U.S. initiative to encourage private investment in the Amazon basin. Since its inception in 1997, the program has directed millions of dollars in tax cuts and other incentives to American companies whose Brazilian operations meet a stringent set of environmentally friendly guidelines. Prominent participants include Echelon Pharmaceuticals, the Arrow Oil Corporation, the Horizon Corporation, and Nevada Mining & Exploration (NME). Three different enterprise zones have been established, Boa Vista in the north, Codajas in the center of the country, and Villa Bittencourt in the west. The ultimate effectiveness of the program has yet to be demonstrated.