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Dear Presidente Lagos, I am deeply concerned about the construction of the Southern Coastal Highway through Chile's native temperate rainforest. The Valdivian Rainforest has been identified as one of the highest priority conservation areas on the planet. The second largest temperate rainforest in the world, this forest contains outstanding biodiversity and high levels of endemism. Construction of the Êhighway will open the last intact stretch of the Valdivian Rainforest to logging, conversion to plantations, and other forms of exploitation. The Central Bank of Chile has already estimated that, at current rates of deforestation, Chile's unprotected native forests may be completely gone within twenty years. I urge you to immediately halt construction of the highway and to promote conservation measures and economic planning that will ensure long-term forest protection and sustainable economic development for the region. Sincerely, For more information visit: Rainforest Action Network — http://www.ran.org |
