Bolsonaro sanctions project that reduces the size of Brasilia’s National Forest

President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) sanctioned this Friday (9) the bill that reduced the size of the Flona (National Forest of Brasília), with the aim of regularizing settlements in the region. The forest lost about 40% of its area.

The Bolsonaro government argued that the bill’s sanction was intended to “provide a dignified life” to the inhabitants of the communities that currently occupy part of the forest. The 26 de Setembro, Maranatha and some small farms that were installed along the Capãozinho, Descoberto, Zé Pires and Cortado streams are currently installed in areas that were part of the Flona.

Planalto added that the residents of these communities have faced obstacles to accessing public health, education, basic sanitation and electricity services, as they are in a preservation area of ​​public domain.

“Thus, the sanction intends to disaffect the perimeter of some points of the Flona, ​​given the need for urban regularization and rectification of this area, promoting the conciliation of the interests of the community and promoting its development, bringing benefits to the population”, informed the government. in note.

The author of the bill that changed the limits of the Flona was the former minister of Bolsonaro’s Secretariat of Government Flávia Arruda. The ally is vying for a seat in the Senate in the October elections, with former minister Damares Alves as her main rival.

The proposal was approved by the Senate, in August, being included in the plenary agenda the day after arriving from the Chamber of Deputies. It was not analyzed by any committee, as is often the case.

The reduction in the boundaries of the Flona will be 3,700 hectares — the forest is currently 9,300 hectares in size. In other words, the forest loses approximately 40% of its area.

The law sanctioned by Bolsonaro provides for the exclusion of areas 2 and 3 from the limits of the Brasília National Forest, totaling around 4,000 hectares. These areas are currently occupied by the irregular settlements 26 de Setembro and Maranatha, home to 40,000 people.

The text, on the other hand, states that area 1, precisely the most preserved in the forest, will increase and reach a total of 3,700 hectares. As this area already has a size of 3,300 hectares, the expected increase will be only 400 hectares. There was also an adjustment in area 4, although of little relevance.

The rapporteur of the proposal in the Senate, Izalci Lucas (PSDB-DF), who is a candidate for governor of the Federal District, argued during the vote that the areas that will be removed from the limits of the forest no longer represent native vegetation, because of irregular occupations. .

Environmental entities criticized the measure when it was approved by senators, in particular because they considered that the environmental compensation was not proportionate.

“The result is the approval of a serious setback, with loss of protected area and totally unnecessary environmental damage”, said Mauricio Guetta, lawyer and member of ISA (Instituto Socioambiental).