Partial veto of Brazil's Forest Code bill

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BRASILIA, Brazil, May 26 (UPI) -- Brazil's president vetoed portions of a complex and controversial bill on forestry policy that had been backed by the nation's farm lobby.

President Dilma Rousseff Friday red-lined 12 articles of the Forest Code that would have loosened regulations on logging and ranching operations in the vast South American forest.

CNN said the Forest Code was opposed by many Brazilians, who had held demonstrations and petition drives seeking a full veto of the legislation. Rousseff, however, opted to carve out only some of the provisions.

The vetoed sections included requirements for reforestation and reductions in the amount of forest land left intact along riverbanks.

Brazil for years encouraged farmers to carve out land in the forest; however, the tide has changed since the nation became a major food exporter in recent years, the report said.