New forestry legislation that is scheduled for debate in the Mexican Senate in the coming weeks has met fierce resistance from foresters, agricultural community leaders, academics and rights groups who say the bill would turn back the clock on the country’s sustainable timber industry. The legislation, approved in March by the lower house, would reduce the role of foresters and civil society in decisions about woodland policy and strip them of control over important forestry funds, experts assert. These critics say communities would lose their voice in forest management even though they own 70% of Mexico’s woodlands, which total over 60 million hectares (148 million acres) nationwide. “It would be a step backwards for community forestry,” says Juan Carlos Carrillo, a lawyer for the Mexican... [Log in to read more]