Dexter Patrick

S.
Baltazar NASC
10Book
review- Power
from the
Forest: he
Politics of !

o""i#"his
$ook $%
&arites 'it(" )
isc(sse) )ee*er
i#to the
seemi#"l%
o$str(ctive
li#ka"e $etwee

# forest
+reso(rces,
which
accor)i#" to
her the most
rava"e) of the
co(#tr%/s
#at(ralreso(rce

s a#)
*olitics. B%
"e#eralizatio#
the
i#vesti"ative
literat(re
em*hasize) the
)

iffere#tviolatio
#s o# forest
laws a#)
forestr% iss(es
that were
im*licitl%
tolerate) a#)
hel*e) $%

the"over#me#
t +)(ri#" the
&arcos re"ime,
a#)
*oliticia#s.ithi
# the sco*e of
*olitics it was
"ive# e#o("h )

e*th that
these $i"
#ames i#
thele"islatio#
wo(l) e#ter the
)omai# of
tra)i#"
a#) sales o#ce

i# the *ositio#
the# )isre"ar)
lawsa"ai#st
overex*loitatio
# i# the
*rocess. 2#
t(r# this
(#tr(l%

*ractice
res(lte) to the
fail(re
ofim*leme#ti#
" *olicies si#ce
the *ro$lem
existe) *rimaril
% from the

i#ter#al. his
iss(e
wasex*licate)
i# the seco#)
cha*ter
wherei# it was
$elieve) that
the so(rce of

co#ti#(o(s
forestreserves
)ecimatio#
was #ot at all
rece#t. 2t
$ecame
clearer that
some of the

reso(rces a$
(se)were
re#ewa$le $(t
it is a
k#ow# fact
that a #at(ral
forest ecos
%stem ca#

#ever "et $ack

to itsori"i#al
form
co#)itio#
a#) $io)iversit
% after a
ma3or
o$literatio#.

A4(i#o
a)mi#istratio#
altho("h
ca##ot f(ll%
ass(re *eo*le
of safet% from
vi"ila#te
"ro(*s trie) to

recover lost
"ai#s i#forest
*rotectio# a#)
the sha*i#" of
*olicies.he
$ook feat(re)
a# i#te#se
thoro("h#ess

tackli#" the
$a# for
commercial
lo""i#" a#)how
the $ill a$o(t
a))ressi#" the
sit(atio# was
#ot eve# #ear

to the *ossi$ilit
% of it as
a *artic(lar law
of the la#).
&oreover the
ma#(scri*t
co#ferre)
a$o(t the

rele#tless
(sa"e of
trees $% the
militar% forces
a"ai#st the
i#s(r"e#ts5re$
els. A#other
as*ect were

those "(erillas
who tr%to $e
*rotective of
their $ases
a#) forests
a#) at the
same time
take i#to their

ha#)s loa)s
ofmo#e%
"ar#ere) $%
taxi#" the
lo""i#"
com*a#ies. All
these to*ics
were *rese#te)

i# a
ma##erthat
wo(l) $(lk (* to
s(**ort how
ille"al lo""i#"
affecte) tri$al
comm(#ities
i# a matter

ofs(rvival a#)
a#cestral la#)
ow#ershi*. 2t
has $ee# a#
(#ima"i#a$le )
ilemma for
these
i#)i"e#o(s *eo

*le $eca(se the

% are alrea)
% )eali#" with
scarcit% of
reso(rces. 2t
was clearl%
#ot realize)
thata tree

si"#ifies a
h(ma# $ei#".
As to a))ress
the *ro$lem
the alter#ative
to the tim$er
lice#sea"reem
e#t e4(ati#"

to forests
ma#a"e) $%
comm(#ities
"ave a
materializi#"
i)ea of
ho*e.A# e%eo*e#er6 as

she sai)
there was #ot
a $ook
a$o(t forestr%
iss(es at her
time a#)
thatwas wh%
she )e)icate)

this to the *olic

% makers
"over#me#t
st()e#ts a#)
the citize#r%.
A#aware *($lic
that catal%zes
the a)vocacies

a#) )
evelo*me#ts
to r(# stea)il
% active
#o#-"over#m
e#t
or"a#izatio#s
for s(**ort a#)

a secretar%
for
e#viro#me#t
that acts a#)
liste#s
arewhat the
cha*ter he
Dista#t 7ree#

8ears *oi#ts
o(t. 2t 3(st
"oes witho(t
4(estio# that
there isstill a
cha#ce for
cha#"e if a#)
o#l% if the s

%stem
cha#"es
i#ter#all%
a#) revoke
those who take
it $% "ree).
he $ook was
#ot eas% to

rea) for its

com*elli#"
a""re"atio# of
e#co(#ters
that
f(rther )estro%
the
e#viro#me#t

$(t it was
writte# with
s(ch effort to
$e (#)erstoo)
$% ever%o#e.