CHILE: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL UPDATE

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 001835 SIPDIS SIPDIS OES FOR LARRY SPERLING, GRIFF THOMPSON AND TAMARA SCOTT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV EAGR TSPL KGLB CI SUBJECT: CHILE: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL UPDATE REF: SANTIAGO 1424 ¶1. The U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement includes a chapter on environmental cooperation. The original eight bilateral projects listed in the FTA have been implemented as of mid-2006. The U.S. and Chile have agreed to extend their formal science and technology cooperation to at least 2011. They will hold an Environmental Cooperation Commission Conference from October 23-24 to lay the groundwork for future environmental projects. ¶2. The following list is an update of U.S.-Chile environmental cooperation over the last six months: --S&T Agreement Renewal: The U.S. and Chile extended their Basic Agreement Relating to Scientific and Technological Cooperation to June 30, 2011. --GLOBE (Environmental Cooperation Agreement project): Chile received a USD 25,000 grant to train teachers August 7-11 on data collection. --Training for Sustainable Ecotourism in Chile's National Parks: The U.S. and Chile along with the NGO Fundacion Patagonia are collaborating on sustainable ecotourism projects in Chile's national parks. The first part of this project was a workshop in Concepcion April 5-7. The second part of this project was a study tour for 10 Chilean national park rangers to visit U.S. national forests and parks. --Workshop on Public Participation in Environmental Decision-making: State is working with the EPA and Chilean authorities to develop a workshop on public participation in environmental decision-making. The workshop is scheduled to take place in Santiago in September and will focus on urban air quality. --Forest Transparency Conference: State's ESTH Hub office in Brasilia, together with the US Forest Service and USAID, will host an international forest transparency conference in Lima beginning September 18. The conference will bring together policymakers, producers, importers in the US, and civil society to look at a tools-based approach for dealing with forestry practices in the Amazon Basin. State intends to sponsor a Chilean official to speak on the role the U.S.-Chile FTA played in addressing forestry sector issues. KELLY