NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION

PROJECT COMPONENTS INCLUDE RESEARCH, PILOT ACTIVITIES, PLANNING, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, AND TRAINING. TWO TYPES OF POLICY ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH WILL BE FINANCED. THE FIRST WILL EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF VARIOUS LEGAL, POLITICAL, FINANCIAL, AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC POLICIES ON NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND MGMT. THE SECOND WILL EMPHASIZE TECHNICAL AND SILVICULTURAL RESEARCH. A PILOT MICRO-WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROJECT WILL BE CONDUCTED IN THE UPPER NOSARA WATERSHED OF GUANACASTE PROVINCE. PROJECT WILL IMPROVE CATTLE AND RANGE MANAGEMENT ON SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZE FARMS, AND WILL INCLUDE ON-FARM REFORESTATION AND A CONSERVATION DEMONSTRATION AND FRUIT TREE EXTENSION PROGRAM. A REFORESTATION AND CATTLE MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT PILOT PROJECT WILL BE CONDUCTED TO TEST A REFORESTATION SUBSIDY SCHEME IN COMBINATION WITH A SUPERVISED CREDIT PROGRAM FOR PASTURE AND CATTLE IMPROVEMENT. A FORESTRY PRODUCTION PILOT PROJECT WILL ALSO BE CONDUCTED TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR A LARGE-SCALE FORESTRY PRODUCTION PROGRAM. MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES FOR NATIVE FORESTS WILL BE TESTED AND RECOMMENDATIONS MADE. FIVE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLANS WILL BE PREPARED FOR PRIORITY GEOGRAPHIC AREAS. PLANS WILL EXAMINE THE OVERALL FEASIBILITY OF DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES; WILL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OPTIMUM LAND USE, AND WILL INCLUDE PROPOSALS FOR CARRYING OUT RECOMMENDED CHANGES AS WELL AS ESTIMATES OF THE COST OF SUCH PROGRAMS. ENVIRONMENTAL AND CONSERVATION EDUCATION ACTIVITIES WILL BE CONDUCTED IN THE BRAULIO CARRILLO NATIONAL PARK. RECREATION AREAS AND NATURE TRAILS WILL BE ESTABLISHED, AND A VISITOR CENTER AND ENVIROMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER WILL BE CONSTRUCTED. A LONG RANGE MANAGEMENT PLAN WILL ALSO BE PREPARED. APPROXIMATELY 44 WORKSHOPS WILL BE CONDUCTED FOR 315 PROJECT AND GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL. FOREIGN IN-SERVICE AND OBSERVATION TRAINING WILL BE PROVIDED FOR 36 PARTICIPANTS; 63 PERSON-MONTHS OF SHORT-TERM FOREIGN TRAINING WILL BE PROVIDED FOR 42 PARTICIPANTS; AND 60 PERSON-YEARS OF GRADUATE LEVEL TRAINING WILL PROVIDED FOR 30 PARTICIPANTS.