How Do I Preserve My Wild Property?

I have an 80-hectare piece of land above the La Paz waterfall, which abuts the PoásVolcanoNational 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

Orr’s Island, Maine

The National System of Conservation Areas (Sistema Nacional de Areas de Conservación, SINAC, www.sinaccr.net), is the division of the Environment and Energy Ministry (MINAE, www.minae.go.cr) that regulates and manages the country’s 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.