What are the advantages of converting your property into a RPPN? An RPPN is exempt from the from Rural Territory Tax (ITR); in the declared area, projects may be forwarded to the National Environmental Funding, with the support of NGOs, with the purpose of financing the maintenance of the reserve and have priority in agricultural credit grants. Another advantage is that, in this manner, the forest may not be dispossessed for social purposes once it already fulfills the social purpose of environment protection. There are NGOs which support (and fund) owners who are interested in creating RPPNs (refer to
www.aliancamataatlantica.org.br).
What are the conditions under which a property can become a RPPN?
The Brazilian Forest Code of 1965, in its article 6, allows owners of natural areas to declare them as full protection areas for posterity. Federal Decree 1922 of June 5th, 1996 regulates the creation of a RPPN. According to this decree, RPPN s may be created in areas where “incipient or recovered natural conditions are identified or if the features of the area justify its recovery on account of its landscape relevance, or for preserving the biological cycle of animals and plants”. RPPNs may be created in forests, shoal areas or natural fields. It can cover the whole property or just a part of it. Creating a RPPN is optional, according to one´s own and exclusive free will.
What can be done in an RPPN?
According to the Domestic Protected Areas System, in this kind of reserve, if desired by the proprietor and depending on the characteristics of the area, scientific research, environmental education and ecotourism activities may be carried out with the support of ICMBio (Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation), companies, city halls and NGOs.
How does one request a RPPN title?
Prepare necessary documents:
- Certified copy of the Property Title
- Certified copy of the ID card
- Copy of the last ITR (Rural Property Tax) paid
- Floor plant defining the location of the area to be converted to an RPPN, when not the entire property.
These documents must be forwarded to ICMBio, along with an application and commitment instrument. Acknowledgment is granted through an ordinance from ICMBio´s President, which the proprietor must subsequently and permanently maintain annotated in the the property’s registration.
The importance of RPPNs in the implementation of ecological corridors
An ecological or biodiversity corridor is a mosaic of uses of the land that connect fragments of natural forest through the landscape. RPPNs can be considered as the best partners for parks and reserves created by the government, thus they help protect their surroundings, creating vegetation corridors which serve as shelter or passage for wild animals. These corridors allow wildlife circulation, avoiding the isolation of family groups, what could bring consanguineous problems and increase the risks of extinction.
Who can help in the implementation of a RPPN?
Andrade & Cermelli’s staff encourages and supports rural area proprietors in Paraty who wish to have their land converted to RPPNs, being able to help in the initial process of the creation of an RPPN (for this purpose, ask for Eduardo Andrade at the real estate agency). Other more specialized offices which support the creation of RPPNs are:
- ICMBio Paraty: (24) 3371-1400
www.ibama.gov.br 
- SOS Mata Atlântica: (11) 3055-7888
www.sosmatatlantica.org.br
- Aliança Mata Atlântica
www.aliancamataatlantica.org.br
- Conservation International (31) 3261-3889
www.conservation.org.br
For further information on RPPNs visit:
www.aliancamataatlantica.org.br/rppn_final.pdf
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