Peru launched a National Forestry and Wildlife Service on Aug. 14, laying the cornerstone of reforms meant to bring order to a regulatory area beset by corruption and inefficiency. The kickoff of the National Forestry and Wildlife Service (Serfor) came just days after researchers unveiled a new map showing the country’s forests store nearly 7 billion metric tons of carbon, mostly in the Amazon region. “Our goal is sustainable management of the country’s resources,” said the new agency’s director, Fabiola Muñoz, who is overseeing implementation of Peru’s new forestry legislation and forest management policy. The overhaul of Peru’s forest-management system came after deadly protests in 2009 forced the government to scrap new rules and build consensus with indigenous and other groups. (See “Amazon violence... [Log in to read more]