In fact, in 1965, a portion of the reserve was declared open for mining, according to Decree 375. There are at least 300 concessions and contracts in the Imataca Forest Reserve, most of which were granted by the CVG, but the exact number is under debate. Most of these are in the preliminary exploratory phase. The plan was initially developed in December 1996 by a team of forest engineers and geographers within the Ministry of Environment. As is evident from Management Zones in the Imataca Forest Reserve and Permitted Activities , the zones indicate little variation in the designation of permitted activities.
Mining appears to have been given high priority in the zoning plan.
Not only is this the primary activity on almost half of the reserve, but any concessions previously granted outside of the mixed management zone are legalized in Article 39 of Decree 1850. Furthermore, as is shown in Figure 8, the management zones appear to have been established primarily on the basis of existing concessions rather than specific ecological or social criteria. Venezuelan law requires that the government hold a public consultation before approving management plans. On May 7, after three cancelled public hearings, the Ministry of Environment scheduled a consultation in the region. Those present at the meeting requested an extension until the end of the month to prepare comments, noting that they had received necessary documents only a few days before the meeting.