The judge of the Specialized Court of Environment issues, José Nogueira Zuquim, granted, on Thursday February 16th., an injunction pled by the State Public Ministry (MPE), determining the immediate suspension of the effects of the provisions of State Law 9.523/2011 setting up the Socioeconomic Ecological Zoning of Mato Grosso (MT-ZSEE). This State Law was approved in April 2011 with a strong pressure from the agribusiness sector, and was intended, among other aims, to define Northwest Mato Grosso environments as regions with a proper vocation for cattle ranching and soya bean cultivation.
According to Zuquim, the conversion of natural environments and improper use of the territory as proposed in the law will affect considerably the availability of water and biodiversity, and generate serious consequences for the sustainability of agricultural production and ecological processes and environmental services maintained in the various ecosystems of Mato Grosso.
In the case of the Civil Public Action, a preliminary injunction, proposed by MEP, stated that the law in question, which established the Policy Planning and Land Management of the State of Mato Grosso, compared to an administrative act, is vitiated by the manner and reasons what invalidates oral arguments and justifies the action.
The MEP argues that the technical studies that would have given ballast to the preparation of the Socio-Economic Ecological Zoning are inconsistent, and full of methodological errors, since they were not complied with the procedural rules under Federal Decree 4.297/2002, which provides guidance related to the environmental zoning. We will look forward for the developments, which are critical as the MT-ZSEE law is a benchmark for a biodiversity conservation policymix in NW Mato Grosso and the future of its remaining tropical forests.
Source
Jorge Vivan, REDES