NOTA TÉCNICA COMENTÁRIOS À RESOLUÇÃO CONJUNTA SMA/SAA Nº 1/2016 SOBRE O PROGRAMA DE REGULARIZAÇÃO AMBIENTAL - PRA NO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO

The document evaluates the Joint Resolution SMA/SAA No. 1/2016, which regulates the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA) in São Paulo. While it praises the move toward electronic processes and clear rules for those adhering to the PRA, it warns that the resolution may have exceeded its regulatory power by establishing penalties—such as the loss of land-use rights for consolidated areas—not explicitly provided for in federal or state law. It also highlights gaps in the regulation of Legal Reserve compensation, particularly for the Cerrado biome, and the lack of complementary norms necessary for full implementation.

• The resolution may have exceeded its regulatory authority by establishing the loss of the right to use consolidated areas in Permanent Preservation Areas (APP) and Legal Reserves if the rural owner fails to comply with the Commitment Term, as this penalty is not provided for in federal or state law.
• Full implementation of the PRA-SP is currently hindered by the absence of necessary complementary normative acts, specifically regarding the electronic system for PRADA registration, the determination of organs responsible for CAR analysis, and the definition of national interest river basins for out-of-state Legal Reserve compensation.
• The resolution fails to address the parameters for restoring APPs in specific terrains, such as slopes with a gradient greater than 45 degrees, mountaintops, and altitudes above 1,800 meters, focusing only on water-related areas.
• Legal Reserve compensation outside the state of São Paulo may be difficult for the Cerrado biome due to a requirement that the area be within national interest river basins shared with São Paulo, as there are few preserved Cerrado areas meeting this criterion.
• The resolution introduces a subjective requirement for Legal Reserve compensation, stating it is only permitted if there is no area devoid of native vegetation and without consolidated rural use that could be restored.
• The document argues that Legal Reserve requirements for the Cerrado biome in São Paulo have been applicable since at least 1927, contradicting some legal interpretations that suggest protection only began with federal law in 1989.
• The resolution provides a significant procedural advance by allowing the simultaneous analysis and approval of the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Degraded and Altered Area Recovery Project (PRADA), reducing processing time.
• The resolution clarifies that benefits for consolidated rural areas in APPs—such as the continuation of agrosilvopastoral activities—are only available to those who adhere to the PRA; those who do not must follow the more rigorous general regime of the Forest Code.

APA

Chiavari, J., & Lopes, C. L. (2016). NOTA TÉCNICA COMENTÁRIOS À RESOLUÇÃO CONJUNTA SMA/SAA Nº 1/2016 SOBRE O PROGRAMA DE REGULARIZAÇÃO AMBIENTAL - PRA NO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO. Climate Policy Initiative. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/NT__Resolucao_PRA_SP_CPI_2016.pdf

Chicago

Chiavari, Joana, and Cristina Leme Lopes. NOTA TÉCNICA COMENTÁRIOS À RESOLUÇÃO CONJUNTA SMA/SAA Nº 1/2016 SOBRE O PROGRAMA DE REGULARIZAÇÃO AMBIENTAL - PRA NO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO. Climate Policy Initiative, 2016. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/NT__Resolucao_PRA_SP_CPI_2016.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chiavari |first1=Joana |last2=Lopes |first2=Cristina Leme |title=NOTA TÉCNICA COMENTÁRIOS À RESOLUÇÃO CONJUNTA SMA/SAA Nº 1/2016 SOBRE O PROGRAMA DE REGULARIZAÇÃO AMBIENTAL - PRA NO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO |publisher=Climate Policy Initiative |date=March 2016 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/NT__Resolucao_PRA_SP_CPI_2016.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chiavari2016nota, author = {Chiavari, Joana and Lopes, Cristina Leme}, title = {{NOTA TÉCNICA COMENTÁRIOS À RESOLUÇÃO CONJUNTA SMA/SAA Nº 1/2016 SOBRE O PROGRAMA DE REGULARIZAÇÃO AMBIENTAL - PRA NO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2016}, month = mar, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/NT__Resolucao_PRA_SP_CPI_2016.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }