BUENOS AIRES / SALTA, Argentina - Greenpeace welcomed the approval in the Legislature salteña of law by which the province transfers to the National Parks Administration, the first lots to form the National Book Pizarro, who will at first 8 thousand hectares

"The creation of the National Reserve Pizarro is a dream come true. It is an act of justice for the community and those who defend wichi recent forests of Argentina, after many years of struggle, "said Hernan Giardini, campaign coordinator for Greenpeace Argentina forests.

Environmentalists pointed out that protected areas will eventually be one of the less sheltered environments in the province, the transition between the dry Chaco and Yungas Forest, after more than seven years of intense campaigning alongside local organizations and communities.

Pizarro National Reserve shall consist of three lots totaling approximately 7,589 hectares (1). These lots total more than 200 hectares of the northern, known as lot 16,128, bringing the total amount initially would be about 8 000 hectares, but will eventually reach 21,298 hectares agreed between Salta and the Nation. Wichi community living in the reserve will receive 800 hectares.

In 2004, the governor of Salta Juan Carlos Romero, pushed a law that was hostile to the Provincial Reserve Pizarro, its protected area status, with the aim of lotearla, paddling and designed for different productive activities, mainly the cultivation Soy. The case led to the rejection of the National University of Salta, the inhabitants of the reserve and numerous NGOs, including WWF, the Natural Resources Foundation (FARN) and Greenpeace (2), who claimed the invalidity of the law of reversal of the reserve to justice Salta, and through a filing with the Supreme Court's Office.

"The case Pizarro spread the scourge of the deforestation in northern Argentina to national and international level for the passing of the Forest Act, a fundamental tool to begin addressing the problem of deforestation in our country," said Giardini.

The conflict had a peak of tension when a group of buyers of the book was about to start clearing the area. However, the September 29, 2005, President Nestor Kirchner pledged to intervene in the case after receiving a delegation of the Wichi community, accompanied by Greenpeace and several individuals.