FARMERS' OPINIONS ON FOREST CHANGES: A NEW SUBSIDY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROCESSES

Abstract

This research aimed to identify the farmers' perceptions of the changes in the Forest Code as a way of subsidizing the Environmental Education processes. The present study was carried out through bibliographical and field research. Two Environmental Managers were chosen to collect information and the application of the forms to the 43 rural owners that compose the Sanga Mandaguari microbasin in the municipality of Ouro Verde do Oeste - Pr. Field research was carried out from February to March 2016. The Data were analyzed and interpreted with the assistance of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences - SPSS. The results showed that 97% of the properties are classified as family farming. Most are handicapped by having regained riparian vegetation before changes in legislation, although they consider that new riparian forest strips could be larger, and disagree with the width of the riparian forest preservation strip depending on the size of the property. Most do not believe that these new ranges will continue to preserve water resources and the ecosystem, yet they consider the “New Forest Code” to be more important because it allows for a larger area for production.