Brazil will allow the cutting of bigleaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) to resume after a nearly two-year ban—but this time under new, more restrictive rules. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva last month issued a decree authorizing the renewed harvesting of mahogany for a five-year period. Though that period officially began July 12, experts say the steps loggers must take to comply with the new regimen make it unlikely that legal cutting of mahogany will resume until sometime next year. The measure (No. 4722) supersedes existing prohibitions, including a ban that was issued in 2001 by the government of then-President Fernando Henrique Cardoso and in February of this year was given a 150-day limit by the current administration. The original ban... [Log in to read more]