This kind of exploitation doesn't have to occur. With the help of San Francisco's Richard and Rhoda Goldman Foundation, Suriname recently set aside for permanent protection 4 million acres of tropical forest. Private donors as well as global financial institutions such as the World Bank need to recognize just how much difference the right kind Of investments can make. We are at a critical juncture with regard to the future of the planet's natural resources. Scientists have determined that more than 50 percent of the world's terrestrial biological diversity is found within just 2 percent of the planet's land surface.
Most otthese regions happen to also be in tropical developing countries.
One of the few not in a developing country is the California Floristic Province, where such unique and vulnerable habitats as the Headwaters redwoods are found. The California Floristic Province, which extends 1,100 miles from southwestern Oregon tP Baia California, is on a short and recently updated list of 25 global biodiversity hot spots. We need not wait until the rest of the hot spots end up as hostages like the Headwaters redwoods. If we make investments to protect tropical forests today, we can avoid paying ransom for forest resources tomorrow.