Community-Based Ecological Group Unites to Protect Chocó Rainforest

    /24-7PressRelease/ - ECUADOR, SOUTH AMERICA, May 07, 2007 -- In response to unprecedented levels of clear-cut logging, leaders of indigenous Chachi, Épera, and Afro-Ecuadorian communities gathered in late April for the Constitutional Assembly of the Association of Ecological Organizations of Northern Esmeraldas (AOENE.) This new organization unites more than a dozen communities from three nationalities, representing approximately 75,000 acres of Ecuadorian Chocó Rainforest and the brave, remaining groups who have refused to sign logging contracts on their land.

Part of the Tumbes-Choco-Magdalena International Biodiversity Hotspot, the Chocó Rainforest is home to more than 11,000 species of vascular plants and 900 species of birds, many of which are endemic. In the Ecuadorian province of Esmeraldas, the vast majority of remaining forest is located on private and ancestral land, which receives neither protected status nor conservation priority from the Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment.

Most logging contracts in the area are signed through third-party intermediaries, using coercive tactics including bribes and death threats for community leaders who refuse to cooperate. In an attempt to intimidate local authorities, logging intermediaries burned down the government forestry control (INEFAN) offices in the nearby town of Borbón in January of this year. Immediately following this event, logging increased in the area to such an extent that in one community alone, a local women's group counted 15 tractors working at one time. These events have made community leaders come to realize that they cannot rely on authorities to protect their ancient forests, but must make a stand themselves against unwanted commercial logging by forming the environmentally focused organization, AOENE. In addition to clear-cut logging, other risks to the forest include African palm plantations, cattle ranching and gold mining.

With its firm environmental stance, the AOENE is looking to attract resources from international conservationist organizations willing to support projects in areas such as environmental vigilance, conservation, healthcare, education, and sustainable development. Nearly all of the AOENE member communities are involved in some form of sustainable projects, such as ecotourism, which have allowed them to conserve their forests up until now, by creating work and income within their own villages. However, they realize that these limited projects are not enough to protect the remaining Chocó rainforest long-term.

Local families typically live in simple huts with no electricity, plumbing, or potable water. The average household income is approximately 35 USD per month. In order to continue conserving the forest as well as improve the conditions of the people who live there, AOENE leaders hope to sponsor sustainable economic initiatives, including marketing and expansion for existing projects, such as ecotourism and handicrafts sales. Healthcare services and improved educational opportunities are also a priority, as personal illness and schooling costs are the leading reasons cited by individuals and local communities that have decided to sign logging contracts.

At the same time, AOENE leaders plan to recover areas of degraded forest through reforestation and wildlife rescue initiatives. In the future, they hope that their success will inspire nearby communities that have already clear-cut their land to reforest and adopt more sustainable lifestyles for the long term well-being of the habitat, wildlife, and people of the region.

The AOENE is a part of the Chocó Rainforest Protection Project, a nonprofit effort whose mission is to conserve the forests, wildlife, and ancestral cultures of the Ecuadorian Chocó rainforest. The AOENE is a vital part of the project's future plans to protect what is left of the untouched Chocó rainforests, and to reforest areas that have been damaged. The formation of AOENE brings the local communities together as one strong alliance against the environmental threats they all face. However, its success is dependant on funding provided by individual donors, corporate sponsorships, and grants. The US nonprofit Earthways Foundation acccepts tax deductible donations for this project.

The Chocó Rainforest Protection Project recently launched a new website to promote its nonprofit efforts in this region by encouraging both individuals and organizations to get involved in this important conservation mission. For more information on the AOENE and how to help protect one of the last remaining tropical coastal rainforests in the world, please visit http://www.touchthejungle.org

About The Chocó Rainforest Protection Project

The Chocó Rainforest Protection Project is a nonprofit habitat, wildlife, and cultural conservation project centered in the coastal rainforests of northwestern Ecuador, in an international biodiversity hotspot. This project is a joint initiative sponsored by the US nonprofit Earthways Foundation based in Malibu, California, and the Ecuadorian nonprofit Kumanii Foundation based in the province of Esmeraldas. Conservation efforts include a native wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center, sustainable food projects, community ecotourism projects, reforestation efforts, conservation education, and other sustainable community development projects. For more info please visit our website at http://www.touchthejungle.org

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