I have an 80-hectare piece of land above the La Paz waterfall, which abuts the PoƔsVolcanoNational Park. I would like to put the land in a wildlife reserve and need assistance in doing so. Is there a government agency and/or a private organization that could assist me?
Ray Forgit
Orrās Island, Maine
The National System of Conservation Areas (Sistema Nacional de Areas de ConservaciĆ³n, SINAC, www.sinaccr.net), is the division of the Environment and Energy Ministry (MINAE, www.minae.go.cr) that regulates and manages the countryās forests, wildlife areas and protected wildlife reserves.
Per SINAC, there are a few steps to go through before your property can be classified as a protected reserve. First, you have to identify what type of property you have. Is it a biological corridor? Marine corridor? Wetlands?
Second, what is the total size of the area you would like to put into reserve?
Also, it is recommend you contact a reputable attorney who can help you oversee the process, just to make sure all the paperwork gets filed correctly with MINAE. The Association of Residents of Costa Rica (www.arcr.net) is a good source for legal referrals and other personal services.
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