Protecting biological diversity : Costa Rica case study

FORESTA's primary achievements include support for creation of a Costa Rican NGO -- the ACCVC Development Foundation (FUNDECOR) -- to coordinate management of the ACCVC; provision of physical facilities; support for the National Park Services' (SPN's) Protection Program to track logging, hunting, and farming within the ACCVC's boundaries; introduction of geographic information system (GIS) tools for land management; initiation of a revenue management system allowing parks to retain and use 75% of revenues generated from park use; and development of contracting procedures for local vendors to work within the ACCVC. Less positively, FUNDECOR and SON have yet to develop arrangements for monitoring habitat conditions and wildlife populations; public environmental education has been sporadic and is in need of greater staff and resources; and FUNDECOR has not taken advantage of TA and training opportunities available from and the U.S. National Park Service. In terms of impact, the project has made local populations more supportive of SPN efforts, and forest habitats are being regenerated and restored. Nonetheless, there is no firm evidence of a positive impact on park encroachment or visitor behavior; the ACCVC's biological integrity continues to be threatened by private landholdings; and the benefits of increased tourism have yet to accrue to local communities in any significant way. Overall sustainability remains uncertain both economically, due to the ACCVC's heavy dependence on income from tourism, and politically, since FUNDECOR has not yet secured a clear mandate from either the public or the private sector. Objectives of this uniquely Costa Rican project would be advanced by an unambiguous land tenure policy facilitating land consolidation, as well as by regulation to ensure environmentally sound nature tourism. Appendices include background on the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and on Costa Rican biodiversity in general.