The WRM International Secretariat endorsed a letter sent by a number of environmental organizations to the FSC Board Committee on February 4th, requesting that the deadline of the comment period of Principle 9 (January 28th, 1998) is extended. Principle 9 deals with the issue of how and under what circumstances, the FSC should choose to endorse logging in primary and high conservation value forests.
We supported the campaign of Brazilian NGOs against the weakening of the Environmental Crimes Act (PL 1.164). Unfortunately, President Fernando H. Cardozo, responding to pressure from big landowners and industry, finally partially vetoed the act approved by the Senate.
A letter was sent on February 25th to authorities of the Canadian Government to express our concern for the logging permits recently issued in the Northwest Territory, in lands occupied by the indigenous people Deh Cho, who resist this measure.