Project assistance completion report : forest resources for a stable environment (FORESTA)

General activities included the following. (1) Project CARFIX was inaugurated 1/96 to address the commercialization of environmental goods and services. The project will include 1,878 forest and forest plantation owners; its goal is the sustainable management of 20,502 ha of natural forest, 10,570 ha of secondary forest, and 5,533 ha of native tree plantations. The project also envisions the consolidation of the National Parks of the ACCVC through acquisition of private properties within park limits. (2) The Base Group, comprising FUNDECOR, USAID, and ACCVC personnel, developed a global strategy for conservation and natural resource management in the ACCVC. (3) Infrastructure improvements have included the upgrading of Operational Centers at Poas Volcano, Irazu Volcano, Guayabo, Zurqui, Quebrada Gonzalez, and Barva Volcano. (4) The Protection and Control Program has noticeably reduced and controlled the rate of deforestation and the irrational and illegal use of the natural resources of the ACCVC, especially in the buffer zones, where the illegal activities tend to concentrate. Achievements under FORESTA"s three specific components included the following. (1) Management of Protected Areas. Management plans and visitor control facilities were prepared for each of the national parks in the ACCVC; boundaries were established for the Braulio Carrillo National Park; and ACCVC administration was improved through technical/administrative handbooks and quinquennial and annual operative plans. A concession system has helped guarantee financial ACCVC self-sufficiency. Several publications have been produced, which describe the natural wealth of ACCVC. (2) Management of the Natural Forest. Using a LANDSAT-based System for Geographical Information (SIG) -- one of FUNDECOR"s most important achievements -- FUNDECOR has identified the zones most in need of reforestation. To date, a total of 13,487 ha are under agreement with private owners for the conservation of these forest masses. Despite serious regional problems on land tenure and constantly changing forest regulation procedures, 15,000 ha have been placed under improved forest management techniques, vs. a target of only 5,000. More importantly, the legal contract signed between FUNDECOR and the owner ensures that there will be that much forest in the central valley for at least the next 10 years. While FUNDECOR has not worked at the forest industry level, its support to the owners in the legalization of their properties has been one of its great achievements. At the local level, FUNDECOR has signed 142 agreements with local communities for the protection, management, of reforestation of 14,546 ha in the ACCVC"s buffer zones, and another 112 reforestation agreements with small and medium producers. These efforts have increased employment and income and improved the marketing of forest products. FUNDECOR also introduced and spread the practice of "low environmental impact harvesting techniques", and is highly accredited for promoting forestry policy changes, including development of a simplified, more efficient, and less costly forest management plan. With assistance from Tropical Agricultural Research and Training Center (CATIE), FUNDECOR"s original idea has been adopted by Costa Rica, as well as well as by Guatemala and Honduras. (3) Reforestation and Agroforestry. In cooperation with the "Centros Agricolas Cantonales" of Sarapiqui and Siquirres, FUNDECOR has promoted and reforested some 1,100 ha with native trees species; to permit more emphasis on sustainable forest management, the original target of 4,000 has was revised downward and the agroforestry component dropped. More importantly, FUNDECOR has spearheaded a regional culture of planting and reforesting with native tree species. Under a contract with the Organization for Tropical Studies, FUNDECOR controls the quality and the provenance of the seeds used in reforestation projects. In sum, FUNDECOR has become an organization that must be consulted in forest matters both in the ACCVC and at national level, with a credibility that facilitates relationships with farm owners in the zone. At the economic level, the consolidation of the Patrimonial Fund will allow FUNDECOR to continue its long-term operations.