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CEP Technical Report No. 36 1996: Status of Protected Area Systems in the Wider Caribbean Region
Country Profiles

COSTA RICA

Area 50,900 sq. km.

Summary Table

(1) Totals have been adjusted to avoid double counting areas that are classified in 2 or more categories.

Policy and Legislation

In 1989 the government formulated its Forestry Action Plan to interpret the global designs of TFAP to suit national interests . The 1990 Forestry Action Plan reviewed the current situation of the forest sector, and proposed measures to make forest conservation more effective. These included increasing co-ordination between the numerous institutes involved in forest management, supporting the establishment of a co-ordinated national system of protected areas, and increasing scientific knowledge of forest resources, necessary to implement sustainable use programmes (MIRENEM 1990).

The Conservation Strategy for Sustainable Development (ECODES), completed in 1989 under the direction of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mines (Ministerio de Recursos Naturales, Energía y Minas, MIRENEM), marked a significant advance in governmental policies for natural resource protection (Quesada 1990). The strategy provided a comprehensive review of natural resource management and established national guidelines for sustainable development. These are: preserving genetic diversity, maintaining essential ecosystems, and ensuring sustainable natural resource use.

The term national park first appeared in legislation in Law No. 197 (1945) which prohibited forest exploitation for 200 m on either side of the Pan-American Highway, and declared part of the remaining construction area as a national park. However, owing to economic problems this law was never put into effect, and the first strictly protected natural area was not established until 1963 (SPN 1979, Ugalde 1992).

The promulgation of the Forestry Law No. 4465 (1969) was a significant step for the effective establishment and management of protected areas (Ugalde 1992). Under this law the General Forestry Directorate (Dirección General Forestal, DGF) was created within the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, MAG) with responsibility for various categories of protected area. Definitions of these categories were to be given in the individual legislation providing for the creation of the each area. National parks and reserves are created by executive decree, and once established their boundaries can be altered only by a Congressional Law. Provision is made for the expropriation of privately owned land for the creation of protected areas where necessary, and penalties for infringements are given.

In order to implement the provisions of the 1969 Forestry Law with respect to protected areas, the DGF established within itself the Department of National Parks. In 1977, Law No. 6084 officially raised the status of this department to that of a separate general directorate within the MAG, known as the National Parks Service (Servicio de Parques Nacionales, SPN) (SPN 1979, Ugalde 1992).

In 1986 MIRENEM was established under Law No. 7152, specifically responsible for formulating national policies for natural resource protection and use. Both the DGF and the SPN were transferred to the new ministry upon its creation, and the Wildlife Department was upgraded to Wildlife Directorate at the same level as the DGF and SPN (Ugalde 1992).

In 1990 the Reform of the Forestry Law (Reforma de la Ley Forestal) No. 7174 replaced the 1969 Forestry Law and its subsequent modifications. The responsibilities and structure of the DGF are detailed and provision is made for the creation of the National Forestry Council (Consejo Forestal Nacional) to assess the activities of MIRENEM with respect to the protection, exploitation, and administration of forest resources. Definitions are given for five categories of protected area (Annex I). Establishment requirements include a preliminary inventory, stated objectives, and a management plan for each area needs to be formulated by the DGF or the SPN.

In 1991 MIRENEM submitted a project for a new law to the Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa) as part of the ongoing process of consolidating protected areas into a co-ordinated national system (MIRENEM 1991a, Ugalde 1992). The Project for a Law of the National System of Conservation Areas (Proyecto de una Ley del Sistema Nacional de Areas de Conservación) does not replace current legislation on protected area management, but is intended to implement a new management system for protected areas which will unify the national system to a greater degree, and in which local and private participation is encouraged (MIRENEM 1991a, Ugalde 1992). However, there is still no single piece of legislation creating an integrated policy for protected areas providing a legal framework for a coherent national system (MIRENEM 1990).

Currently, wildlife resources are regulated under the provisions of Law No. 7317 Wildlife Conservation Law (Ley de Conservación de Fauna Silvestre, 1992). This law also assigns the Wildlife Department under MIRENEM (Dirección de Vida Silvestre, DVS) responsibility for the identification, administration and supervision of wetlands.

The Regulations to the Wildlife Conservation Law, Decree No. 22545, 1992 provide further details of wildlife protection and list prohibited activities and penalties. Provision is made for the creation of the Co-ordinating Committee for Wildlife Conservation (Comité Coordinador de Conservación de Fauna Silvestre). Which comprises representatives from the various agricultural and environmental institutes including the National Parks Service to supervise and assess activities relating to wildlife conservation.

International Participation

Conventions & Treaties

Central American Biodiversity Convention (CABD, 1992)

Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage, 1972)

Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (Cartagena Convention, 1983)

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD, 1992)

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES, 1973)

Convention on Nature Protection and Wildlife Preservation in the Western Hemisphere (Western Hemisphere Convention, 1940)

Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar, 1971)

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS, 1982)

Programmes & Associations

Centro Agronomico Tropical de Investigacion y Ensenanza (CATIE, 1972)

Caribbean Environmental Programme (CEP, 1981) and its Specially Protected Areas & Wildlife Programme (SPAW, 1990)

Latin American Network for Technical Co-operation in National Parks, Protected Areas & Wildlife (LAN-NPPAW)

UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB, 1972)

FAO Tropical Forestry Action Plan (TFAP, 1985)

Administration

Since its establishment in 1986 the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mines (MIRENEM) incorporates those public sector organisations that administer natural resources and protected areas. These are the General Forestry Directorate (DGF), and the National Parks Service (SPN), and the Wildlife Directorate (Dirección de Vida Silvestre, DVS) (MIRENEM 1991b, Ugalde 1992).

The responsibilities for protected area management are assigned to the DGF or the SPN according to management category. The DVS is responsible for wildlife and does not administer protected areas, however it is responsible for resource management in all wetlands (Ugalde, pers. comm., 1992).

The DGF, established in 1969, has a broad range of responsibilities for forest resource administration which includes the management of forest reserves (reservas forestales), protective zones (zonas protectoras) and faunal refuges (Bradley et al 1990, Ugalde, pers. comm., 1992). The principal aim of the areas managed by the DGF is the sustainable production of natural resources. Land within these areas may be privately owned and the state is not obliged to acquire territory for the establishment of these categories (Ugalde 1992).

The SPN, established as a separate directorate in 1977, manages national parks (parques nacionales), biological reserves (reservas biológicas) and national monuments (monumentos nacionales). It has the principal responsibility for formulating and implementing protected area management policies under the supervision of MIRENEM (Bradley et al 1990, Ugalde 1992). The principal objective of the areas administrated by the SPN is biodiversity conservation. Land under these categories must be acquired by the state (Ugalde 1992). There are approximately 600 persons working in protected area management (Ugalde 1992).

The National Forestry Council was created in 1990 and is responsible for assessing the activities of forest resource use and protection activities of MIRENEM. It comprises the minister and viceminister of MIRENEM, the Director General of the DGF, the Minister of National Planning and Economic Policy, and presidents or representatives from several governmental and private institutions concerned with agrarian and environmental affairs. There are numerous other organisations and institutions involved, directly or indirectly, in the protection and utilisation of forest resources. The DGF and the SPN are the two principal institutions responsible for co-ordinating and directing forest related activities (MIRENEM 1990).

The National Commission of Indigenous Affairs (Comisión Nacional Asuntos Indígenas) (CONAI) is responsible for a number of indigenous reserves (reservas indígenas) which play an important role in the conservation of forests and natural resources (Bradley et al 1990, MIRENEM 1991a). Although CONAI does not directly define management policies for these reserves, it co-ordinates management activities with the various indigenous development associations and local groups. It has participated in inter-institutional working groups for the La Amistad Biosphere Reserve which includes the majority of the Indian population and reserves (Bradley et al 1990).

There are seven privately owned protected areas that cover 24,357 ha, and constitute an important addition to the protected area network (MIRENEM 1991b). These may be owned by universities, private individuals or institutions such as the Tropical Science Centre (Centro de Ciencias Tropicales, CCT) which manages Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, and the Organisation for Tropical Studies (OTS) which manages La Selva Biological Research Station (Bradley et al 1990).

A number of other NGOs are working in conservation issues. Among the oldest and most active in protected area support are the National Parks Foundation (FPN), the Neotropical Foundation (Fundación Neotrópica) and the National Biodiversity Institute (Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, INBio) (Bradley et al 1990).

The main objectives of FPN include promoting environmental education and working towards the establishment of an effective legal framework for environmental protection (Alfaro, pers. comm., 1986). The FPN has been one of the principal institutions responsible for administering funds generated by debt for nature swaps in Costa Rica (Bradley et al 1990).

In 1983 the FPN together with The Nature Conservancy developed the Natural Heritage Programme to carry out biological inventories on endangered species and natural habitats in the country and to maintain a data base of information on the current situation of protected areas (Alfaro, pers. comm., 1986). INBio, established in 1988, has greatly strengthened the national biodiversity data base established by the Natural Heritage Programme and has trained a large number of parataxonomists to carry out field collections in protected areas.

Funding for protected areas is provided through the national budgets and funds generated by NGOs and foreign governments. Financial support from the government was greatest during the 1970's, but funds were reduced during the 1980's (Ugalde 1992). In 1987 a debt-for-nature swap was done, from which the protected area system received significant financial support in the form of bi-lateral government co-operation and from international NGOs (Ugalde 1992). Between 1987 and 1990 the national funds assigned to the SPN and the DGF totalled US$27 million with a further US$19 million provided by private foundations (Ugalde 1992).

Problems in protected area management arise from a lack of co-ordination between the responsible agencies, the lack of participation of local communities, combined with the absence of a clear legislative framework for implementing conservation objectives (MIRENEM 1990). The existence of two principal administrative entities in charge of protected areas has resulted in an unnecessary duplication of effort (Ugalde 1992). Also, a lack of funding results in inadequate staffing levels and inadequate training of personnel (MIRENEM 1990). Only national parks and biological reserves may be considered adequately protected and receiving effective management (Ugalde 1992). Even within these categories large differences exists in management capacity from one area to another.

The law proposed by MIRENEM in 1991 would have institutionalised the administrative changes that have occurred since 1986. The SPN would be renamed the National Service for Conservation Areas (Servicio Nacional de Areas de Conservación) and would be responsible for the management, planning, and development of the new national system of protected areas (MIRENEM 1991a, Ugalde 1992). Management agreements have been established with local NGOs. Local participation has been encouraged through a number of Regional Councils (Consejos Regionales) which incorporate local people and enable group decisions to be taken (MIRENEM 1991a).

Biodiversity

Costa Rica lies towards the south-eastern end of the Central American isthmus and has a mountainous topography shaped by volcanic activity with an altitudinal range from sea level to 3,819 m (MIRENEM 1990). Nearly the entire country has a tropical climate with an mean annual rainfall of 3300 mm (Bradley et al 1990). The inter-relationship of a broad range of geographical, physical, and climatic features within a relatively small area has given rise to a large variety of environments and habitats.

Studies indicate that over half a million species, equivalent to around 7% of the world's biodiversity, are found in the country (Bradley et al 1990, Quesada 1990). Following the Holdridge (1967) classification system, 12 Life Zones and eight transitional zones have been identified. Two Life Zones, tropical moist forest and tropical wet forest cover almost 50% of the country (Bradley et al 1990, CCT 1982, Ugalde 1992).

There are great differences between the two coasts of Costa Rica. The Pacific coastline extends for 1,328 km and is characterised by a mixture of beaches, rocks, headlands, and peninsulas, and has extensive tracts of mangrove forest along the rivers and estuaries running into the Pacific Ocean. This coast is physically more diverse than the 212 km of Caribbean coastline which consists mainly of deltas, canals, alluvial plains and freshwater swamps fronted by long barrier beaches (Bradley et al 1990, Quesada 1990).

The Atlantic and Pacific slopes are divided by three mountain ranges running north-west to south-east across the country. The Cordillera de Guanacaste in the north-west is formed by five volcanic massifs reaching an altitude of 2,020 m. The lowlands extending from the foothills of this range to the Caribbean coast cover around 20% of the total land area of the country (Bradley et al 1990, Quesada 1990). In the centre of the country the Cordillera Vocanica Central reaches altitudes of 3,432 m. The Cordillera de Talamanca extends to and continues beyond the Panama border and includes Mt. Chirripo which is the highest point in the country at 3,819 m.

The Central Valley lies between the Cordillera Central and the Cordillera de Talamanca. This is the most densely populated region in the country. Around 52% of the population lives in the valley in an area that accounts for only 3.83% of the total national territory, and includes the national capital and three provincial capitals (Bradley et al 1990, Quesada 1990). The economy is based on agriculture, although tourism is now the largest single source of foreign exchange earnings. Indiscriminate deforestation for agriculture and timber production has left many areas in a fragile situation, particularly in the upper watersheds (MIRENEM 1990, Bradley et al 1990).

Between 1950 and 1987 forest coverage was reduced from 53% to 29% much of which now lies within the network of protected areas. However, forest resources in Costa Rica are severely threatened by over exploitation, and in 1987 the government declared a temporary moratorium on industrial forest activities in order to allow forest recuperation (MIRENEM 1990).

Management

The first effectively managed protected area was established in 1963 (Ugalde 1992). Since then the development of a protected area system has been relatively rapid. By late 1994 protected areas (including Forest Reserves, Protection Zones and Indian Reserves) totalled more than 2 million ha, equivalent to 44% of the national territory.

Although MIRENEM has emphasised Conservation Areas over individual protected areas. There are nine different management categories recognised in Costa Rica. Although not all have legally established objectives and management guidelines. Of the 108 legally established protected areas, 30 contain coastal or marine resources, including a Ballena Marine National Park and the Protected Wetlands (Summary Table and Annex II).

Around 11% of the total national territory is under absolute protection with management categories that prohibit the extraction of natural resources. Forest reserves and protective zones account for the remaining 10.2% (Bradley et al 1990, Quesada 1990). Indigenous reserves cover 6.6% of the country area. Therefore, 28% of the total land area is under protection (MIRENEM 1991b). Estimates of the proportion of forested land within the protected area system vary from 65% to 86% (MIRENEM 1990, Ugalde 1992).

The effectiveness of protected areas is limited by the lack of strategic planning, insufficiently trained personnel, and the extent of privately-owned land within parks and biological reserves (MIRENEM 1990). Land tenure has become an increasingly serious problem in the past few decades.

Since the mid-1960's a combination of population growth and concentration of land ownership has exacerbated the land shortage. Agricultural expansion and migration into protected areas has had a severe impact (Bradley et al 1990, MIRENEM 1991a). This migration process is encouraged indirectly by the Agrarian Development Institute (Instituto de Desarrollo Agrario) (IDA) which recognises squatters' rights and provides for compensation upon eviction (Bradley et al 1990).

The majority of protected areas are not of sufficient size to fulfil their conservation objectives, and lack adequate infrastructure for basic protection activities and facilities for personnel and visitors (MIRENEM 1990, Ugalde 1992). Protected areas are assigned a low level of national importance.

Natural resources have not been considered part of the national capital and are not included in economic analyses. Resulting in a lack of information about their economic potential and the extent of deterioration they have suffered so far (Ugalde 1992). As the areas are not utilised to their full economic potential there is a significant lack of benefits for local populations and conflicts often arise (Ugalde 1992). As a combined result of these factors, protected areas have become biogeographically isolated (MIRENEM 1990, Ugalde 1992).

In an attempt to halt this isolation process and to better co-ordinate conservation activities, MIRENEM has restructured the entire protected area system in the period 1988-94 to create the National System of Conservation Areas, SINAC (MIRENEM 1991a). This involves regrouping protected areas into conservation areas (areas de conservación) as the basic management unit, and will integrate local communities to a greater extent (Bradley et al 1990, Ugalde 1992).

A conservation area consists of a grouping of protected wildlands which are contiguous or close to each other. The areas have one or more strictly protected core zones owned by the state surrounded by zones under private ownership where sustainable development and use of natural resources will be promoted. The concept is similar to the UNESCOs MAB Biosphere Reserves (Bradley et al 1990, Ugalde 1992).

Nine conservation areas have been established each comprising a collection of national parks, other protected areas, forest reserves, and in some cases indigenous reserves. A further four satellite areas, that owing to their geographic isolation cannot form part of a conservation area, are also to be included in SINAC (Bradley et al 1990, MIRENEM 1991a). The system is to be implemented and administered by the National Service for Conservation Areas, currently the SPN, with the collaboration of NGOs and local communities (MIRENEM 1991a, Ugalde 1992).

Development of each of the conservation areas has proceeded with a certain degree of independence due to the institutional policy of downsizing of the central office. The development of each area has been pursued with one or more NGOs which increases management capacity in the field. Proposals to legally establish this approach have been under study in the national assembly since 1991 (Vásquez, pers. comm., 1994).

The long term consolidation of the system will require the creation of corridors between conservation areas and protection of additional small areas which are not included in the system at present. In addition to purchases of lands for new areas, 7% of the land included in SINAC is still privately owned and must be purchased (MIRENEM 1991b).

In 1982 Costa Rica signed the Basic Convention for Creation of the Park (Convenio Básico de Creación del Parque) a bi-national agreement with Panama for the creation, joint planning, and administration of the La Amistad trans-frontier park. This area was subsequently nominated and approved as a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site. Costa Rica and Nicaragua are also co-operating closely on the development of the bi-national protected areas system along the border between the two countries through the SI-A-PAZ project. A bi-national commission was established in October 1990 and Costa Rica and Nicaragua signed a co-operative agreement on 15 December 1990 for collaboration with frontier protected areas.

Contacts

Servicio de Parques Nacionales, (SPN), Ministerio de Recursos Naturales, Energía y Minas (MIRENEM), Apdo. 10104-1000, SAN JOSE Tel: (506) 233-5673 (506) 233-6213 Fax: (506) 233-8840

Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INBio), Aptdo 3100, Santo Domingo de HEREDIA Tel: (506) 236-4269 Fax: (506) 236-2816

Centro de Ciencias Tropicales (CCT), Aptdo 83870, 1000 SAN JOSE Tel: (506) 225-2649 Fax: (506) 253-4963

Fundación de Parques Nacionales (FPN), Apdo. 1108-1002, SAN JOSE Tel: (506) 257-2239 Fax: (506) 222-4732

Fundación Neotrópica, Apdo 236-1002, SAN JOSE. Tel. (506) 253-2130 (506) 253-9462

Organisation for Tropical Studies (OTS), Aptdo 676-2050, SAN PEDRO Tel. (506) 240-6696 Fax: (506) 240-6783

Ministerio del Ambiente y Energia, Apdo. 10104-1000, SAN JOSE Tel. (506) 257-5456 Fax: (506) 257-0697

References

Boza, M.A. (1978) Los Parques Nacionales de Costa Rica. Incafo, Madrid. 224 pp.

Boza, M.A. and Mendoza, R. (1981) The National Parks of Costa Rica. Incafo, Madrid.

Bradley, T., McCaffrey, D., Rodriguez, F., Losilla, M. (1990) Costa Rica natural resource policy inventory. USAID/ROCAP RENARM project, Volume II, The Inventory, October 1990, Technical Report No. 112. Agricultural Policy Analysis Project, Phase II (APAP II), under contract to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Maryland, USA. 151 pp.

CCT (1982) Areas potenciales para unidades de conservación de recursos naturales en Costa Rica. Informe preparado para el Ministerio de la Presidencia por el Centro Cientifico Tropical (CCT), San José. 306 pp.

FAO (n.d.) La red latinoamericana de cooperación técnica en parques nacionales, otras áreas protegidas, flora y fauna silvestres. Oficina regional de la FAO para América Latina y el Caribe, Santiago, Chile. 8 pp.

FPN (1985) Areas de Manejo en Costa Rica. Programa patrimonio natural de Costa Rica. Fundación de Parques Nacionales.

Godoy H. J.C. (1984) Planificación estratégica del Subsistema de Parques Nacionales y Reservas equivalentes de Costa Rica, y una metodología para redefinición de límites de áreas protegidas. Magister Scientiae. Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE), Turrialba.

Holdridge, L.R. (1967) Life zone ecology; revised edition. Tropical Science Centre, San José. 206 pp. (Unseen)

MIRENEM (1990) Plan de acción forestal para Costa Rica; documento base. Ministerio de Recursos Naturales, Energía y Minas (MIRENEM), con la colaboración del gobierno del Reino de los Paises Bajos, San José. 84 pp.

MIRENEM (1991a). Consolidation of the national system of conservation areas. Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mines (MIRENEM), Republic of Costa Rica. A proposal submitted by the Costa Rican government to the World Bank's consultative group, Paris, France, 1991. 71 pp.

MIRENEM (1991b) National Study of Biodiversity; costs, benefits and needs for financing the conservation of biological diversity in Costa Rica. Executive Summary. Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mines (MIRENEM), Government of Costa Rica, January 1991). 21 pp.

Quesada, C.A. (1990) Estrategia de conservación para el desarrollo sostenible de Costa Rica. Ministerio de Recursos Naturales, Energía y Minas (MIRENEM). San José. 162 pp.

Rodríguez, J.M. (1983) Costa Rica. Informe de la Mesa redonda sobre Parques Nacionales, otras áreas protegidas, flora y fauna silvestres. FAO, Santiago de Chile, 8-10 Junio 1983. pp. 21-25.

SPN (1979) Breve reseña histórica sobre la conservación y el programa de parques nacionales en Costa Rica. Servicio de Parques Nacionales (SPN), Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería. 12 pp.

Thelen, K.D. and Dalfelt, A. (1975) Systems and Policies for Wildland Management and Policies and Regulations for National Parks Management - Costa Rica. Report presented to the Ministerio de Planeación Nacional de Costa Rica.

Ugalde, A. (1992) Draft country report on Costa Rica. 4 pp.

USAID (1982) Costa Rica; Country Environmental Profile. Field Study. Tropical Science Centre, San José.

ANNEX I: LEGAL INSTRUMENTS

Definitions of protected area designations, as legislated, together with authorities responsible for their administration.

Title: Reform of the Forestry Law, No. 7174

Date: 28 June 1990

Brief description: Replaces the Forestry Law No. 4465 of 1969 and its subsequent modifications. Gives details of the structure, function, and objective of the General Forestry Directorate (Dirección General Forestal) and provides for the creation of the National Forestry Council as a high level organisation to assess the activities of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mines (MIRENEM) with respect to the protection and utilisation of forest resources. The national forest estate is defined and regulations for forest resource use given. Definitions for five management categories of protected area and the prerequisites for their establishment are also given. These areas form part of the national forest estate.

Administrative authority: The Dirección General Forestal (General Forestry Directorate, DGF) is responsible for managing forest reserves; protective zones and wildlife refuges. The National Parks Service (Servicio de Parques Nacionales, SPN) is responsible for managing national parks and biological reserves. Both institutes are within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mines (MIRENEM).

Designations:

National Park (Parque Nacional) An area containing one or more ecosystems that have not been transformed by human activity, or to a minimal extent, in which flora or fauna, geomorphological formations, and habitats are of special scientific or recreational interest, or which contain landscape of outstanding national scenic beauty.

The area is set aside for the protection and conservation of natural beauty, flora and fauna of national importance with the aim of allowing public access and enjoyment under supervision and subject to regulation. It is the responsibility of the highest authority in the country to take adequate measures to remove and prevent, as soon as possible, exploitation or occupation within the entire area to affect the protection of the species or structures for which the area was established. Exploitation of natural resources is prohibited.

Biological Reserve (Reserva Biológica) An area comprising forest and forested land whose principle use is the conservation, study and research of wildlife and the habitats in which it lives. Exploitation of natural resources is prohibited.

Protective Zone (Zona Protectora) An area comprised of forest and land suitable for forests in which the principle objective is the protection of soil, the regulation of water resources, and the conservation of the environment and water basins. Exploitation of natural resources is permitted only with prior authorisation from the DGF and is subject to regulations given in the legislation.

Forest Reserve (Reserva Foresta) An area comprising forest whose primary function is the production of timber and by those forested lands which are naturally particularly suitable for these aims. Exploitation of natural resources is permitted only with prior authorisation from the DGF and is subject to regulations given in the legislation.

National Wildlife Refuge (Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre) An area comprising forest and land whose primary function is the protection, conservation, augmentation and management of flora and fauna. Exploitation of natural resources is permitted only with prior authorisation from the DGF and is subject to regulations given in the legislation.

ANNEX II: COSTA RICAN PROTECTED AREAS LIST

Nationally Used Categories and Symbols:

AR Anthropological Reserve

BR Biological Reserve

BR2 Biosphere Reserve

FR Forest Reserve

NP National Park

PW Protected Wetlands

RW Ramsar Wetland

WH World Heritage Site

WR National Wildlife Refuge

PZ Protective Zone

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Preface | 1. Introduction | 2. Relevant Issues... | 3. Status of Protected Areas Systems | 4. Conclusions... | 5. References | Country Profiles