MPF investigates wood project in Amapá – 03/22/2024 – Environment

The MPF (Federal Public Ministry) in Amapá initiated a procedure to investigate suspected illegal logging in an agro-extractive settlement, in a preserved area of ​​the Amazon in the state.

The investigation was opened in October 2023. In January 2024, the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Amapá requested the opening of a police investigation by the PF (Federal Police), with the files forwarded for investigations.

The existence of the investigations was confirmed to the report by the MPF, which did not provide details about the steps taken and the suspects being investigated. The PF in Amapá said it will not comment on the ongoing investigations.

Report published by Sheet on the 9th, it was shown that logging in an area of ​​the PAE (Agroextractive Settlement Project) Maracá, in Mazagão (AP), involves a company that was fined three times by Ibama (Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) for irregular receipt of native wood. The firm denies wrongdoing.

Furthermore, the approval given to the project by Incra (National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform) overrode two technical opinions from the body and two internal orders contrary to this approval.

One of the opinions points to the enterprise’s corporate bias and suspicion of forgery of beneficiary signatures.

“Despite the warning, there was agreement from the previous management of Incra’s superintendence in Amapá”, stated the federal government body, which created a technical committee to carry out due diligence and inspect the project.

The government of Amapá, which granted authorization and announced it in September 2023, says that the project is the largest in the country. It involves 172 thousand hectares of forest, almost a third of the settlement area, where 1,993 families live, according to Incra data.

The area for wood removal, within a project that involves selection of trees to be felled and sustainable management of the activity, is equivalent to more than a thousand Ibirapuera parks, in São Paulo.

Senator Davi Alcolumbre (União Brasil-AP) led coordination with Incra to make the project viable. Senator Randolfe Rodrigues (no party-AP), leader of the Lula (PT) government in Congress, publicized the initiative and the company’s role in wood exploration.

The removal of wood should have a community character, but has a business bias, with a maximum cutting intensity of 30 m³ per hectare, according to the technical area of ​​Incra’s superintendence in Amapá.

This intensity would require the area to rest for 21 years, after the project deadline, which is 14 years, according to an analysis carried out by technicians from Sema (Environment Secretariat) of the Amapá government. Thus, the settlers would be without the possibility of managing wood for 14 years.

Sema’s technical opinions were also ignored, and authorization was given by the Amapá government.

Half of the families in the settlement receive a “forest grant”, worth R$1,058, and there is no training or community involvement in the wood exploration process, according to Incra technicians. There was also no general meeting to approve species cuts, as per the opinion.

Atexma (Association of Agroextractive Workers of Maracá) is the entity that received authorization. Even before receiving approval for wood management, the association had already hired companies to exploit wood. These companies started to execute the project.

TW Forest and Eco Forte Bioenergia, which are part of the same group, carry out wood exploration in PAE Maracá. The first was fined R$120,200 by Ibama four months before authorization for the project was granted. Two other fines total R$10,100 and refer to infractions committed two months later, as stated in Ibama’s public consultation system.

In a statement, TW Forest and Eco Forte stated that they are serious companies and that the project inhibits illegal logging, in addition to involving the settlers through the payment of cash grants.

“The local community has sent many compliments and thanks for the work”, says the note. “In 2023, Eco Forte Bioenergia went to COP28 [conferência da ONU sobre mudanças climáticas]in Dubai, present the results of the project to the rest of the world.”

TW Forest has been in Amapá since 2003 and has a well-established industrial park, he said. In 20 years, there were only fines from 2023, referring to “documentary flaws that were remedied”. “The company has never been fined for illegal logging. The largest fine is due to an error on the part of the government itself, not the company, which is why it was contested.”

Sema do Amapá stated that the fines applied by Ibama were still in the administrative process. A report, after inspection by Sema and Ibama, concluded that there were no irregularities, said the local government body, in relation to the fine imposed in April.

Alcolumbre stated that Amapá must move towards sustainable development. Randolfe said that sustainable management is the solution for the Amazon.