Seeing the forest for the trees. (Mexico on the Web).Mexican forests cover more than 140 million hectares, or about 72% of the national territory. That said, the trees are falling quickly. A recent government study of satellite images found that the country is losing its once abundant forest cover almost twice as quickly as previously estimated. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the study--www.peopleandplanet.net/doc.php?id=140--annual forest loss in those years averaged about 2.78 million acres instead of the 1.5 million acres previously reported. To learn more about forestry issues, there is no better source than turning to the Web. SEMARNAT SEMARNAT Secretaría de Medio Ambiente Y Recursos Naturales (México) www.semarnat.gob.mx **** (out of five *'s) The Environmental Secretariat (Semarnat) has a number of valuable resources online, including detailed information about the national forest campaign--www.semarnat.gob.mx/bosque-agua--historical statistics about deforestation--www.semarnat.gob.mxestadisticas_ambientales/estadistic as_am_98/forestales/forestales04.shtml--and legal documents galore--www.semarnat.gob.mx/snif/cgi-bin/snif.pl?menus/menu5.men. The site provides PDF files documenting the 2001-2006 national forestry plan-- www.semarnat.gob.mx/programas/pnforestal. This is a highly recommended site for serious researchers, and one of the best examples of a government site that provides detailed information to the interested public. WORLD RAINFOREST MOVEMENT The World Rainforest Movement (WRM) is an international NGO and Indigenous Peoples' Groups network involved in efforts to defend the world's tropical forests against the forces that destroy them. www.wrm.org.uy **** This Uruguay-based website has an abundance of information about LatinAmerican forests, and takes a watchdog position questioning Mexico's new forestry law. For example, the site documents the minutes of an official meeting between Finnish environmental groups and a Mexican delegate from the National Forestry Commission The Forestry Commission (established in 1919) is a non-ministerial Government Department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment. (Conafor)--www.wrm.org.uy/countries/Mexico/acta.html. World Rainforest Movement has a long history, and news reports about Mexico are easily found via its speedy search engine. Reports are available in English and Spanish. BOSQUE LA PRIMAVERA pri·ma·ve·ra 1 or pri·ma ve·ra n. 1. A tree (Cybistax donnellsmithii) of Mexico and Guatemala, having opposite, palmately compound leaves, yellow flowers, and close-grained, light-colored wood. 2. www.blp.org.mx **** This Spanish-language site focuses attention on a small forest in the state of Jalisco. The site is being developed and has great potential. Highlights include a collection of regional maps and directories aimed at the serious researcher. OTHERS SITES: Mexico Forests Sectors dlc.dlib.indiana.edu/documents/dir0/00/00/30/41/dlc-00000341-00/segur ag041100.pdf (Portable Document Format) The de facto standard for document publishing from Adobe. On the Web, there are countless brochures, data sheets, white papers and technical manuals in the PDF format. Analysis presented in 2000 regarding the state of forest resource management The Forestry Industry in the State of Chihuahua: Economic, Ecological and Social Impacts Post-Nafta--Texas Center for Policy Studies www.texascenter.org/publications/forestnafta.pdf May 2001 report in PDF format. This is a bit obtuse ob·tuse adj. 1. Lacking quickness of perception or intellect. 2. Not sharp or acute; blunt. and the web links are obsolete, but it provides a thorough overview. Global Forestry Global Conservation Portal forests.org This well-organized and informative site provides an encyclopedic en·cy·clo·pe·dic adj. 1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of an encyclopedia. 2. Embracing many subjects; comprehensive: "an ignorance almost as encyclopedic as his erudition" collection of information about rainforests around the planet. News links are updated daily and links to outside websites are arranged by region. Ron Mader is the host of the popular Planeta.com website www.planeta.com and co-founder of The Mexico Network--www.mexiconetwork.info. SISTEMA DE INFORMATION DE LOS INCENDIOS FORESTALES. fms.nofc.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/mexico **** Developed as a partnership between Semarnat, the Canadian Forest Service The Canadian Forest Service (CFS) is a sector of the Canadian government department of Natural Resources Canada. Part of the federal government since 1899, the CFS is a science-based policy organization responsible for promoting the sustainable development of Canada's forests and and Natural Resources Canada Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is a department of the government of Canada responsible for natural resources, energy, minerals and metals, forests, earth sciences, mapping and remote sensing. , the Forest Fires Information System is an engaging site that provides a great deal of information about current forest fires and potential affected areas. Best of all, the site is updated regularly as demonstrated in its map collection-fms.nofc.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/mexico/docs/current.html. PROGRAMA DE ACCION ACCION Americans for Community Co-operation in Other Nations FORESTAL TROPICAL [PROFAT] www.laneta.apc.org/proaft ** The Mexico City-based Tropical Forestry Action Program boasts a long history and noble goals, but the Spanish-language website provides little detailed information and does not appear to have been updated in some time. The section about the physical library--www.laneta.apc.org/proaft/proaft/biblioteca.html--includes its hours of operation but does not disclose the location. |
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