A Legislative Assembly of Paraná (ALEP) is remembering, this Tuesday (24), the National Araucaria Day, a tree that is a symbol of the state's forests.
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Previously, Paraná already had a State Araucaria Day, celebrated on June 7. The national date, however, reinforces the need to preserve the species, which is threatened with extinction in several parts of the territory.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Araucaria angustifolia is classified as “critically endangered”.
From the original coverage of araucaria forests in Paraná, data published in 2024, in the journal Biological Conservation, indicate that only 4,3% remain.
In this sense, the Legislative Assembly emphasizes the existence of Law No. 20.223, approved in 2020, which allows the planting and commercial exploitation of the species.
Authored by deputies Romanelli (PSD) and Hussein Bakri (PSD), and then deputy Emerson Bacil (PSD), the law aims to expand the planting of araucaria.
“This law represents a milestone in the protection and sustainable use of the araucaria, the greatest symbol of our Paraná identity,” said Bakri.
“The objective is to recover degraded areas, sustainably manage forests and enhance the Araucaria production chain, promoting employment, income and environmental awareness,” he added.
However, Flávio Zanetti, a researcher at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), believes that there is still a lack of knowledge on the subject. “[The law] needs to be more widely publicized as a public policy to effectively reach rural producers,” he argued.
In the Foz do Iguaçu region, the araucaria is not as common due to the warmer climate and competition from more adapted species. In other areas of the state, however, pine forests are part of the natural and historical landscape of Paraná.
(With information from the Legislative Assembly)
