In situ and Ex situ Conservation of Commercial Tropical Trees - ITTO

113Rain Forest Corridors ProjectThe Project is designed to conserve biodiversity by implementing “corridors” inthe Amazon and Atlantic rain forests, strengthening, creating and, where possible,linking protected areas, indigenous lands and private reserves. It currentlyconsists of four components, concerning the two priority corridors in the CentralAmazon and Northern Atlantic Forest: (i) planning and monitoring, (ii)management and establishment of conservation units, (iii) management of criticalconnecting areas, and (iv) biodiversity protection on indigenous lands. A fifthcomponent of strategic coordination and studies, including plans for furthercorridors, may be carried out by MMA based on further consultations.The project was pre-appraised in June 1998, leading to a consensus onthe future vision for these corridors, yet leaving questions concerning projectmanagement and implementation mechanisms. Government had provided aproject proposal in December 1998. It was presented to donors and receivedcomments in February 1999. Several issues remained unresolved until discussionson the project resumed in 2000 and will start implementation during the fourthquarter of 2001. Total donor support is currently estimated at about US$ 30million.Institutional StrengtheningThis line of action has made significant inroads in decentralizing environmentalissues by strengthening organizations of state and municipal governments aswell as supporting civil society organizations to spread new ideas and practices.It consists of three projects: Natural Resources Policy, Forest Fire Preventionand Deforestation and Forest Fire Control. The first, providing state governmentswith control and enforcement capacity, is in latter half of its implementation.The second has been successfully implemented by the Amazon Working Group,an NGO network established with Program support; a second phase is beingdesigned. The latter project is in the process of being redesigned.Natural Resources Policy Project (NRPP)Key design strengths and resultsThis Project’s design strengths and main achievements are:• greater coordination among the agencies involved in fire-deforestationcontrol campaigns (state secretariats, the federal environmental agency -IBAMA, public attorney offices, environmental police);