Brazil's environment ministry will auction concessions in the Jaturana national forest, in northern Amazonas state, as part of government efforts to prevent deforestation.
The government will sell four forest management concession areas with a combined 453,000 hectares (ha) in the Apui municipality.
The concessions will require roughly R430mn ($7.4mn) in infrastructure investments and R3.4bn in operating investments over the 37-year concession period.
The auction is scheduled for 21 May and will be held at the B3 exchange, in Sao Paulo state, to guarantee transparency and boost competition, the ministry said. The government plans to hold a roadshow to promote the concessions.
The government estimates that the auction will generate concession payments of R32.6mn/yr, which will be split between federal environmental protection agencies, Amazonas state and the Apui city government.
The winning bidders will be allowed to harvest up to six trees/ha for lumber from the concession area, according to the auction's terms elaborated by the Bndes development bank.
Other select activities, including the production of açai fruit, Brazil nuts and tropical tree oils, such as copaiba and andiroba, will also be permitted.
The concession terms stipulate that the winning bidder will not have control over the mineral or water rights of the region and will be required to invest in research and environmental education.
With the sale of the Jaturana concessions, Brazil will increase the total amount of forest managed by the private sector — now at 1.31mn ha — by 35pc. Brazil has 23 concession contracts for nine national forests in five Brazilian states.
The goal is to award a total of 5mn in forest concessions over the next three years. The Brazilian forestry service (SFB) is developing concessions for 11 other national forests, the head of the SFB Garo Batmanian said on Monday.
Limiting deforestation is one of President Luiz Inacio da Silva's goals for his administration and a flagship of the country's ambitions for the UN Cop 30 summit, which will be held in Belem, the capital of northern Para state, in November. Brazil has been targeting reforestation as part of its efforts to meet its emissions-reduction target. But wildfires in the country are still a major concern, as they rose by 79pc in 2024 from a year prior, according to environmental network MapBiomas' fire monitor researching program.
