Forest Restoration in the Amazon: What is the Role of State-Level Public Policies?

The report analyzes how Brazilian states in the Amazon biome are transitioning from federal dependence to active leadership in forest restoration. While states have successfully implemented mandatory restoration frameworks tied to the Forest Code and pioneered PES and REDD+ programs, the report identifies significant fragmentation. Key barriers include burdensome bureaucracy for native species forestry, a lack of integration with carbon markets (except in Pará), and inconsistent regulations across states that hinder landscape-scale projects. Pará is highlighted as the leader with the most comprehensive framework, including a dedicated State Plan for the Restoration of Native Vegetation.

• Amazonian states have often led the way in environmental policy, implementing Payment for Environmental Services (PES) and REDD+ programs before federal initiatives existed. Specifically, the states of Mato Grosso and Pará were instrumental in the national development of the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and Environmental Compliance Programs (PRAs).
• State policies primarily focus on mandatory restoration to comply with the Forest Code's requirements for Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs) and Legal Reserves, leaving a gap in robust incentives for voluntary forest restoration, particularly in areas with alternative land use.
• Integration of carbon markets into state restoration policies is generally lacking, with the exception of Pará, which uses public concessions for carbon credit generation. Rondônia has introduced a state carbon accounting system for monitoring emissions.
• Productive restoration models, such as Agroforestry Systems (AFS) and Crop-Cattle-Forest Integration (CCFI), are central to many state policies, but there is a lack of specific policies to promote forestry using native species.
• Regulatory barriers hinder large-scale restoration, including excessive bureaucracy for environmental permits for native species forestry and seed/seedling regulations that prioritize agricultural phytosanitary protection over restoration needs.
• Pará possesses the most comprehensive policy framework in the region, being the only state with a State Plan for the Restoration of Native Vegetation (PRVN-PA) and the only one to explicitly prioritize natural regeneration for large-scale restoration.
• Environmental fine conservation programs in states like Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia, and Roraima allow offenders to invest in forest restoration projects instead of paying fines, with collective conversion models supporting larger strategic landscape planning.

APA

Climate Policy Initiative (2025). Forest Restoration in the Amazon: What is the Role of State-Level Public Policies? https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/forest-restoration-in-the-amazon-what-is-the-role-of-state-level-public-policies/

Chicago

Climate Policy Initiative. Forest Restoration in the Amazon: What is the Role of State-Level Public Policies? 2025. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/forest-restoration-in-the-amazon-what-is-the-role-of-state-level-public-policies/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Policy Initiative |title=Forest Restoration in the Amazon: What is the Role of State-Level Public Policies? |date=26 June 2025 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/forest-restoration-in-the-amazon-what-is-the-role-of-state-level-public-policies/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatepolicyinitiative2025forest, author = {{Climate Policy Initiative}}, title = {{Forest Restoration in the Amazon: What is the Role of State-Level Public Policies?}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2025}, month = jun, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/forest-restoration-in-the-amazon-what-is-the-role-of-state-level-public-policies/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }