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New rainforest preserve in Brazil to cover an area larger than England
Source: National Post

Brazil has created the world's largest tropical rainforest preserve in a section of the Amazon scarred by illegal logging and decades of violence between loggers, ranchers, conservationists and land-rights activists.

The preserve covers more than 15 million hectares -- an area larger than England -- across seven parks in Para, an eastern Amazon state heavily exploited by illegal loggers and land speculators.

A U.S. nun was gunned down there last year, allegedly by ranchers who wanted her to stop helping locals fight for land rights. Para state Governor Simao Jatene said he created the new parks to stop land speculators from selling fake titles. He also said sustainable economic activities will be allowed in some areas so locals can support themselves. "We're trying to avoid this trap of preservation versus production," he said yesterday.