The Peruvian government approved a new national park in the Amazon that rivals the size of the United State’s Yellowstone National Park, according to EcoWatch.
The Peruvian government approved a new national park in the Amazon that rivals the size of the United State’s Yellowstone National Park, according to EcoWatch.
Yaguas National Park will consist of 2.15 million acres of rain forest, a river system and more than 3,000 species of plants, 500 species of birds, 550 species of fish and 160 species of mammals.
The new park will "not only maintain a natural sanctuary, which is home to unique species in the world, but also generate opportunities for indigenous families," Prime Minister Mercedes Aráoz said, according to EcoWatch.
The park is expected to generate more than $7.15 million over a period of 20 years.
Peru has long struggled with illegal logging. A 2016 report from the Environmental Investigation Agency discovered that in randomly screened shipments of Peruvian wood destined for the U.S., 90 percent of the wood was illegal.