Examines the policies and practices of small-scale gold mining (SSGM) and protected areas (PA) performed in the region of Itaituba (Pará), and understand the impacts of the Brazilian nature conservation policy on practices developed in the small mining Amazon context. Historical and comparative methods were utilized. Documentary and bibliographical searches, semi-structured interviews with social actors involved in the issues, and data collection on websites of public agencies were conducted. The results show that the creation of a federally set of PA in the region of Itaituba, in 2006, was a response to international public opinion on the high rates of deforestation in the Amazon verified at the beginning of the century, but that resulted in direct conflict with institutions and local social actors linked to SSGM, which considered this action authoritative and impediment to regional economic development action. Despite PA have been superimposed over the 80% of areas of interest and/or gold exploration in the region of Itaituba, this conservation policy has not prevented the continuity of SSGM in the region. However, it was found that such police put into play a series of elements that increased the difficulties to regulate their activity and prospector are forcing it to remain or be directed to the illegality. The main barriers identified for the planning of mining activity in the region of Itaituba were: the physical distances between the mines and the environmental agencies, the delay in issuing environmental permits (small-scale/alluvial mining licence, for exemple), difficulties in meeting the legal requirements, and uncertainties about mining within the PA, especially National Forests. Moreover, it was found that the PA did not leave the paper, since they lack staff, infrastructure and financial resources to the minimum compliance for surveillance, education and regulation, for example, the mining activity that occurs inside. Thus, although the federal government has created the PA as an alternative to a process of sustainable development for the region, in practice these protected areas are only creating legal barriers to the continuation of an important regional productive activities without providing alternative livelihoods to users of this resource.
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