OUTSIDE OF THE AMAZON, Nicaragua's East coast features the largest intact tropical rainforest in the Western Hemisphere. The lush territory has a dispassionate name, the North Atlantic Autonomous Region; but it is home to everything we are passionate about. The region is a vast, old growth rainforest ecosystem with mahogany trees, medicinal plants and countless species of animals and insects. It is the traditional homeland of Miskito, Sumu, and Rama Indians.
The Nicaraguan Constitution recognizes the Indian populations in the coastal rainforest as autonomous nations; however, despite their opposition, Nicaragua's Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources recently granted extensive logging concessions there to Solcarsa, a subsidiary of the Korean-based transnational company Kumkyng.
This past February, however, Nicaragua's Supreme Court ruled the concession unconstitutional. Nicaraguan law requires companies to consult regional advisory councils in assessing the environmental impact of logging operations. Solcarsa took a shortcut: the company obtained endorsements only from the regional governor and the council president.
Despite these sanctions Solcarsa is still building roads, and is still cutting down old growth rainforest trees. Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in Central America, and the influx of foreign capital gives a temporary boost to the economy. For now, neither the government of President Arnoldo Aleman nor the Ministry of Environment has made any efforts to enforce the Supreme Court's ruling against Solcarsa - but when the timber is gone the logging company will move on, leaving the economy in ruins, and the ecosystem too degraded to provide a livelihood for its inhabitants.
According to sources in Nicaragua, the wood treatment plants Solcarsa operates in the coastal rainforest use toxic chemicals that have been banned in most countries. These chemicals run directly into the rivers and streams that supply drinking water for local traditional communities. Solcarsa has demonstrated no respect for community interests or needs, has built logging facilities without approval, and has relocated entire indigenous settlements that were in the path of the company's chainsaws.
The international community is taking notice of Nicaragua's rainforest crisis. In early October, The Human Rights Commission of the Organization of American States ruled that the Nicaraguan government violated international law by ignoring its own Supreme Court ruling. On November 10 this year, a worldwide day of solidarity, activists in communities across the U.S. and in Nicaragua called on Nicaruagua's President Aleman to uphold his Constitution, stand up for indigenous rights, and put an immediate end to logging concessions in the coastal old growth rainforest.
Now is the time to let Nicaragua's government know that it must protect the integrity of its environment and indigenous cultures.

President Arnoldo Aleman
Casa de Presidente
Managua, Nicaragua

Dear President Aleman,
Nicaragua recognizes the self-determination of its indigenous peoples, yet despite their opposition the logging company Solcarsa is cutting down old growth rainforests in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region. Although ruled unconstitutional by the Nicaraguan Surpreme Court, Solcarsa's operations have continued to destroy ancient trees and poison local rivers.
I am asking you to make protecting your old growth rainforests a priority, and to require that the company compensate the indigenous community for the damage it has done to their homeland.