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

115However, they should be more strategic and less detailed. The WorkingGroups were effective in bringing together many of the stakeholders butnot all. Broader participation in project design, planning and implementationis needed to achieve legitimacy and ownership.• While the project has helped several states to enhance their ownership ofenvironmental management, in many states, state government ownershipwas lacking. This was partly due to a lack of effective measures to promotesustainable practices by government constituencies, including stakeholdersinvolved in degrading the environment (loggers, ranchers, etc.). Recognizingthis failing, the MMA has been meeting with all actors, thus building mutualtrust, understanding and commitment to change among previously reluctantparticipants. The decentralization of MMA representatives supports thesechanges, with state representatives to help articulate stakeholders, coordinatepolicies and facilitate project implementation.• The objective of decentralized environmental management was constrainedby delays in the sharing of control responsibilities with the states and limitedparticipation of municipal government, civil society organizations, NGOs,private sector, etc. Improved Federal-State Government cooperation isdemonstrated in the Get Legal, Amazon! Project (see Box 2).• Financial implementation are currently limited by donor, federal and statebudgeting and purchasing systems resulting in numerous delays. Proposalsfor alternative procedures are being considered.Box 2: “GET LEGAL, AMAZON!” ComponentDesigned to improve the prevention and control of illegal forestfires and deforestation and thus revert deforestation trends, thiscomponent of the NRPP is being carried out by the MMA, incooperation with IBAMA and Amazonian states. It is made up offive action areas, broken into detailed state plans (each withpreventive and enforcement elements): intensive surveillance (withremote sensing and GPS), audits of forest management plans anddeforestation authorizations, forest product control, mobile userservice and environmental education and consciousness raising(including training). The component established 22 control stationsof various types, planning for the field participation of 442 agentsfor continuous 30-day periods, 400 audits of sustainable forestmanagement plans, exploration plans and deforestationauthorizations.