has already been degraded.
When
Construction will start ANY day now.
Why
We appealed to our Provincial governor, Edison Chavez Vargas asking that he consider another route outside the reserve. However, it appears that Vargas, bending to the will of oil production interests, is continuing with road plans.
What you Can Do
Here in Ecuador, the Jatun Sacha Foundation is pursuing all legal, media and political channels to stop this road construction. Following this method in the past we successfully saved our Bilsa reserve from a similar fate. But we once again need an outpouring of support from the international conservation community.
Please help us by writing a letter denouncing the actions of the prefecto (governor) of Tena, Edison Chavez Vargas. We would like the road construction moved to another site that will not impact the Jatun Sacha Reserve. A sample letter is included below. Please feel free to copy or amend this letter and add your signature.
You can address your letters on email to:
McColm@jacha.ecuanex.net.ec (Ecuador)
saverft@mhtc.net (United States)
dhub@berlin.snafu.de (Germany)
bernd.kern@mailbox.swipnet.se (Sweden)
nepenthes@ibm.net (Denmark)
Or send Airmail to:
Walter Palacios
Fundacion Jatun Sacha
Casilla 17-12-867
Quito, EcuadorPlease take five minutes of your day to write an email or letter. You can help us save this very important rainforest. Thank you!
Visit our website: http://www.ecuadorexplorer.com/jatunsacha/home.html
Sample letter:
Estimado Edison Chavez Vargas:
I am writing in regards to the proposed road that will cut right through the world famous Jatun Sacha Reserve. We demand that the road construction be moved to another site that will not impact the Jatun Sacha Reserve.Considering the importance of this particular rainforest land it seems reasonable that the road, if absolutely necessary, be considered elsewhere. As a leader in Ecuador, you owe it to your country and to the international community, to protect one of the world's most important rainforests.
Thank you for doing what is right and what will be remembered as a noble and intelligent action.
Sincerely,
Background Info on the Jatun Sacha Reserve
During the last thirteen years with help from school children throughout the world, the Jatun Sacha Foundation has been working to develop its 2000 hectare (5000 acre) Biological Station in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In 1993 the Station was declared the Second Children's International Rainforest (the first being Monteverde Cloudforest in Costa Rica). In the past decade the site has been visited by thousands of international and Ecuadorian visitors. Many valuable research projects have been completed at the station and many innovative, sustainable and economically viable agroforestry techniques have been developed and offered to nearby communities. Thousands of elementary and high school students from throughout Ecuador have participated in environmental programs at Jatun Sacha.
For more information about the Jatun Sacha Foundation , Reserve and Station please look at our website: http://www.ecuadorexplorer.com
Forwarded to RIC by Marika Holmgren, Grassroots Coordinator, RAINFOREST ACTION NETWORK San Francisco rags@ran.org