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City draws attention by deciding to buy a piece of the Atlantic Forest with more than 153 thousand square meters to transform the forest into a public area of environmental protection
Buying a forest may seem like an unusual decision for a city hall. Still, Itapoá chose this path to expand environmental preservation.
The city opened a public call to acquire a piece of the Atlantic Forest with more than 153 thousand square meters of preserved native vegetation.
In practice, the municipality seeks owners willing to sell land covered by forest. After the purchase, the city hall will create conservation units in these areas.
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The size also draws attention. The notice provides for the acquisition of 153,101.97 square meters, equivalent to approximately 15 hectares or 21 football fields.
Owners of properties located in priority areas can submit proposals until October 11, 2026. The city hall’s digital system will receive all documentation.
After selecting the land, the municipality will incorporate the areas into public assets. Then, it will create Full Protection Conservation Units.
Owners can offer areas of the Atlantic Forest to the city hall
The process will occur voluntarily, unlike an expropriation. Each owner can decide whether to participate in the call.
The Municipal Department of Environment of Itapoá allows the participation of individuals, companies, associations, non-governmental organizations, and OSCIPs.
Each property must be within the municipality and meet all environmental, technical, and land requirements of the notice.
The property must maintain exclusive coverage of native Atlantic Forest vegetation and have regularized documentation status.
The forest must also form a continuous fragment. The municipality will refuse interrupted, parceled, or divided areas.
Purchase of 15 hectares is part of Itapoá’s environmental program
The acquisition is part of the Municipal Forest Conversion System, Simflor, which transforms resources from environmental compensations into preservation actions.
Developments that carry out authorized vegetation suppression need to compensate for the environmental impact caused by the activity.
In Itapoá, the municipality converts part of these values into fees. Then, it uses the resources to buy strategic areas for environmental conservation.
The city hall intends to gather large fragments of native forest and avoid maintaining small isolated areas.
The formation of ecological corridors and conservation mosaics could enhance biodiversity protection and strengthen local ecosystems.
City hall will create conservation units on acquired lands
After completing the purchase, the city hall will incorporate the property into the municipal assets. Subsequently, it will begin the creation of a Full Protection Conservation Unit.
This model is among the most rigorous forms of protection in Brazilian environmental legislation. Its main objective is to preserve the natural ecosystems of the area.
The purchase will not occur automatically. First, the Municipal Environmental Secretariat will technically analyze each property presented.
Then, the Municipal Council for Environmental Defense, Comdema, will evaluate and approve the proposal.
Municipality will prioritize the lowest price in property selection
The call gathers the goals of the Simflor program for the years 2024 and 2025.
If more than one property meets all conditions, the municipality will prioritize the lowest price offered.
In case of a tie, the technical team will analyze other aspects. Among them are the environmental quality of the property and its proximity to ecological corridors.
The commission will also consider the connection of the land with other priority conservation areas.
Owners can submit proposals until October 2026
Interested owners will have until October 11, 2026 to submit documentation in the digital system of the Prefeitura de Itapoá.
The proposal must include the property documents, owner information, and the intended sale price.
The interested party must also include a detailed technical survey of the area offered to the municipality.
The land must be located in a priority region of the Municipal Plan for Recovery and Conservation of the Atlantic Forest.
The city hall will allow the advancement only of regularized, preserved properties that meet the requirements of the public notice.
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