A million acres of Amazon rainforest declared a national reserve in Peru

02/09/2009 10:28:30

Vast new reserve declared in Peru - Courtesy of the World Land Trust

September 2009. World Land Trust (US) and their partner CEDIA (Center for the Development of the Indigenous Amazonians) are proud to announce that the Matsés National Reserve has been approved by the Peruvian national government. This will help ensure the protection of 1,039,390 acres of pristine Amazonian rainforest as well as the Matsés indigenous Amazon tribe.

Culmination of 13 year project
This long awaited triumph for the Amazonian rainforests has been worked for for 13 years by CEDIA, working with the Matsés peoples and providing technical assistance to the government Park Service (SEMARNAP). During much of this time, World Land Trust has been the principal financing source for CEDIAs efforts with the Matsés, supporting community work and provision of technical assistance to the government in an effort to save this precious area of the Amazon. During those 13 years, we have overcome numerous challenges from oil companies and illegal commercial logging operations that delayed the creation of Matsés national Reserve.

Matsés people first contacted in 1969
The Reserve was designated for its exceptional biodiversity values and to protect lands traditionally used by the Matsés indigenous peoples or "cat people" (so-named for the ‘whiskers' and facial tattoos that adorn women), who were first contacted in 1969, but presently live on their adjacent community lands in the Loreto Department of north eastern Peru. Like so many other remote indigenous peoples, they have been forced to defend their homelands from logging and oil companies in a bid to preserve their ancient way of life and protect the amazing Amazon rainforest.

Huge wealth of rare wildlife - 65 mammal species
During a two week biological exploration of the proposed reserve in late 2004, a Rapid Biological Inventories team from Chicago's Field Museum recorded 65 species of mammal and 416 species of bird, plus an estimated 3,000-4,000 plant species. Two rare and endangered monkey species, the Bald Uakari (Cacajao calvu) and the tiny Goeldi's Marmoset (Callimico goeldii) were also recorded. The proposed reserve area includes an archipelago of white-sand forests that contains floral and faunal endemics and represents a rare habitat in the Amazon. Overall, the region has an extraordinary diversity of plants and animals.

Thanks to the perseverance of CEDIA and the commitment of the Matsés communities, the National Reserve was finally declared by the Peruvian Natural Protected Area Service (SERNANP) and the Ministry of Environment. WLT wish to extend our sincere thanks to SERNANP and Peruvian Ministry of Environment for this declaration. We also thank the support of our many individual donors and the Blue Moon Foundation and Nature & Culture International that lent important support as well.

WLT will continue to seek support for CEDIA's work to help administer and manage the new National Reserve as well as support the community to develop alternative income-producing activities including extraction of non-timber forest products and improved artisan crafts. CEDIA is a successful Peruvian non-profit group that works to establish and support both protected and community areas for the indigenous peoples of Peru's Amazon. Your contributions are vital to help WLT-US assist CEDIA and similar groups to save many more acres of rainforest while they are still standing.