Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Land Donation Conditioned on Creation of National Park

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

BUENOS AIRES, Nov 14 2011 (IPS) - ) The Conservation Land Trust (CLT) has conditioned the donation of 150,000 hectares from the Iberá Natural Reserve, in the northeastern Argentine province of Corrientes, on the government’s creation of a national park. "Beyond the expressed will of the CLT, the final decision will depend on the authorities of Corrientes and Argentina," CLT spokesperson Marian Labourt told Tierramérica.

The Iberá Natural Reserve encompasses 1.3 million hectares, of which 553,000 are publicly owned and have been declared a provincial park. Of the remainder, CLT controls 150,000 hectares that are maintained as conservation areas.

The wetlands, grasslands and forests of these areas are home to some 4,000 species of flora and fauna. The creation of a national park of more than 700,000 hectares would make it the country’s largest.

The CLT land was formerly owned by U.S. millionaire Douglas Tompkins, who created the trust and currently serves as president of its board of directors.