Tree Avalanching - The Finacial Engine for Turning the Tide on Global Deforestation

by Fred Morgan, President Finca Leola S.A

Tropical Reforestation According to the World Resource Institute based at Washington DC (U.S.A.), the rates of rainforest destruction are 2.4 acre per second, 149 acres per minute, 214000 acres per day and 78 million acres per year.

These are truly daunting numbers.

To solve the problem of deforestation, we have to plant forests, not just trees.

The definition of deforestation is not the loss of trees, but the change of land use from forested to some other use. If trees are lost even through clear cutting, if the land is left alone, the trees will come back eventually.

In order to reforest, we have to permanently return land to forest use. If you go out and plant trees anywhere you want - perhaps farmers will let you plant on their property, for example - you haven't yet reforested. This is because eventually someone can cut down those trees because of the value represented there. Very often, someone protects a section of their property and never cuts the trees, but after they die, the property is sold and their protected forest is cleared and turned to another use.

This is also a problem that governments don't seem to handle very well. As seen in the USA, what one administration protects, another administration harvests. As pressure grows on governments because of the debt they all seem to build, the forest is being liquidated - just like those who own properties often sell their trees to help pay off debt or for money to live.

Almost anyone would eventually cut down their trees if economic pressures were severe enough. If you own your own home, where it stands was probably a forest at one time. Would you willingly abandon your home (and the money it represents) in order to let the forest come back? Most likely not, because the money lost to you would be very significant, and you probably could not afford it.

Voluntary preservation of the forest is not enough. This is why it is so difficult to stop deforestation in the tropics - a well-grown tree represents a lot of money. In most tropical regions, a farm worker could buy a home with the money from a single mature tree.

Replacing deforestation with reforestation must meet the following three requirements:

Tropical Reforestation

The trees must be able to fund land preservation.

The trees must be able to diversify.

The trees must be able to fund more acquisition of more land.

The Trees Must Be Able to Fund Land Preservation

Trees have to have a way to pay for their own protection.

Even though most tropical nations put aside land as permanent parks, the governments don't have the money to adequately protect those parks. Because of that, some of the bigger national parks are at risk because of tree poaching. Remember that an old growth tree (which is only 100 years old here) could potentially buy a home in most developing countries.

Thinking a forest will survive without protection is like thinking you could protect your money by leaving it by the side of the road. Sure, there would be many people who would either pass it by or try to give it back to you - but it only takes one person who would consider it "finders keepers" for you to lose your unprotected money. Most people respect the need to preserve the forest, but it only takes a few to undo all the time spent growing trees.

It isn't as simple as just planting trees on land set aside for the purpose - or even passing laws saying areas are protected. Without active protection, the trees will eventually be gone, just like your money by the side of the road. (Continued on Next Page)

About RTR           The Goal         Our Methods         Our Projects        Get Involved       About the EPS