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Reason for Conflict in Conaf Explained Amid Legislative Discussion to Become a National Service

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The National Forestry Corporation (Conaf) is facing a staff strike amid a legislative discussion aimed at transforming the organization into a public service. The mobilization stems from workers' concerns about the potential loss of authority in the new National Forestry Service (Sernafor), the entity that will replace Conaf and whose bill is in the final phase of debate in Congress.

The conflict arises because, although the change from Conaf to a public agency has been a long-standing demand, the current legislative proposal includes the transfer of certain responsibilities to the Ministry of the Environment, causing unease among employees.

The main controversy lies in the declaration of degraded forests, a key function in forest conservation, which would fall outside the control of the new National Forestry Service. Workers fear that this redistribution of functions will reduce their management capacity and harm the effectiveness of environmental protection policies.

REGIONAL DIRECTOR EXPLAINS THE ISSUE

The regional director of Conaf, Esteban Krause, explained that the institution has been working on this structural change for some time, aiming to transform it into a public agency with greater legal authority.

"While it is true that we have all the obligations of public administration, today we face difficulties in enforcement and legal coverage, being a private-law corporation," Krause stated.

One of the critical points in the legislative debate is the potential transfer of powers from Conaf to the Ministry of the Environment. For workers and some lawmakers, this transfer would reduce the authority of the new National Forestry Service and hinder its management capacity. In this regard, they argue that a strengthened Conaf with a regulatory and forest resource management role is key to the country's environmental protection.

"We do not want these powers taken away from us. Employees are trying to convince Congress that this decision is not beneficial," Krause emphasized.

The conflict centers on the scope of these new powers. For workers, transferring functions to the Ministry of the Environment is not just a technical issue but also implies a reduction in the new service's operational capacity.

DEBATE IN CONGRESS

The issue is currently in a mixed committee of senators and deputies. While the transformation of Conaf into a public service has consensus, this particular article has caused disagreements among stakeholders.

The debate over Conaf's transformation is not new. For years, different administrations have attempted to implement this change without success.

"This is a long-standing issue. It's not something this government came up with. It has been in the works for a long time and has had various pushes," Krause recalled.

FROM CORPORATION TO PUBLIC SERVICE

Transforming Conaf into a public service would have several implications. Administratively, its employees would gain job stability under the public employee regime, strengthening Chile's forestry institution.

Additionally, the new entity would have greater authority in regulating and overseeing forest resources, something currently limited by Conaf's legal status as a private-law corporation.

"It is important to note that our rule of law states that institutions responsible for enforcement, promotion, and legal authority are public institutions. Conaf was created as a private-law corporation, so we face certain limitations in enforcement processes, as well as in advancing laws for natural resource protection and generating more legal initiatives," Krause explained.

Source:La Tribuna