Where is Acre?

Acre at a glance

• Acre lies deep in the Amazon rainforest.
• It covers an area of around 164,000 km² - a little larger than England and Wales put together.
• It’s one of nine states that Brazil legally recognises as the Amazon.
• Acre shares borders with Peru and Bolivia.

The project area

The Sky Rainforest Rescue project area is located between the towns of Manoel Urbano and Feijo, covering an area of three million hectares.

It surrounds a stretch of the BR364 Highway, currently being paved. The new road promises local people significantly improved access to services like healthcare and education.

However, the road poses a serious concern for deforestation - where roads are paved, deforestation tends to follow. Roads improve access to the forest, drawing in illegal loggers and land speculators.

Sky and WWF are working with families living along the highway to make the rainforest worth more standing than cut down. By helping these families make a living from the rainforest that doesn’t contribute to deforestation, the project aims to prevent destructive activities, like logging and ranching, which could follow the road’s expansion.

Stopping deforestation along the road is important for the rest of the project area, as it creates a buffer preventing access to pristine rainforest, even when the road is paved.