Last year, the deforestation of the Amazon rose sharply after three consecutive years in decline. Alarmed, the Brazilian government responded by launching Operation Arc of Fire, a campaign to deter illegal logging that has sparked controversy since it began in February. From a New York Times report:

The government says it will now spend $118 million over at least the next year to crack down on illegal loggers. It has mobilized some 600 officials in three states — Mato Grosso, Pará and Rondonia — as well as 175 cars and trucks and four airplanes. In the operation’s first few days, the police discovered hidden troves of wood, sometimes underground and invisible from the air.

Already, the authorities have issued $25.9 million in fines, made 19 arrests and seized more than 51,140 cubic yards of wood, which has been transferred to local governments.

Despite the government’s crackdown, new satellite images show that in February illegal logging spiked by 13 percent over January, the month before Operation Arc of Fire began.

Many in the logging regions are angry about the treatment they’ve received from the government. One logging official complained to the Times that the government is stifling industry, and that he feels betrayed because of the service he gave the Brazilian military in the 1970s, when it asked citizens to colonize the Amazon.

The Brazilian government, however, has no plans to ease pressure on loggers. Instead, they say February’s spike warrants an even tougher response.

Whether Brazil’s tactics will work remains to be seen, but experts do agree that if the deforestation continues unabated, it will contribute to rapid climate change and the extinction of thousands of species.

To read about a few of the amazing species under threat–like an enormous spider that hunts chickens or the Brazil nut tree, whose falling fruit crashes to the jungle floor at 50 miles per hour–visit NATURE’s “Deep Jungle.” You can also watch clips from the episode and read about the lives of the scientists working to study and protect life in the rainforests.