You will also find an opinion column on the central theme of the magazine, articles on the varied activities implemented by our field projects

Transcription

1 W E L C O M E Preservng lfe Cnthya Flores Mora Communcatons Offcer WWF Central Amerca rees grow, d e and regenerate. There are many dfferent technques to conserve these valuable natural elements that provde us wth ar, e n e r g y and lfe. The deal way to conserve our forests s to use them at a rate that does not exceed ther capacty for renewal, makng use of ther resources wthout damagng them. To guarantee the future of our forests, we must adopt sustanable forest management practces. If we extract tmber n a ratonal manner, mtatng the natural dynamcs of the forest, the negatve mpact wll be mnmal and there wll be addtonal socal and economc benefts. Consumers of wood products, all of us, should begn usng tmber certfed by the Forest Stewardshp Councl (FSC). Forest certfcaton by the FSC s an nternatonal trend that began n 1993, and benefts all lvng creatures that lve on ths planet. WWF s spearheadng a worldwde campagn to promote ths conservaton system, whch s also beng promoted and supported n Central Amerca. Indeed, we have decded that forest certfcaton should be the central theme of ths edton of our magazne. Just as Nature has ts cycles, so too does ths magazne. We hope that ths communcaton tool wll serve to expand, develop and explore aspects related to WWF s objectves n Central Amerca and the rest of the world. For ths reason, we have ntroduced some changes n the desgn, style and content to make ths magazne a more flexble and attractve medum, capable of projectng our goals, actons, obstacles and achevements, and the lessons learned. You wll notce regular sectons, such as: forests, oceans/coasts and freshwater, whch reflect the WWF s target drven programs n the nternatonal sphere and whch we mplement n Central Amerca through dfferent projects and wth the collaboraton of conservatonst partners, frends and leaders. You wll also fnd an opnon column on the central theme of the magazne, artcles on the vared actvtes mplemented by our feld projects It ncludes a tranng secton descrbng the dfferent educatonal actvtes WWF mplements through courses, workshops and semnars, n f o r m a t o n capsules, all accompaned by hgh qualty vsual ads. As WWF Central Amerca s new communcatons offcer, I nvte you to peruse the pages of our magazne and jon us n dscoverng new strateges to protect our natural resources. I hope ths nformaton wll be of use n your daly lfe and work and even so that you can help WWF to guarantee future generatons the ecologcal harmony on whch lfe depends. Cnthya Flores Edtor 2001 WWF Central Amerca 1

2 W E L C O M E Far recognton Sergo Herrera Program Offcer La Ceba, Honduras WWF Central Amerca orests and humans have lved together n harmony for thousands of years, although we have enjoyed the greatest benefts from ths relatonshp by obtanng nnumerable resources to develop our soce t e s. H o w e v e r, t o- d a y, more than ever before, the mportant functons performed by forests are fnally recevng far recognton. Despte a clear and growng n people s atttudes, our forests contnue to face serous threats that endanger ther s u r v v a l. Demographc growth and mgratory processes mply constant change and the fragmentaton of the ranforests of Central A m e r c a s A t l a n t c coast. The tropcal dry forest of the Pacfc has been reduced to crtcal areas where bodversty and envronmental servces have been substantally depleted, and t s no longer possble to obtan economc benefts from the extracton of tmber and non-tmber forest products. N e v e r t h e l e s s, mportant efforts are under way to protect our remanng forests, ncludng ntatves to determne the economc potental of the envronmental servces they provde. The results, so far, are very encouragng and ndcate that such servces wll offer an economc alternatve for many communtes, and wll also have a postve mpact on conservaton. Forests that produce tmber for extracton purposes are begnnng to adopt better and more sustanable management practces. H o w e v e r, ths s a gradual process that wll requre the poltcal support of governments, t h e actve partcpaton of communtes and the understandng and awareness of the prvate sector. Forest management actons are ncreasngly beng complemented wth forest certfcaton, and many natve forests and forest plantatons managed by communty and busness groups n Belze, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rca and Panama have been ndependently certfed by the Forest Stewardshp Councl (FSC). Wth certfcaton, many possbltes are openng up to sell tmber n new markets and receve tangble benefts such as fnancng, drect lnks wth buyers, a product of better qualty and, n partcular, the satsfacton of supportng conservaton e f f o r t s. The effectve partcpaton of everyone s an essental element to ensure our own qualty of lfe. In ths edton of the WWF Central Amerca magazne, you wll be able to fnd out about the new world trend towards certfcaton, ts advantages and ts lmtatons, as well as other topcs of nterest to the envronment and socety. We nvte you to share a good read wth us! Sergo Herrera 2

3 F O R E S T C E R T I F I C A T I O N Wood wth green seal By Steve Gretznger hle forest certfcaton s no panacea that wll resolve all of our forests lls, t s the number one tool drvng mprovements n forest management, fosterng both consumer and corporate responsblty, and provdng tangble benefts to certfed producers. Global market opportuntes for envronmentally sound products have grown n the last decade. As well, consumer awareness of such products enjoy a compettve advantage n some U.S. and European markets that purchase Mesoamercan goods. In the U.S, 70% of the furnture manufacturers prefer to use wood from well-managed sources; 62% of consumers would pay more for homes bult wth such wood. Such statstcs foster changes n corporate boardrooms worldwde. Certfcaton systems have been developed to verfy product clams and ensure consumers that green products are legtmate.achevng certfcaton allows producers to label ther products. For producers of commodtes such as coffee and wood, a certfed status often allows them to mantan relatvely hgher prces and stable contracts when the market tumbles. As llustrated by Columba Fo r e s t P r o d u c t s, the frst company to provde the Home Depot wth certfed plywood, e a r l y market entrants proft from clent loyalty, hgher prces, better buyng condtons, favorable press coverage and new mark e t s. The roots of the movement In the late 1980's, publc concern regardng tropcal deforestaton led to an ncreased demand for "envronmentallyfrendly" wood products. Many of the early product labels that arose to address these fears were rrelevant or msleadng. In 1993, the Forest Stewardshp Councl (FSC) was founded wth WWF support to reduce confuson by provdng a labelng system that consumers could trust, a n d offerng a market-based ncentve for sustanable forestry. The FSC has establshed Prncples and Crtera (P&C) that are modfed by stakeholders wthn a country to ft local condtons. The P&C cover envronmental, socal and economc ssues, and form the foundaton of the annual montorng and evaluaton program (see box page 6). The FSC does not carry out nspectons tself, but rather accredts certfcaton bodes (11 worldwde and 6 pendng) and practces qualty control va annual audts. Gant cut trunks are marked wth codes as part of the chan of custody process Certfed products enjoy a compettve advantage, both n local and nternatonal markets 2001 WWF Central Amerca 3

4 F O R E S T C E R T I F I C A T I O N 1.To obtan FSC certfcaton, the forestry operaton s evaluated to determne whether or not t comples wth the socal, envronmental and economc standards 2. Forestry offcals practcng good management 3. Gutars made from certfed wood n Brazl Due to ts ndependent and balanced approach, the FSC has become the most credble system n the world. The FSC was the frst, and remans the only, voluntary forest certfcaton system to reach the nternatonal marketplace wth a recognzed label used to specfy purchasng preferences, flter loans, and access envronmentally dscernng markets. In Central Amerca The FSC s the domnant certfcaton system and s congruent wth the prncples of the Mesoamercan Bologcal Corrdor (MBC). The regon also has the dstncton of beng the home of the frst FSC-certfed ndustral, communty-managed, and groupmanaged forests n the tropcs. By the November 2001, 494,771 ha of forests had been FSC-certfed, of whch ha are n Belze and more than n Guatemala (see map n next page). No certfed operatons are found n Ncaragua or El Salvador. The regon remans a leader n FSC certfcaton as llustrated by the followng: Actvely managed, productve certfed forests lnk core protected areas wthn the MBC n Guatemala, Río Plátano Bosphere Reserve n Honduras, and Río Bravo Reserve n Belze. Government partcpaton n the development of natonal FSC standards n N c a r a g u a, Guatemala and Honduras. Challenges Envronmental markets present a wndow of opportunty for both communtybased and ndustral operatons n Central Amerca. However, although demand s growng, many producers n the regon are unable to meet ths demand. An FSC-certfed Guatemalan company (CAO BA S. A.) mports certfed hardwoods from the U.S. to manufacture certfed doors for export. Clearly, smply havng a certfed forest s not enough to guarantee market benefts. 4

5 F O R E S T C E R T I F I C A T I O N GUATEMALA Total: 300,393 ha. El SALVA D O R BELIZE Total: 95,800 ha. HONDURAS Total: 13,868 ha. FSC certfed forests n Central Amerca November 2001 N I C A R A G U A COSTA RICA Total: 76,327 ha. PANAMÁ Ecoforest, S.A. P 7,120 Futuro Forestal, S.A. P 107 Inversones Agroforestales, S.A. (IASA) P 1,156 PANAMA Total: 8,383 ha. BELIZE Programme for Belze NF 95,800 COSTA RICA BALSATICA, S.A. NF 3,500 Bosque Puerto Carrllo S.A. P 3,785 Brnkman & Asocados Reforestadores de Centroamérca, S.A. (BARCA, S.A.) P 577 Eco Captal, S.A. P 380 Eco Drecta, S.A. P 1,121 Flor y Fauna, S.A. P 2,788 Forestales Internatonal NF 300 Fundacón para el Desarrollo de la Cordllera Volcánca Central (FUNDECOR) NF/P 17,551 Fundacón Terras Undas Vecnales por el Ambente (TUVA): Reserva extractva de madera caída NF 500 Germano-Costarrcense, S.A. P 1,200 Portco, S.A. (Tortuguero y Lmón) NF 8,252 Reforestadora Buen Preco, S.A. P 2,662 Reforestaton Group Internatonal, S.A. P 90 Reforestaton Industral Los Nacentes P 10,948 Ston Forestal P 22,673 P=Plantaton Total: 494,771 ha. Source: FSC http/ HONDURAS La Cooperatva Regonal Agroforestal, Colón, Atlántda, Honduras Ltda. (COATLAHL) NF 7,970 Paya y Copén, Colón NF 5,898 GUATEMALA Asocacón de Productores de San Mguel (APROSAM) NF 7,039 Asocacón Forestal Integral San Andrés (AFISAP) NF 51,940 Asocacón de Productores Agroforestales de la Pasadta NF 18,217 Cooperatva Bethel, R.L. NF 4,149 Cooperatva Integral de Comercalzacón Carmelta R.L. NF 53,797 Cooperatva La Técnca Agropecuara, R.L. NF 4,607 GIBOR, S.A. Paxban NF 64,869 La Socedad Cvl de Impulsores Suchtecos NF 12,217 Socedad Cvl Organzacón, Manejo y Conservacón, Comundad Uaxactún NF 83,558 NF=Natural Forest 2001 WWF Central Amerca 5

6 F O R E S T C E R T I F I C A T I O N Products bearng ths seal come from sustanably managed forests ndgenous and women's groups, and rural communtes are not boardng the movng certfcaton tran. WWF Central Amerca helps producers n ther gradual transton from unsustanable use to certfed forest management Mesoamercan producers located n solated rural areas wth mnmal nfrastructure and low volumes or revenues have hgh management and certfcaton costs per area or volume. They face market barrers such as lack of drect lnkages to approprate markets, naccurate nformaton, and a long value chan whch often results n low returns for producers. Credt and co-fnancng mechansms are lackng for producers of sustanable products. Isolated communtes wth lttle credt or busness sklls face producton barrers. These obstacles nhbt the equtable access to economc development, and the preservaton of bologcal dversty n prorty areas wthn the MBC. Small landowners, WWF role n Central Amerca Increased understandng: Despte Mesoamerca s leadershp role, a lack of understandng stll exsts regardng the requrements assocated wth certfcaton. WWF and local partners (Ncambental n Ncaragua, Tropcal Scence Center n Costa Rca and Naturaleza Para la Vda n Guatemala) have held workshops for the press, government and prvate sector to ncrease the awareness of ths concept. Obstacles and remedes: To obtan FSC certfcaton, an operaton receves an assessment of ts on-the-ground performance n meetng FSC standards. Most operatons requre mprovements that must be mplemented pror to recevng the certfed status. They also have contractual oblgatons to mprove over tme. Complance wth condtons s montored annually and often proves costly and dffc u l t. Many currently certfed operatons rsk losng ther certfcaton status. WWF s Ten FSC s Prncples and Crtera (P&C) had been establshed as the recognzed standard to be ncorporated n the evaluaton systems of all certfcaton organzatons. They apply to all tropcal and boreal forests. More detaled standards for these and other vegetaton types may be prepared at natonal and local levels. 1. Forest management shall respect all applcable laws of the country n whch they occur. 2. Long-term tenure and use rghts to the land and forest resources shall be clearly defned, documented and legally establshed. 3. The legal and customary rghts of ndgenous peoples to own, use and manage ther lands, terrtores, and resources shall be recognzed and respected. 4. Operatons shall mantan or enhance the long-term socal and economc well-beng of forest workers and local communtes. 5. Operatons shall encourage the effcent use of the forest s multple products and servces to ensure benefts. 6. Management shall conserve bologcal dversty and ts assocated values, water resources, sols, and unque and fragle ecosystems and landscapes. 7. A management plan shall be wrtten, mplemented, and kept up to date. The long-term objectves of management, and the means of achevng them, shall be clearly stated. 8. Montorng shall be conducted to assess the condton of the forest, yelds of forest products, chan of custody, management actvtes and ther socal and envronmental mpacts. 9. Mantenance of hgh conservaton value forests. 10. Plantatons shall be planned and managed n accordance wth these P&C. 6

7 F O R E S T C E R T I F I C A T I O N workng wth local partners n Guatemala (NPV) and Honduras (Madera Ve r d e, CATIE/TRANSFORMA and MOPAW I ), to help 10 certfed communty operatons resolve smlar certfcaton condtons. Certfable practces: Forest certfcaton has moved beyond the plot stage n Central Amerca and numerous organzatons are dssemnatng ths practce. WWF has developed vdeos and publcatons on the management of certfed operatons n the regon, and s communcatng these practces on-the-ground. "Step-Wse" approach: Many steps must be taken by a producer to acheve FSC certfcaton. H o w e v e r, t h e r e s currently no tool to help gude producers to ncrementally mprove ther management. WWF s poneerng a modular or Step- Wse approach for helpng producers make the gradual transton from unsustanable certfed forestry. Fnances: Whle prvate banks are reluctant to fnance long-term nvestments n forestry, some lendng agences are developng envronmental crtera. Investment frms are begnnng to target FSC-certfed forests as attractve opportuntes. Companes such as Jeld-Wen (US door and wndow frames manufacturer) and Collns Pne (frst certfed tmber company n the U.S.) have nvestgated jont venture opportuntes n the tropcs wth certfed frms. The support and development of such ntatves are crtcally mportant for Central Amerca producers, and are a focal pont for the regon s Forests and Trade Network. Local, natonal and regonal demand: There s currently lttle demand n the regon for certfed wood. However, WWF has successfully developed demand among key users through communcatons campagns and workshops. In Costa Rca, the constructon sector and archtects are now are now strong advocates commtted to usng certfed wood and partcpatng n the Mesoamercan FTN. Illegal operators steal wood from the Maya Bosphere Reserve s Multple Use Zone, pror to there beng a communty concesson scheme n a place that organzed and regulated forestry operatons. Ths mahogany was extracted by oxen and pushed up the ramp by human power snce ths method s not as nosy or vsble as usng skds and tractors 2001 WWF Central Amerca 7

8 F O R E S T C E R T I F I C A T I O N An ndgenous slvcultural treatment (grdlng wth a machete) s used to produce commercal speces n San Jose Buena Fe, Guatemala Ths s the result of a four month campagn mplemented by WWF Central Amerca and focused on a 100 representatves from the prvate sector, n c l u d n g buldng frms, archtects, wood wholesalers and retalers, sawmllers, and furnture manufacturers. As a measure of success, constructon frms, whch had any prevous knowledge of FSC certfcaton, are begnnng to purchase certfed tmber from local producers. Drect market lnkages: Few operatons are able to penetrate the market by makng drect lnkages wth buyers. WWF research has determned that the focus market for Guatemala, Belze and Costa Rca s prmarly Canada, Mexco, and the U.S. WWF s research has shown that the leadng markets for Guatemala, Belze and Costa Rca are the Unted States, Canada and Mexco. Efforts are beng made to open markets n Cuba and the Domncan Republc The focus for Ncaragua and Honduras s the Carbbean mporters of both hard and softwood products, prncpally Cuba, t h e Domncan Republc, and Jamaca. WWF s workng to lnk potental buyers wth certfed producers n the regon. On the way As an mmedate strategc acton, WWF CA s commtted to establshng a FTN for Mesoamercan and Carbbean Regon that wll brng the long-awated economc advantages of forest certfcaton to our progressve forest managers and frms. The FTN s a successful model for fosterng busness-to-busness relatonshps n the certfed wood products ndustry. The Mesoamercan FTN wll allow producers and buyers to obtan the tangble benefts that wll brng the long-awated economc advantages of forest certfcaton to our progressve forest managers and frms. Steve Gretznger Conservaton drector WWF Central Amerca Phone: (506) Fax: (506) sgretzn@wwfca.org 8

9 F O R E S T C E R T I F I C A T I O N Ncaragua Carvng a new path By Jame Rafael Gullén natonal effort s underway n Ncaragua to promote and consoldate a Forest Certfcaton Intatve, to enable the country to make steady progress towards better forest management practces that are economcally vable, s o c a l- ly benefcal and envronmentally frendly. Ths Intatve was launched fve years ago wth the partcpaton of representatves of forestry companes, the loggng ndustry, non-governmental organzatons (NGO s), e n v r o n m e n t a l s t s, local communtes and ndgenous groups. Its purpose s to promote voluntary forest certfcaton, under a scheme developed by the Forest Stewardshp Councl (FSC) as a tool for good forest management and to ensure that certfed forest products have access to the markets. The process s beng coordnated by an organzaton called Ncambental, whch has been afflated to the FSC snce The groups partcpatng n ths effort are grouped together accordng to ther prmordal concerns, as envronmental, socal or economc nterest groups. The path has not been easy, and has been developed through experence. It all began wth efforts to convey the mportance and promote the objectves of forest certfcat o n. The partcpants then proceeded to desgn and promote proposal on natonal standards for forest certfcaton, based on the FSC s manual of procedures. The groups that are nvolved n mplementng the Intatve are convnced of ts value as a tool to mprove the country s forestry sector. Ths Intatve has enabled entrepreneurs, envronmentalsts and socal leaders (ndgenous people, forest owners, peasants) to recognze that although ther nterests may be conflctng, these are also legtmate. In Ncaragua, a country labeled agrcultural by the government and poltcans, people have begun to understand the need to coordnate jont efforts and draw up a natonal framework that wll ensure the conservaton of the natonal forests so that these wll generate sustanable ncome and benefts through the use of ther goods and servces. Indvduals and groups that represent rreconclable nterests have managed to st down at the same table to draft common proposals and submt these to the government. Cvl socety s efforts to mplement a forest certfcaton ntatve are beng recognzed by the nsttutons that represent the State Forestry Au t h o r t e s : the General Fo r e s t r y D r e c t o r a t e, the Forestry Servce and the Natonal Forestry Insttute (INA F O R ). The spder monkey, typcal of Central Amerca, depends on the forest for ts survval. Certfcaton n Ncaragua wll beneft these types of speces 2001 WWF Central Amerca 9

10 F O R E S T C E R T I F I C A T I O N Certfcaton s not the answer, but s just one of many useful tools to promote good forest management Ncaragua wll soon have ts frst FSC certfed forest. Ths wll ntally beneft the famles lvng n areas around the certfed forest A process In 1998, the Natonal Intatve focused ts attenton on the defnton of natonal forest certfcaton standards so that, once approved by the FSC, these would be of mandatory use by the certfcaton bodes that evaluate forestry operatons n Ncaragua. A workshop was organzed wth the support of WWF Central Amerca. However, the damage caused by Hurrcane Mtch forced the naton to focus ts attenton on emergency and reconstructon efforts. Ths, along wth the process of governmental reorganzaton and ts mpact, partcularly on forestry actvtes, led to delays n the development of the forest certfcaton standards. By the end of 2000, wth the support of the Forestry Project (PROFOR) (Mnstry of Agrculture and Forestry and the Wo r l d B a n k ), a consultaton process began on a draft document on standards, prepared at the workshop of Sx workshops were held n the country s man forest areas (four n the regons of Ncaragua s the Carbbean coast). The experence and advce of frends and supporters famlar wth the Natonal Intatve, as well as the Secretarat of the FSC, helped to accelerate the feld tests of the standards, pror to submttng these for offcal approval. Ths process was led by the Workng Group, whch hred the servces of a consultant to desgn a methodology, created a Standards Commttee and selected the test stes and ts members. In Aprl 2001, a course on forest certfcaton and natonal standards was held wth the am of tranng the ndvduals who would subsequently partcpate n the feld tests, and at the same tme tran the human resources that would be nvolved n establshng certfcaton teams or advsng companes nterested n undergong an evaluaton process. Ths course was also supported by the W W F, and receved techncal assstance from the organzaton E x p e r e n c e Internatonal and from the Tr o p c a l Scence Center (TSC). 10

11 F O R E S T C E R T I F I C A T I O N In June 2001, wth the sponsorshp of PROFOR, Novb and the Ford Foundaton, a seres of feld tests were conducted on the draft standards at a confer forest and two n broadleaf forests: Central de Cooperatvas Forestales (CECOFOR) n Jalapa, Nueva Segova (Pnares); PRADA, S.A. n Rosta, Autonomous North Atlantc Regon (RAAN); and PLYNIC S.A. n El Castllo, San Juan Rver. The tests were conducted smultaneously durng a one-week perod, and concluded wth a workshop to analyze the results. The three groups that evaluated the standards tested at those stes were composed of people wth tranng n forestry, bology and socal scence. The members of the groups that conducted the feld tests were people from the dfferent regons of the country, thereby ensurng a proper geographcal representaton on the t e a m s. WWF promotes courses on certfcaton and natonal standards so that they become of mandatory use by the certfcaton bodes that evaluate forestry operatons n Ncaragua, n lne wth FSC standards The workshop to analyze the results confrmed the success of the tests, though a number of modfcatons were made to the certfcaton standards. At the same tme, partcpants advsed the Standards Commttee to make some specfc changes that wll need further dscusson. At present, the Natonal Intatve has completed draft No. 4 of the natonal forest certfcaton standards, and the document s currently undergong an electronc consultaton process. The objectve s to secure the FSC s approval n 2001, and for ths there s also a requrement to have new Ncaraguan members of the FSC, such as PROLEÑA. Certfcaton guarantees the future of forests and of new generatons 2001 WWF Central Amerca 11

12 F O R E S T C E R T I F I C A T I O N Women play an actve role n the sustanable use of forests Achevements of the Natonal Intatve: Formal recognton of the Natonal Intatve by the FSC through the appontment of a contact person or lason offcer. Draft document of natonal standards prepared wth partcpaton of three nterest groups, consulted and tested n the feld. A methodology desgned by a consultant and modfed by the Standards Commttee, ncludng a specfc program for the statstcal data to assess the ndcators. Tranng of Ncaraguan offcals n forest certfcaton. 6 cases of companes that have undergone prelmnary evaluaton for certfcaton purposes. Incluson of forest certfcaton n natonal forestry polces and n the draft bll of the Forestry Law (not as an oblgaton, but by way of promoton). Workng Group of the Natonal Intatve consoldated. Closer lnks and greater consensus among dfferent actors of the forestry sector. Greater receptvty on the part of the busness sectors. Obstacles Intal lack of coordnaton of efforts by the dfferent players. Dffcultes n relatons wth the nvolved actors, especally n socal aspects. Lack of specfc fundng. Lttle real support of natonal forestry projects (n good measure ths has been resolved). Lessons learned The value of forest certfcaton as an nstrument for forgng closer lnks, understandng and consensus among dfferent groups. The best way to promote s to certfy. For ths reason were are now offerng accompanment to several cases seekng forest certfcaton. The capacty of forest certfcaton to complement the efforts of the forestry authortes, from cvl socety. Reaffrmaton of the fact that forest certfcaton s not the answer but smply one of many tools that can be useful n promotng good forest management practces, the conservaton of the forests and ensurng access of forest products to the markets. Forest certfcaton should be amed not only at the nternatonal markets but also at natonal markets, f we want to see a greater mpact on forest management, snce nearly 80% of felled tmber s sold natonally. The process to promote forest certfcaton and the draftng of natonal standards wll be faster wth the support of the country s establshed forestry projects. The wsdom of seekng advce and drawng on the experence of colleagues from other countres (USA, Guatemala, Costa Rca, Bolva), both to learn from ther knowledge and to avod repeatng mstakes. The man asset to promote forest certfcaton s and has always been the enthusasm of the people nvolved. There s stll a great deal more to do and to learn! Jame Gullén Executve Drector of Ncambental Lason Offcer of the FSC n Ncaragua Phone/Fax (505) ncam@sdnnc.org.n Webste: 12

13 F O R E S T C E R T I F I C A T I O N Costa Rca Certfed tmber knock on the door * By Rosbel Mena mber certfcaton s not just knockng on the doors of landowners. It s also beckonng Costa Rca s constructon companes and archtects. Although they consume large amounts of tmber, they are not buyng under the label of the Fo r e s t Stewardshp Councl (FSC). WWF has recognzed ths defcency, a n d developed a campagn push to create local demand for FSC-certfed wood among constructon projects. Every year, the country produces one mllon cubc meters of tmber, of whch 65 per cent s consumed by the constructon s e c t o r, accordng to fgures from the Informaton Unt of the Costa Rcan Forestry Chamber. However, ths sector also mports tmber from countres such as Colomba, Chle, Guatemala and Canada to supply demand n housng projects for wndow frames, floors, celngs, closets, ktchen unts, stars, doors and accessores. The Costa Rcan forestry expert, Marela Herrera, beleves there s no guarantee that most of ths tmber comes from forests managed accordng to ecologcal prncples, also that provde subsstence alternatves to the surroundng communtes. Although there are 15 certfed forests n Costa Rca, coverng a total of hectares, unfortunately there are few markets that provde ncentves to producers of certfed products, despte the growng envronmental awareness and the boom n the ecotoursm ndustry. WWF Central Amerca has recognzed ths defcency and has taken the vsonary step n Costa Rca to use the presence of poneer ntatves such as FUNDECOR, As part of a communcatons campagn push to encourage archtects and bulders to choose certfed wood for ther projects, the communcatons department of WWF Central Amerca coordnated a Walk n the Woods experence. On the tour, the group vsted a natural forest certfed by SGS Qualfor for FUNDECOR, a Costa Rcan foundaton that acts as an umbrella organzaton, brngng together a wde range of small owners of natural forests and certfed plantatons 2001 WWF Centroamérca 13

14 F O R E S T C E R T I F I C A T I O N By ncorporatng certfed tmber, hgh qualty projects ncrease ther added value. 2. Wndow frames and shutters made from certfed wood. Po r t c o, Maderas Cultvadas, and Flor y Fauna to mplement a campagn amed at the constructon sector and archtects. The prmordal objectve s to encourage constructon frms to purchase certfed tmber from local producers. If suffcent demand s generated, ths wll generate envronmental awareness wthn an mportant sector wthn the forestry ndustry and wll also create pressure to certfy more and more hectares of forest. In ths way, the end consumers wll have the certanty that the tmber products offered to them come from sustanably-managed plantatons or natural forests, t h e r e b y guaranteeng the long term use of tmber and ts dervatves n the constructon ndustry. Ths communcatons campagn, a poneer n Latn Amerca, s part of the work that WWF undertakes all over the world to promote forest protecton and conservaton. The dea s to extend the ntatve to other countres of the regon, ntroducng more constructon frms to the noton of forest certfcaton. For the moment, the constructon sector s an unexplored terrtory n Central Amerca, n terms of forest certfcaton, but hstory wll tell that constructon companes are an accessble group. Smlar campagns spearheaded by W W F n Europe have generated a hgh level of envronmental awareness among forest owners, s t o r e s, companes that sell home products and m a t e r a l s, tmber merchants, tmber processng ndustres and manufacturers of paper p r o d u c t s. Cnthya Flores Communcatons Offcer WWF Central Amerca Pone (506) Fax: (506) cflores@wwfca.org The author s a Costa Rcan journalst and communcatons consultant for WWF Central Amerca 14

15 A system n vogue By Rchard Donovan Opnon Opnon It s an undenable fact that FSC certfcaton s accepted almost throughout the contnent Durng the last year, the process of certfcaton has reached a very nterestng stage n Latn Amerca. More tmber products, ncludng natural medcnes, have been certfed from the forest managed by Klabn n southern Brazl. The frst certfcatons have taken place n countres such as Chle, Colomba, Ecuador and Uruguay and promsng ntatves are under way n Argentna, Peru and the Guyanas. In some cases, these are combned wth ISO certfcaton (n many forest plantatons) or wth organc and Far Trade certfcaton. In Bolva, the actons of the BOLFOR P ro j e c t, together wth the efforts of the commercal sector, the Vo l u n t a r y F o rest Certfcaton organzaton and many other groups, have made ths country a world leader n the certfcaton of tropcal forests. The Central Amercan regon s another poneer n FSC certfcaton. Mexco too, has acheved very postve record n ths process, thanks to the Mexcan Cvl Councl for Sustanable Forestry (CCMSS) and the central offce of the FSC. In the next two years we are lkely to see a sgnfcant ncrease n certfed forests and products from that country. Not enough green markets In the lght of all ths success, what are the concerns? Frst of all, there are many certfed forest operatons n Guatemala, Mexco, Costa Rca and other countres, whch have not been successful n the so-called green markets. In other words, they sell a very small percentage (10% or less) of certfed products, even though they may have an mpressve volume of certfed raw materal. Why s ths so? Because the certfed forestry companes do not have the capacty, the know how or the busness contacts to be able to get the certfed products to market. Sometmes there are rvalres or jealouses between certfed companes or organzatons and they are often reluctant to forge the nsttutonal lnks that are essental to get ther products to market. We have seen nnumerable examples of certfed organzatons communty groups, large frms and ndgenous groups- say I know how to produce and sell products and I don t need any help. Marketng s the key to success Experts n the marketng of tmber products pont out that there s a great d ff e rence between sellng certfed products and marketng them. It s possble to have sales wthout marketng, but n order to acheve contnuous success, t s essental to have a strong marketng pro g r a m. H o w e v e r, certfed products should not be treated as just another product, but rather as a new product that needs t own marketng program. R e g a rdless of the type of ndustry nvolved (ndgenous, peasant or large frm), the man gap at present s the lack of strategc busness re l a- tons, whch are necessary to ensure the successful marketng and sale of certfed products. It s mportant to promote an ntense dalogue among the dff e re n t stakeholders nvolved n the certfcaton process (as WWF Central Amerca s begnnng to do n the regon) and mplement projects to attract buyers and consumers of certfed tmber. Busness meetngs between producers and buyers promse to be successful. By forgng strategc allances, certfed forestry operatons may have a major mpact on the commercal sector, just as they have already had on forest management. Rchard Z. Donovan Forestry Drector Ranforest Allance Phone: (802) (US) Fax: (802) rzd@smartwood.org 2001 WWF Central Amerca 15

16 A C T I V I T I E S Growng organc coffee under the shade of WWF By Cnthya Flores Top qualty Costa Rcan coffee beans The use of shade n coffee plantatons has mportant ecologcal potental. WWF Central Amerca promotes ths practce n Costa Rca s central pacfc regon WWF s currently promotng the use of shade trees n some 2000 hectares of coffee plantatons n Arenal, Costa Rca s central pacfc regon. Ths g r e e n agrcultural technque results n better qualty coffee beans and also s an effectve way to ensure that the area remans ecologcally and economcally sustanable. The area In the Arenal Conservaton Area s located the Aranjuez Rver basn, whch has several potental uses, ncludng the development of hydroelectrc energy projects, ecotoursm, bodversty protecton projects and socal and productve actvtes based on the prncples of agro-conservaton. Processes of sol eroson, deforestaton, and growng socal pressures on Arenal s protected wldlfe areas are factors that defne the way n whch local natural resources has been used. It s precsely agro-conservaton the focus of WWF project, consdered a comprehensve effort to reconcle the nterests of local socal and economc development wth conservaton and sustanable management of natural resources. To undertake ths task, a work group has been formed wth farmers, teachers and communty facltators, wth the support of the Aranjuez Agroecologcal Assocaton. The group strkes aganst the overuse and under-use of the land, a stuaton that can undermne opportuntes for local development as well as for the conservaton and sustanable management of natural resources. The useful shade Shade trees protect the plants from nclement weather, as the trees help to conserve mosture from the ar, r e g u l a t e varatons n temperature, reduce water evaporaton and act as a wnd break (preventng coffee bushes from dryng out). 16

17 A C T I V I T I E S They perform other useful functons n coffee plantatons. The presence of several layers or strata of vegetaton at dfferent heghts allows for a better use of solar energy. Moreover, the bomass that s deposted on the surface of the sol creates condtons that are of vtal mportance for the coffee bushes: one hand, t facltates the contnuous recyclng of nutrents through decomposton processes. On the other hand, t provdes the sol wth the necessary mosture content and organc matter requred for effectve mcrobal acton. Shade s partcularly mportant n areas wth rregular ranfall and a prolonged dry season, such as the Aranjuez rver basn. The project s fnanced by WWF UK (Unted Kngdom) and the Brtsh company Kenco. Bologcal wealth The use of shade trees n coffee plantatons s also mportant n terms of conservng bodversty n agrcultural areas and enhancng ther ecologcal potental, snce trees attract many dfferent taxonomc groups. There s also a geographc correlaton between the coffee growng areas and prorty regons recommended for conservaton because of ther wealth of endemc and other speces, as agronomst Renhold Muschler notes n hs book Árboles y Cafetales ( Tree and Coffee Plantatons). Tree speces not only encourage a rch flora of epphytes, but also attract brds and mammals because they provde food n the form of fruts, nectar, nsects and arthropods. In fact, brds are among the taxonomc Aeral vew of the Arenal Conservaton Area, where WWF Central Amerca s spearheadng an agrcultural conservaton project 2001 WWF Central Amerca 17

18 A C T I V I T I E S The Kenco Coffee Company was founded n 1923 by a group of coffee producers who are now market leaders n the Unted Kngdom. The frm s extenson actvtes nclude fnancng organc coffee producton through organzatons such as WWF Coffee beans are taster f the shade trees n coffee plantatons are properly managed groups most frequently used as ndcators of bodversty conservaton levels n the world s coffee growng areas. Brds benefted Large numbers of resdent and mgratory brds may be found n shaded coffee plantat o n s. M o r e o v e r, the number of speces found n these s closely lnked to the complexty of the shade created by dfferent types of plantng. Wth respect to speces of forest brds, the more a coffee plantaton resembles a forest, the more speces of brds wll end up usng t n some way. In fact, mgratory speces seek out these areas to fnd food and shelter, but do not use them for nestng. However, coffee plantatons may provde nestng stes for resdent brds, dependng on the speces, on the use of shade and the level of human actvty n the coffee plantaton durng the matng and nestng season. For more nformaton about the project c o n t a c t : Oscar Brenes Project Offcer WWF Central Amerca Obrenes@wwfca.org For more nformaton about shade trees n coffee plantatons contact: Renhold Muschler Drector of Tropcal Agrculture CATIE Tel: (506) muschler@cate.ac.cr 18

19 A C T I V I T I E S Gulf of Fonseca yelds ts fruts By Cnthya Flores ort safety, water qualty and protected areas are among the ssues that have benefted most from the Resources Management Intatve n the Gulf of Fonseca, on the Pacfc coast of Ncaragua, Honduras and El Salvador, whch began n June of 2000 and concluded at the end of The Gulf of Fonseca s coastal habtats are rch n bodversty and crucal to the regon s economc development, snce they provde sustenance for many coastal communtes. Referrng to the new phase of the project, Maurco Castro, executve secretary of CCAD states: I am very hopeful that ths new cooperaton wll further strengthen CCAD s poltcal dmenson and the techncal poston of WWF Central Amerca n the chosen work stes The area s domnated by wetlands, wth ther seasonal lagoons, estuares, marshes and mangroves, where many speces of mgratory and resdent brds nest and feed, ncludng cranes and herons. But the waters of ths rch area are threatened by polluton from agrculture and urban populatons, overfshng and overexplotaton of plant and anmal speces. Other problems are the unregulated extracton of tmber, the accumulaton of domestc waste, and excessve sedmentaton caused by the eroson of rver-basns and aggravated by constant floods. The Resources Management Intatve n the Gulf of Fo n s e c a s marne-coastal areas formed part of the Regonal Envronmental Program for Central Amerca (PROA R CA/ C o a s t s ), m p l e m e n t- ed by the Central Amercan Envronment Black-necked stlt n Honduras The second phase of PROARCA s now known as PROCAM, Protected Areas and Envronmentally Sound Products Program and corresponds to Improved Envronmental Management n the Mesoamercan Bologcal Corrdor 2001 WWF Central Amerca 19

20 A C T I V I T I E S Fsherman n hs boat wth hs catch dryng n the sun n the Gulf of Fonseca, Honduras and Development Program (CCA D, Spansh acronym), whch s endorsed by the envronment mnstres of the three countres nvolved. It was fnanced by the Unted States A g e n cy for Internatonal Development (USAID) and developed by the consortum: WWF Central A m e r c a, The Nature C o n s e r v a n cy (TNC) and the Center for Coastal Studes of Rhode Island Unversty. It also receved support from the US Natonal Oceanc and A t m o s p h e r c Admnstraton (NOA A ). At date, P ROA R CA already fulflled ts dutes and WWF partcpates n a new related program. Port safety The Gulf of Fonseca has several major ports such as San Lorenzo, the only port n Honduras Pacfc coast, and Cutuco n El Salvador, where cargo shps and ol tankers dock. Snce shppng traffc mples possble rsks of spllage and polluton, the Intatve has worked to strengthen the capactes of these countres to confront such contngences by tranng decson-makers n preventon strateges and mtgaton measures. Water qualty Water s a vtal element n the Gulf of Fonseca, snce t guarantees the wellbeng of many communtes and supports the agrcultural export ndustry. But these same agrondustral actvtes, together wth the effects of the constant hurrcanes, have caused physcal damage to the envronment n the Gulf. The Intatve carred out studes n the most polluted areas, enablng experts to suggest ways of counteractng the problem. Progress was also made n dscoverng how the ocean currents, as well as the physcal and chemcal characterstcs of the water, determne the dstrbuton and concentraton of pollutants produced nland. Protected areas The protected areas perform many hydrologcal functons that mtgate the effects of floods, protect the coastlne from the acton of sea currents, replensh subterranean water deposts, accumulate nutrents and absorb pollutants dssolved n water. As a key conservaton strategy, t h e Intatve has establshed 10 protected areas and has strengthened ther management. Wth the support of NOAA, WWF desgned and mplemented a management plan n Chsmuyo Bay. In addton, an ecologcal survey was carred out n the prorty marne-coastal zones of each country, and a management plan was desgned to protect the many hydrologcal functons of the ecosystems. Edas Muñoz Program Offcer WWF Central Amerca Phone: (504) E-mal emunoz@wwfca.org 20

21 A C T I V I T I E S WWF supports one of the best ecosystems n the world By Cnthya Flores n the way to consoldate the Mesoamercan Bologcal Corrdor (MBC) leaders dscussed about the plannng crtera for ths mosac of the best ecosystems n the w o r l d, as mentoned by Lorenzo Cardenal, regonal coordnator. WWF and members of the MBC jontly organzed n El Salvador a hgh qualty symposum where the partcpants had an opportunty to share experences n the desgn and management of bologcal corrdors. Dscusson was based on presentatons such as the one delvered by Steve Gretznger, conservaton drector for WWF Central Amerca, who spoke about the role of forest certfcaton n conservaton, an ssue that s ganng great mportance n the regon. The symposum was one of the actvtes of the Ffth Congress of the Mesoamercan Socety for Bology and Conservaton (see box next page), where WWF also gave a presentaton of ts projects and objectves, takng advantage of the presence of some 500 academcs, professonals, students, decson-makers and admnstrators of resources. The actvty served to renforce the theme of natural corrdors as part of the agenda of prortes for natonal dscusson n the eght countres of Mesoamerca. Ecoregonal crtera WWF asssts the MBC project n ts adopton of a new set of multple crtera as proposed by the ecoregonal concept, whch represents a wde range of terrestral, marne, and aquatc envronments. As part of ts terms of reference for montorng resources n the regon, the MBC s adoptng ths new approach of prorty ecoregons as a valuable and comprehensve strategy for consoldatng a great network of nterconnected protected areas to mantan the ecologcal processes. Lenín Corrales, a marne bologst, presented an analyss of the dfferent ecosystems represented n the MBC, takng nto Steve Gretznger of WWF Central Amerca dscussed forest certfcaton at a symposum regardng the Mesoamercan Bologcal Corrdor project Mushrooms. Chrrpó Natonal Park. Mountan forest n Central Amerca 2001 WWF Central Amerca 21

22 A C T I V I T I E S account those areas already declared as protected, the proposed protected areas and the connectng areas. Ths analyss examned the ecoregons and ther conservaton status, and found that 10 of these barely represent 10% of the system of protected areas n the regon. WWF advses the bologsts of the MBC on how to ncorporate nto the development plan for the Corrdor, the work that ths nternatonal organzaton has already carred out on the subject of ecoregons, partcularly wth regard to the use of up to date detaled maps. The Mesoamercan Socety for Bology and C o n s e rvaton (SMBC, Spansh acronym), of whch WWF s an actve member, s an ntatve created by a group of bologsts and ecologsts who met for the frst tme at Lake Yojoa, n Honduras, n J a n u a ry of Untl the year 2000, the SMBC operated as a de facto non-governmental organzaton. In 2001, t became a legally consttuted entty, an nternatonal organzaton wth branches n Panama, Costa Rca, Ncaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Belze, Guatemala, Mexco and the Unted States. Its msson s to promote the exchange of nformaton, the tranng of human resources, research and the dssemnaton of nformaton, at the serv c e of the bologcal and cultural conservaton of M e s o a m e r c a. The Sxth Congress of the SMBC wll be held n Costa Rca n September of Sandra Andraka WWF Central Amerca Phone (506) Fax (506) sandraka@wwfca.org Lake Arenal n Costa Rca 22

23 A C T I V I T I E S Mesoamerca and Span Network of envronmental journalsts By Cnthya Flores fty-seven journalsts from Mesoamerca and Span sgned a charter to form the Network of Envronmental Jo u r n a l s t s of Mesoamerca and Span wth the am of strengthenng meda coverage of mportant conservaton ssues. The agreement was sgned n the end of 2001 by representatves of leadng meda organzatons from Mexco, G u a t e m a l a, H o n d u r a s, El Salvador, Costa Rca, Ncaragua, Belze, Panama and Span, government press offcers and communcatons offcers from varous NGOs, such as WWF Central Amerca. They partcpated n the S e c o n d Conference of Envronmental Journalsts of Span and Mesoamerca, held n Panama Cty and organzed by the Mesoamercan Bologcal Corrdor. In the presence of the envronment mnsters of Central Amerca, the journalsts made a commtment to help prevent publc opnon from gnorng the causes of envronmental degradaton and also to promote changes that wll beneft future generatons. The envronment s the most senstve ssue n terms of contnuty, because f we do not follow necessary process to conserve our natural resources, we wll affect our own qualty of lfe, explaned Xomara Gómez, the mnster of Honduras, at the close of the meetng. For hs part, Guatemala s envronment mnster, Carlos Cáceres, sad, we cannot propose envronmental polces unless we have the support of socety n rescung democratc values, whch mples respect for the ecoregons but wthout forgettng about development. In the Panama Declaraton, the journalsts recognze that the envronment s a subject that s becomng a specalzed feld of nformaton, and t s therefore necessary to provde spaces for dscusson wth the support of specalzed organzatons lke WWF. The journalsts agreed to gve the network an organc structure, so that t wll be recognzed by nsttutons, organzatons and governments of the Ibero-Amercan regon. They also acknowledged the need to receve regular tranng n conservaton ssues. The frst meetng of journalsts was held n Guatemala n December of The thrd one s scheduled to take place n Span n 2002, where partcpants wll dscuss, analyze and draft the fnal document to consoldate the Network. Sandra Ramírez MBC Regonal Communcator Phones: (506) / sandra.ramrez@bomeso.net Partcpants at a meetng of envronmental journalsts vsted the Ngöbe ndgenous communty of La Glora n the Bocas del Toro regon, on the border between Costa Rca and Panama Slva García of Antena 3 Spansh TV and Vanessa Loaza of La Nacón, Costa Rca, form part of network of envronmental journalsts 2001 WWF Central Amerca 23

24 F R E S H W A T E R Payng for water servces: a vable opton n Costa Rca By Olman Segura and Vrgna Reyes oluntary agreements are an nnovatve mechansm that s transformng Costa Rca s forestry sector. Along wth the revenue generated by ecotoursm and forest management actvtes, especally n cloud forests, these allow farmers to ncrease ther annual ncomes and enable us all to mprove our qualty of lfe. The program Payment for Envronmental S e r v c e s ( P S A, Spansh acronym) was frst ntroduced n Costa Rca n 1996, as part of a hstorcal process that has been unfoldng n natonal forestry polces and s enshrned n Forestry Law No Envronmental servces are defned as those provded by forests and forest plantatons that have an effect on the protecton and mprovement of the envronment. Accordng to ths defnton, there are many types of envronmental servces. However, Costa Rca s Forestry Law contemplates only four: mtgaton of greenhouse gases; - protecton of water resources for use n urban and rural areas and for hydroelectrc power; - protecton of bodversty for conservaton, scentfc use, pharmaceutcal products, research, genetc mprovement and protecton of ecosystems and lfe forms; scenc beauty. The PSA s amed only at forests and prvate forest plantatons. The ndvduals and companes that have partcpated have done so under four modaltes: reforestaton, forest management, forest protecton and exstng plantatons that were more than four years old n Protectng the purty of freshwater s essental to guarantee a good qualty of lfe 24

25 F R E S H W A T E R Contracts for the payment of envronmental servces, sgned between prvate property owners and the Natonal Fund for Forestry Fnancng (FONAFIFO) the body that admnsters the PSA program- are vald for a fve-year perod. The benefcares of ths program nclude: Forest and forest plantaton owners 1 2 who receve fnancal compensaton for the servces they provde to socety. Groups of people and companes that beneft from the envronmental servces provded by forest cover. Three agreements sgned Three hydroelectrc companes have already establshed voluntary agreements - that are not legally bndng and do not nvolve state nterventon- to pay for the envronmental servce of water protecton. These companes compensate forest owners for the servces provded by ther forests n regulatng the amount of water over tme (regulaton of water flows) and the provson of better qualty water wth fewer sedments. 1. The frst agreement was sgned n 1997, between the Global Energy Company of Costa Rca, the Foundaton for the Development of the Central Volcanc Mountan Range (FUNDECOR) and the Mnstry of the Envronment and Energy (MINA E ). The company agreed to pay US$10 per hectare per year to FONAFIFO for an extendable perod of fve years. 2. The second agreement was sgned between Platanar and FUNDECOR n 1999 usng the same crtera as the prevous agreement, but the sum stpulated n the contract was US$30 for protecton servces, for a perod of 5 to 10 years. 3. In the thrd agreement, the Natonal Electrcty Company agreed to pay US$40 per hectare per year for a perod of ten years, for the protecton of the forest n watershed areas. A l t h o u g h electrcty generatng projects have not yet begun n these areas, there s an nterest n preventng an ncrease of s e d m e n t s. A growng awareness on the part of entrepreneurs n the hydroelectrc power sector of the benefts afforded by forest cover, and the establshment of voluntary agreements wth the prvate sector, have radcally changed the way n whch forests are vewed. As nnovatve nstruments of economc p o l cy, these programs for Payment of Envronmental Servces and voluntary agreements should also be promoted n other countres. It s worth followng the example of the Serra de las Mnas Bosphere Reserve n Guatemala where the Internatonal Center for Economc Polcy (CINPE), wth the partcpaton of WWF, envronmental groups and the prvate sector have launched an effort to develop a system of payment for the use of the water that comes from that reserve. Olman Segura Bonlla Drector of CINPE Natonal Unversty of Costa Rca Vrgna Reyes Researcher at CINPE Phone: (506) Fax: (506) cnpe@una.ac.cr Forests regulate water flow n rvers and prevent excessve buld-up of sedments Forests and plantatons provde envronmental servces that mprove the envronment 2001 WWF Central Amerca 25

26 O C E A N S A N D C O A S T S For the conservaton of the Mesoamercan Reef System By Ana Isabel Estrada The Mesoamercan reef system stretches for some 700 kms n ths era of globalzaton, the word allance, meanng a unon of ndvduals or groups that come together for the same end, s more than a just a concept. It s common practce. Based on ths prncple and wth the support of WWF Central Amerca and WWF US, several organzatons have joned forces to fnd ways of guaranteeng the long-term fnancal sustanablty of efforts to conserve the Mesoamercan Reef System (MRS). They nclude the Mexcan Nature Conservaton Fund, the Protected A r e a s Conservaton Trust of Belze, t h e Conservaton Trust Fund n Guatemala and the Bosphere Fund Foundaton of H o n d u r a s, wth the endorsement of the Network of Latn Amercan and Carbbean Envronment Funds (NetLAC). The Mesoamercan Reef System s the largest reef system n the Atlantc. It stretches for some 700 klometers, from the extreme north of the Yucatán Península n Mexco, down through the Belze Barrer Reef, the Carbbean coast of Guatemala and the sland complex of the Bahía Cochnos Cays adjacent to Honduras northern coast. 26

27 O C E A N S A N D C O A S T S Ths reef system s facng a number of threats. In terms of ther mpact at the ecoregonal level, and n order of mportance, these threats may be grouped n the followng categores: Threats: Loss of coastal habtat due to changes 1 n land use and napproprate coastal d e v e l o p m e n t, partcularly development assocated wth the expanson of toursm. Water polluton caused by sedmentat o n, n u t r e n t s, a g r o c h e m c a l s, u r b a n 2 and ndustral waste, and waste or splls from shppng. Unsustanable fshng practces that are 3 causng the loss of mportant marne speces of commercal value, destructon of coral reefs due to trawl fshng and the ncdental capture of other speces. Coral bleachng and coral dseases that 4 have resulted n the loss of large areas of reef throughout the Carbbean Sea. Storms and hurrcanes that are occurng more frequently, causng major 5 damage to the physcal structure of the reef. However, t s not just the reef system tself that s under threat, but also the assocated marne and coastal habtats. Therefore, t s a prorty to guarantee the long-term fnancng of efforts to protect the natural resources of the MRS. As follow-up to ths process, a workshop on the Constructon of an Ecoregonal Fnancng Mechansm for the Conservaton of the Mesoamercan Carbbean Reef System was held n Belze, n May of The workshop was attended by representatves of dfferent envronmental funds, as well as members of counterpart organzatons and donor groups, who partcpated n a dscusson forum to mplement a fund rasng strategy. The Ecoregonal Fnancng Mechansm, defned as a partnershp between envronment funds workng together on an ecoregonal conservaton plan, wll dentfy and support actvtes that contrbute to the protecton and ratonal management of the MRS. Slva Marín Program Offcer Mesoamercan Reef Project Phones: (506) / smarn@wwfca.org In Belze, WWF Central Amerca supports toursm practces that are congruent wth the protecton of the barrer reef 2001 WWF Central Amerca 27

28 O C E A N S A N D C O A S T S Mesoamercan Reef System Worthwhle fshermen exchange By Arturo Izureta Fshermen from Banco Chnchorro, Mexco, and Cayos Cochnos, Honduras, shared experences and nformaton n exchange of non-ndustral fshermen of two protected areas of the Mesoamercan Reef System was a worthwhle experence, to be repeated n the near future by WWF Central A m e r c a Fve fshermen from the Banco Chnchorro Bosphere Reserve of Mexco partcpated n an exchange of experences wth ther colleagues from the Cayos Cochnos Marne Park n Honduras. For eght days, the vstors were welcomed nto the homes of local people. Here they shared mportant experences, both n terms of fshng actvtes, and learnng about the way of lfe of Honduras Garífuna culture. The actvty was hosted by representatves from fve communtes n the Cayos Cochnos archpelago, wth the support of the Honduras Coral Reef Fund. The vst concluded n the communty of La Ceba wth a broad dscusson sesson and recommendatons, ncludng the followng: Fshng resources n Cayos Cochnos are lmted. The authortes must therefore pay urgent attenton and make a concerted effort to protect these resources. For ther part, non-ndustral fshermen must comply wth the regulatons. Fshng wth tanks should be banned snce t s most destructve and nvolves only a small number of fshermen. Moreover, ths type of fshng places fshermen s lves at rsk, snce t s conducted wthout the necessary techncal safety measures and n the absence of medcal attenton n case of accdents. Fshermen s groups n Cayos Cochnos should work to strengthen ther organzaton and realze that nvestment n tme and money wll yeld fruts, provdng there s a strong organzaton. Mechansms must be found to elmnate sales of the product through ntermedares. Instead, marketng should be undertaken drectly by fshermen s organzatons or cooperatves. Cayos Cochnos offers unque opportuntes for ecotoursm and local communtes should take advantage of these p o s s b l t e s. It s mportant to offer projects that nclude comprehensve tranng for fshermen nterested n workng n ths non-extractve source of employment. Government nsttutons have a duty to become nvolved and to provde greater support to ntatves by fshermen s organzatons of Cayos Cochnos. Slva Marín Program Offcer Mesoamercan Reef Project Phone (506) smarn@wwfca.org Mesoamercan fsherman 28

29 F O R E S T S A healthyfuture By Mark Aldrch hs artcle descrbes the sgnfcance of the target drven program approach for WWF s global forest team and for Central Amerca. Before outlnng the way forward, t s worthwhle to reflect where the Forests for Lfe (FFL) global program s today. At a meetng of forest offcers from around the world, held n Indonesa n 2001, WWF staff hghlghted the followng achevements made snce 1997: Increased staff: In 1997, there were close to 100 WWF people workng on forest ssues worldwde. In 2001, there are nearer 200. Ths sgnfcant (100%) ncrease n techncal capacty s coupled wth robust fnancal support. Improved structure: In addton to a central Forest Polcy Unt and a feld program nvolved n more than 300 projects worldwde, the FFL has also created a dynamc campagn team workng on three target actvtes (see forest targets). Rapd growth requred the global team to decentralse and focus by developng regonal forest teams, each of whch has a coordnator who partcpates n an executve commttee, the Core Forest Advsory Group (Steve Gretznger, WWF Central Amerca, s the Latn Amerca representatve). Approxmately 10.4% of forests worldwde are now n protected areas. However, not all forest types are adequately represented, and many are not yet effectvely managed. Tropcal ranforest n Central Amerca 2001 WWF Central Amerca 29

30 F O R E S T S For the past sx years, WWF s Forests for Lfe program has successfully used publc campagns and on-the ground actvtes to promote the protecton and sustanable use of forests around the world To November 2001, more than 200 forests n 50 countres for some 25 mllon hectares have been certfed by the Fo r e s t Stewardshp Councl (FSC). More than 20,000 products worldwde carry the FSC label. Whle these numbers are encouragng, WWF recognses the need to mprove certfcaton n terms of qualty and dversty, specfcally as related to ecologcal and geographcal representaton, o w n e r s h p arrangements and forest management r e g m e s. Target Drven Programs (TDP s) The experence of workng wth target drven actvtes, both n forests and the other 5 global prortes (freshwater, marne, speces, toxcs and clmate change) has been generally very postve. In a paper whch outlnes a future approach for W W F, The Future of C a m p a g n n g, Claude Martn (Drector General) and Chrs Hals (Program Drector) of WWF Internatonal state s n c e ts ncepton n 1995 the target drven actvty, c a m p a g n n g, concept has proven tself to be a successful conservaton delvery mech a n s m. The sx TDP s are the way n whch WWF bulds a target-drven or campagnng approach nto programmatc work, w t h approprate lnks to ecoregons. Forests targets W W F s global forest network has recently desgned new targets to buld on achevements to date and resolve outstandng probl e m s. The chosen consensus-based process, although lengthy and tme-consumng, s vtal to the success of the T D P. Dscusson of the new targets was a prmary objectve of the Indonesan meetng, whch resulted n three targets: By 2010, the establshment and mantenance of vable, representatve networks of protected areas n the world s threatened and most bologcally sgnfcant forest regons. By 2005, 100 mllon ha of certfed forests dstrbuted n a balanced manner among regons, forest types and land tenure regmes. Certfcaton and labellng shall be carred out under the FSC system. By 2005, at least 20 forest landscape restoraton ntatves underway n the w o r l d s threatened, deforested or degraded forest regons to enhance ecologcal ntegrty and human wellbeng It has also been proposed that the targets wll be complemented by actvtes and campagns on a number of key cross-cuttng ssues, whch wll nclude llegal loggng, forest converson, fres and the relatonshp between montane forests and freshwater. 30

31 F O R E S T S Opportuntes for Central Amerca The adopton of a target drven approach, combned wth an ambtous new target on Forest Landscape Restoraton offers the regon exctng new opportuntes and challenges. The sute of targets and cross-cuttng ssues allows a more ntegrated approach lnkng the themes of protect, manage and restore wthn a landscape scale. The pne Savannah forests of L a Mosquta and the dry tropcal forests of the Pacfc present unque opportuntes for lnkng restoraton to protecton and management actvtes. Protected areas such as the Serra de las M n a s and La T g r a are approprate for lnkng montane forests to freshwater usage. The ecoregonal complex of Ta l a m a n c a (Costa Rca and Panama) has been also dentfed as prortary for forest conservaton actvtes. Central A m e r c a s contnung role as home of FSC certfcaton n the tropcs, wth the notable dstncton of many certfed communty forests among a vast array of forest types, wll help WWF meet ts goal of dversfyng FSC certfcaton. Also a Mesoamercan and Carbbean FTN s organzed to provde equtable access to market benefts for certfed operatons, takng WWF Forest TDP to heart by ntatng the second FTN n the tropcs, and the frst wth a regonal focus. Intense campagnng s done to foster local demand for certfed wood. A poneer experence n Costa Rca convnced constructon frms and archtects, whch had any prevous knowledge of FSC certfcaton, to purchase certfed tmber from local producers. The ntatve wll be repeated n other countres such as Cuba and the Domncan Republc through the PROCAM project, supported by the regonal authortes C CAD and SICA as part of the Envronmental Management n the Mesoamercan Bologcal Corrdor. Funds from sources such as USAID and World Bank are also contrbutng wth the central Amercan forest TDP. In short, there are numerous opportuntes for lnkng WWF s global forest TDP s to Central Amerca. It s hoped that the Forests for Lfe TDP wll become a truly global program for Central Amerca engaged n a concerted and coordnated effort to acheve the ambtous goal of haltng and reversng the loss of forests and woodlands worldwde. Mark Aldrch Forest Offcer Coordnator Forest Informaton System (FIS) WWF Internatonal Phone: (Swtzerland) maldrch@wwfnt.org WWF works accordng to target drven programs (TDP s) that seek to ntegrate polcy and practce, gude efforts to rase funds and focus the actvtes of the world network on smlar ssues from Cuba to the Congo Sawmlls n Central Amerca are begnnng to recognze the mportance of processng tmber from sustanably managed forests 2001 WWF Central Amerca 31

32 F O R E S T S A processwthout fronters By Sandra Andraka Plannng n the ecoregonal complex of Talamanca s a process wthout poltcal borders, where montane, Atlantc and Pacfc forests defne the lmts The Talamanca ecoregon, consdered by WWF as one of 238 prorty areas, s vtal as a mgraton route for butterfles such as ths Morpho (Morpho Peledes) alamanca s between Costa Rca and Panama. The regon contans several unque ecosystems that shelter a great dversty of speces, many of them endemc. The landscape s composed by steep slopes that rse from sea level to alttudes of more than 3500 m. There are three ecoregons here: the montane forests and the forests of the Atlantc and Pacfc coasts of the sthmus. These forests consttute the ecoregonal complex of Talamanca. Ther boundares are not geopoltcal, but rather bo-geographcal. In ths sense, the ecoregonal complex s a vable unt for conservaton. Ths ecoregonal complex s vtal to mantan the functons of the Central Amercan sthmus, whch has served as a brdge for the mgraton of cultures, anmals and plants, as well as beng a pont of convergence for the fauna and flora of North and South Amerca. Due to ts unque bologcal and cultural c h a r a c t e r s t c s, several governmental and NGO s have dentfed the Talamanca complex as a prorty area for mplementng conservaton actons. WWF ncludes Talamanca among the 238 ecoregons and ecoregonal complexes of world mportance (known as Global 200). Ecoregonal Plannng As a frst step n ths conservaton ntatve, WWF Central Amerca conducted a reconnassance and a bologcal evaluaton n Talamanca. Then, n order to develop a plan of ecoregonal scope, t began a jont work process wth the followng organzatons: Mesoamercan Bologcal Corrdor, the Costa Rcan Mnstry of the Envronment, the Natonal Authorty for the Envronment of Panama, the Bologcal Corrdor of the Panamanan Atlantc coast, C o n s e r v a t o n 32

33 F O R E S T S Plot regon of the Talamanca ecoregonal complex Costa Rca-Panama border Plot regon Montane Forests of Talamanca Forests of Central Amerca s Pacfc Coast Forests of Central Amerca s Atlantc Coast Dry Forests of Central Amerca Seasonal Forests of Costa Rca Dry Forests of Panama Mangroves Internatonal, The Nature Conservancy, the Wldlfe Conservaton Socety and the CRUSA Foundaton. Two bnatonal workshops were organzed wth the partcpaton of experts from dfferent dscplnes, to acheve an ntegral vson of the dfferent ssues and anthropogenc processes that nteract wth bodversty. A stuaton analyss wll also be carred out to assess the ecoregon s needs, and evaluate the opportuntes and lmtatons for conservaton, n order to prepare an ecoregonal plan of acton for Talamanca. Sandra Andraka WWF Central Amerca Phone (506) sandraka@wwfca.org The man achevement of ths ntatve has been the wllngness of dfferent nsttutons to mplement and coordnate jont conservaton actons n the ecoregonal complex of Talamanca. The frst result has been the formaton of a work and follow-up group composed of the above-mentoned organzatons and WWF; and the sgnng of a letter of understandng for the exchange of nformaton. Ths process wll serve as a bass to develop a long-term strategy for bodversty conservaton n the area. The Scarlet Macaw has become a symbol of the Central Amercan regon 2001 WWF Central Amerca 33

34 F O R E S T S Better management, greater benefts By Steve Gretznger Sgn posted n Mexcan jungle: Forestry actvtes here sustan 200 famles...that s why we protect the forest. Let s prevent fres Sustanable use of our forests generates great benefts for socety and mples a shared commtment by all ts members he ntense forest fres of 1998 and 1999 left much of Central Amerca and Mexco reelng. Once the smoke ded d o w n, researchers examnng satellte magery notced nterestng patterns n the dstrbuton of these fres. In Northern Guatemala s Maya Bosphere Reserve (MBR), for example, the Serra Lacandona and Laguna del T g r e Natonal Parks had been severely burned, whle communty forestry concessons wthn the Reserve s Multple Use Zone had vrtually no fres. At frst glance, ths seems llogcal. After a l l, a r e n t natonal parks sacrosanct and afforded the tghtest protecton countres can offer? And wouldn t one expect forest concessons where communtes were actvely managng the forest (.e. cuttng trees to make money) to be more prone to fres due to ncreased human actvty? Ths artcle explans why ths apparent d s c r e p a n cy s actually qute logcal and explores how prudent forest use yelds drect conservaton benefts. Lessons learned WWF and ts Central Amercan partners are seeng more and more results smlar to the Guatemalan case mentoned above. The common Central Amercan experence s that forests stay forests when they provde tangble and often economc benefts. Protected areas that offer lttle concrete benefts to locals have a more dffcult tme stayng protected. Whle these statements are smplstc, they are also fundamental and true. People 34

35 F O R E S T S lvng n the tropcal forest fronter areas face the fewest economc optons, poorest health condtons and most mnmal governmental servces. Landless farmers from already deforested and overpopulated regons, often look at forests as no man s land avalable for agrculture. Bologsts and foresters know that much of the tropcal forest s unsutable for agrculture. The trends of cut, burn, plant, graze and abandon are evdence of ths, as people wth few economc optons strve to keep ther famles alve. urban dwellers of the regon (or the world) any less to blame for these occurrences? We use wood; eat corn, beans and beef; and drve cars. Seldom do we equate our daly actons and the consumpton of natural resources wth deforestaton and loss of bodversty. Yet, when t gets down to t, the daly actons and purchases of each one of u s, hghly educated urbante or solated rural dweller, are equally responsble for Longtme dwellers of the largest ntact forests n Mesoamerca, the Mosquta of Honduras and Ncaragua, and Guatemala s Petén, for example, mght not look wth favor upon outsders who mgrate to ther homes wth the ntent of farmng. But f the land techncally belongs to the government, or s unavalable to them for resource management, or f they smply sympathze wth the plght of the mmgrant, who can expect them to repel the newcomers? The debate s not scentfc; t s socoeconomc.and for the government and nternatonal organzatons, t s morally dffcult to tell one s landless kndred sprts that no, you can t touch ths vast stretch of unused forest to sustan your 5 chldren. Such people wll do, as would you or I, whatever necessary to mantan ther famles. For these reasons, the concept of protected areas whch provde no clear economc benefts to local dwellers lvng wthn or around the reserve s frequently not practcal n many Central Amercan countres. Shared responsblty So what can concerned ctzens do to resolve the above problem? We all deplore tales of llegal loggng n the Península de O s a of Costa Rca, ol drllng n Guatemala, and forest converson n the Río Plátano of Honduras. Yet are we, the In Central Amerca the natonal parks are very vulnerable to forest fres. Good management helps to prevent ths problem 2001 WWF Central Amerca 35

36 F O R E S T S tropcal deforestaton and related envronmental problems. In response to ths realty, WWF actvely strves to lnk sustanable resource use and management wth the marketplace. Th e clearest, most honest, and most drect message that we, as ndvduals, can gve s not our vote on electon day or our letter to the edtor, or a donaton to an envronmental o r g a n z a t o n. R a t h e r, our most powerful message s expressed by our purchases. Buy wsely As they say, Put your money where your mouth s and buy wood products that are certfed as comng from well-managed forests. Pay more for your use of water so that upstream landowners can manage the forest ecosystem properly to supply you wth ths vtal lqud. Buy organc cocoa, Better Bananas (the Ranforest Allance s agrcultural certfcaton system), and shade-grown coffee. Your dollar vote for these products wll provde economc ncentves to precsely the producers who would normally present the greatest threat to your favorte parks. Plans WWF s strongly supportve of such approaches and beleves that they are partcularly exctng tools n the panda s toolkt. The followng examples are offered to llustrate how WWF s usng these tools around the regon: The Mesoamercan FTN wll be developed through the Protected Areas and Envronmentally Sound Products Program respondng to the annual program statement of the Mesoamercan Bologcal Corrdor Ths program s under the umbrella of the regonal authorty CCAD of the Central Amercan Integraton System (SICA). The fundng comes prmarly from the Unted States Agency for Internatonal Development (USAID) other projects wll also contrbute wth the Mesoamercan FTN.. 2. Voluntary payment servces. WWF s workng wth a Costa Rca s local partner CINPE and wth Defensores de la N a t u r a l e z a, ndustry and local governments to develop a voluntary payment system n Guatemala whereby downstream users of water from cloud forests wthn the Serra de las Mnas Bosphere Reserve pay to help manage the rver. 3. E c o t o u r s m. Deep along the Mskto Coast of Ncaragua, WWF s workng wth USAID fundng as part of the PROCAM project to establsh communty-based ecotoursm as a vable economc alternatve. Developng toursm facltes, tranng locals and makng market lnkages are some of the ssues dscussed. Ths work s modeled on successful efforts n the Honduran M o s q u t a, where WWF has worked for years wth ts local partner MOPAWI wth Dutch-fundng n communtes such as Las Marías. It s not practcal to speak of protected areas when the famles who lve there, generally wth three or more chldren, do not receve tangble economc benefts 1. Forest and trade network. To foster a Central Amercan demand for certfed wood, WWF s carryng out workshops targetng hgh-end markets and wood-users such as archtects, constructon frms and procurement offcers n governmental agences. A recent event n Costa Rca was successful n lnkng constructon projects wth local producers engaged n FSC-certfcat o n. Smlar events are planned for G u a t e m a l a. Cuba and the Domncan Republc. Steve Gretznger Actng Representatve WWF Central Amerca Phone: (506) sgretzn@wwfca.org 36

37 T R A I N I N G WWF/OTS semnars Corrdor means n t e g r a t o n By Javer Mateo-Vega th techncal and fnancal support from WWF Central Amerca, the Organzaton for Tropcal Studes (OTS) every year organzes a seres of semnars on The Mesoamercan Bologcal Corrdor (MBC) to Conserve Lfe and Promote Development. The semnars are beng mplemented as part of the project called Tranng for the Consoldaton of the MBC. Four semnars are already done wth success. The ffth one s programmed for February 2002 and the partcpants wll be selected from the mass meda sector. The ntatve s sponsored jontly by the Central Amercan Commsson for the Envronment and Development (CCAD), the MBC regonal project, the Central Amercan Insttute for Legslatve Studes and the Federal Mnstry for Economc Cooperaton and Development of Germany (BMZ). The tranng ncludes feld trps to areas such as Costa Rca s northern zone, as well as lectures on bodversty conservaton, envronmental legslaton, communty partcpaton n development ssues and envronmental economcs. The partcpants are representatves of dfferent areas such as farmng and toursm. They have the chance to analyze the MBC ntatve, ts msson, objectves, mportance and ts achevements to date. It s mportant to note that the second semnar, held n March of 2001, was attended by deputes from all over Central Amerca, who sgned a declaraton enttled Our Commtment to the MBC. The document was sgned by the followng legslators from the regon: Salustano L z a m a, Davd Burgos (Belze); Jo s é Antono Fuentes, Rodmro Díaz, Rolando Streber (Honduras); Carlos Walter Guzmán, Norman Qujano, Juan Angel Alvarado (El Salvador); Carlos García, Armando López (Ncaragua); Rogelo Alba Flós (Panama), and Horaco Alvarado (Costa Rca). The legslators promsed to make the necessary efforts to support the management of the MBC, n each country and also at the regonal level, and to speed up the ratfcaton of nternatonal agreements on the envronment, and especally those related to the MBC. They also agreed to the followng: Consder the topc of the MBC as an nstrument wthn the Central A m e r c a n ntegraton process. Introduce a legal oblgaton to ncorporate bologcal and envronmental educaton n academc programs. P r o m o t e, by legslatve decree, t h e establshment of whatever protected areas are necessary to ensure the vablty of the MBC The deputes also recognzed the MBC as an nstrument of ntegraton that nvolves economc, socal, poltcal, cultural and envronmental aspects. Therefore, they agreed that t deserves to be supported, wth the ultmate am of mprovng the lvng standards of the regon s nhabtants. Javer Mateo-Vega Coordnator of the Envronmental Polcy Program Organzaton for Tropcal Studes (OTS) Phone: (506) Fax: (506) jmateo@ots.ac.cr Oscar Brenes Project Offcer WWF Central Amerca obrenes@wwfca.org Partcpants at tranng workshops vst La Selva Bologcal Staton n Puerto Vejo de Sarapquí, Costa Rca 2001 WWF Central Amerca 37

38 T R A I N I N G L e a d e r s h p for conserv a t o n By Cnthya Flores Partcpants attendng the ffth program of the WWF College, whch held the kck off workshop n Costa Rca from September 2-8, It was coordnated by Lnda Mansson, Jeroen Breman, Sandra ter Horst and Danelle van Alteren eaders from Zamba, S w t z e r l a n d, Chna, Pakstan, Colomba, the Unted States, Russa, Nepal and Japan, among other countres, experenced ther W W F College kck-off workshop n Costa Rca. The College s a WWF Internatonal program and part of the Learnng Servces of the Secretarat.The College tself s based n Zest, n the Netherlands. Partcpants enroll n an 18-month program desgned to upgrade sklls and competences n four large thematc areas: Leadershp and management Strategy and Plannng Campagnng and Advocacy Communcatons and Networkng The WWF College for Conservaton Leadershp s amed at potental leaders wthn the WWF network, as well as assocated or partner organzatons. The program begns wth one week faceto-face workshop called kck-off week, whch s organzed n dfferent countres. The learnng contnues on-lne through a vrtual campus wth dstance learnng modu l e s, and a further one-week workshop, called the follow-up week. On ths occason, the course took place n Costa Rca coordnated wth the support of WWF Central Amerca. Students had the opportunty to meet wth the organzaton s offcals, and to vst natural reserves such as La Marta Wldlfe Refuge. Among the nvted nstructors were Tony Hare, an expert n campagn management; and Gullermo Castlleja, vce-presdent of WWF for Latn Amerca and the Carbbean, who dscussed work based on ecoregons and on target drven programs (TDP s), the strategy adopted by WWF for workng around the world. Danelle van Alteren WWF College for Conservaton Leadershp, College Assstant dalteren@wwfnet.org 38

39 T R A I N I N G S u p p o r t for students ast year, , a course on Analyss and Desgn of Polces on Forestry and Natural Resources was mparted at the Unted Natons Unversty for Peace, w t h the fnancal support of WWF Central A m e r c a. For 17 days, students from Mozambque, Ta n z a n a, Ja p a n, G e r m a n y, E c u a d o r, Guatemala and Costa Rca studed topcs and actons amed at promotng nnovaton n forestry, such as certfcaton ntatves, strategc plannng and montorng of polc e s. part of the project Tranng and Insttutonal Strengthenng for Conservaton, whch s fnanced by the Swss A g e n cy for Development and Cooperaton (COSUDE). Ronne de Camno rcamno@upeace.org Course drector, Ronne de Camno, explaned that the students went on a feld trp to learn more about forest management actvtes n Costa Rca, a country renowned for ts nnovatve conservaton ntatves. Each year, WWF Central Amerca supports the organzaton of these actvtes as New publcaton Identfcaton of botancal nformaton gaps n Central Amerca t s a jont effort of WWF Central A m e r c a, the Botansts Network of Mesoamerca and the Carbbean, t h e Natonal Museum of Costa Rca, wth the contrbutons of numerous experts from the regon. As a contrbuton to conservaton, WWF Central Amerca sponsors publcatons, workshops, on-lne meetngs, scholarshps, lectures and courses, among other actvtes. Ths book analyzes the gaps n botancal nformaton n Central Amerca n terms of the geographcal, ecologcal and taxonomc knowledge, wth reference to the dfferent ecoregons. Spansh verson only. E d t o r s : Marela Bermúdez and Jo a q u í n Sánchez To acqure copes contact: WWF Central Amerca P.O. Box CATIE Turralba, Costa Rca nfo@wwfca.org 2001 WWF Central Amerca 39