Venezuelanalysis.com journalist Michael Fox looks at “Mision Arbol” (Tree Mission), launched by President Hugo Chavez on Sunday June 4th.
Misión Arbol: Reforesting Venezuela
By Michael Fox – Venezuelanalysis.com
June 23, 2006
The forests of the world continue disappearing at a rate like never before seen on the face of the earth. Currently, over 13 million hectares (32 million acres) are destroyed annually in a race for more arable land, housing, primary resources, and as an effect of global warming. Venezuelan trees have not been spared, and according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN, over the past five years Venezuela has ranked among the top 10 countries with the highest deforestation rates on the planet.[1] However just two weeks ago, Venezuela began to fight back.
On Sunday June 4th, President Hugo Chavez launched “Mision Arbol” (Tree Mission) from Guaraira Repano or Mount Avila looming over Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. While planting dozens of trees with members of Venezuela’s newly formed Conservation Committees, Chavez explained, “If you are going to utilize a tree, you have to do it with consciousness and respect for the environment. If you cut down a tree you need to plant 10 more.”
Mision Arbol is an attempt to combat the deforestation of Venezuela, with a vision of “generating in the Venezuelan population an environmental consciousness about the importance of the forests, ecological equilibrium, and the recuperation of the degraded spaces as a result of the predominant model of development.”
The goals are simple: in five years, collect 30 tons of seeds, plant 100 million plants, reforesting 150,000 hectares of land. Luckily they are not starting from scratch. Last September, Venezuela launched their National Productive Reforestation Plan, which has now essentially grown into Mision Arbol. Well along phase one, they have already collected 15,000 bags of seeds and, according to Chavez, already have 15 million seedlings growing in nurseries, under the second phase of the program.[2]
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