Peru-stroika

An international coalition of conservation organizations is seeking protection for a 74 million-acre, species-rich tropical corridor between Peru and Bolivia. Conservation International and Peru's National Institute of Natural Resources are working with local authorities to try to protect the region from mining, oil and gas exploitation, road and dam construction, and logging. The corridor includes 15 pre-existing protected areas and spans the transition zone from the high-mountain ecosystems of the Andes to the tropical forests and waterways of the Amazon. The corridor is part of an area designated an ecological "hotspot" because of its high biodiversity and equally high risk from human encroachment. The project is expected to be something of an administrative headache, as the Bolivian side alone encompasses 57 municipalities and four agencies that play a role in land management. Still, enviros are heartened by letters of support from the presidents of both countries and an increasing worldwide recognition of the importance of cross-border conservation projects.