Amazon Reforestation Project

BACKGROUND

This resource presents the mission of the Amazon Reforestation Project (ARP) which aims to conserve tropical rainforest and conduct forest restoration on deforested lands in the Brazilian Amazon. Located on over 1 million hectares of land in the state of Amazonas, this project aims to serve as an example for large scale conservation and restoration in this region, where increasing development and globalization of Manaus is leading to increased opportunities and incentives for deforestation.

RESEARCH GOALS & METHODS

The project has been done since 2009. Since its inception, the project obtained deeds of Dr. Bernadino's landholdings, gathered GPS locations of the estate, and registered 170,000 hectares for consideration under REDD+ and VCS. The project continues to conduct rigorous scientific evaluation to decide how best to restore the land given the poor soils and frequent flooding.

CONCLUSIONS AND TAKEAWAYS

As of February 2012, ARP became a member of the American Carbon Registry and sought carbon offsets that helped in the restoration efforts, and as a financial incentive for local populations to conserve the forest.