Brazil's Lula announces new Amazon protection

By Ana Nicolaci da Costa

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, under pressure over his stewardship of the Amazon rainforest, unveiled plans on Thursday to create three protected reserves covering an area the size of the U.S. state of Vermont.

In a speech marking World Environment Day, Lula said the steps aimed at combating a spike in deforestation would take time to work, and foreigners did not have the moral authority to tell Brazil how to manage the world's largest forest.

"It's not easy to discuss the environment, thinking that the mere creation of a law or a decree will solve the problem," he said.

"Sometimes a thing that seems so consensual can take two or three years to materialize because we have to respect institutions."

At least 23 million hectares (89,000 sq miles) of the rainforest are already protected. The new reserves in Para and Amazonas state would expand the area by 2.6 million hectares (10,000 sq miles).

Lula's proposal has to be approved by Congress and could face challenges in the Supreme Court.

The resignation last month of renowned Amazon defender Marina Silva as environment minister raised worries among environmentalists that Lula is siding with farming and industrial interests that want to develop the forest.

The measures were welcomed by Denise Hamu, the head of the World Wildlife Fund in Brazil, who said it was a positive step. Others were more skeptical.