Chaco Seco: 1,800 hectares of native forest illegally cleared

The environmental organization Aves Argentinas has reported the illegal clearing of approximately 1,800 hectares of native forest in the Almirante Brown department, located within the Chaco Seco region.

The affected area is classified as Category II (Yellow) under the Native Forest Territorial Ordering, a designation that expressly prohibits land-use changes. The site is ecologically critical, bordering the Loro Hablador Provincial Natural Park and serving as a buffer zone for Copo National Park. The destruction threatens habitats for species such as the jaguar, the carraretá tatú, and the quimilero peccary.

Despite provincial authorities seizing four bulldozers and chains on September 8, satellite imagery from Sentinel-2 indicates that clearing activities continued after the operation. Experts warn that the loss of biomass could release over 520,000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.