A new guide to private conservation tools is now available as part of a project by Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental (the Peruvian Society of Environmental Law) to advance conservation of the Vilcabamba-Amboró conservation corridor in the Tropical Andes hotspot.
The manual, showcased at a special round table in January hosted by the National Institute of Natural Resources (INRENA), outlines private conservation tools available in Peru and the application steps. The manual and lessons learned from this experience in Peru could also prove valuable in Bolivia and other countries.
Principally the tools consist of:
- concessions for ecotourism, management of wildlife or non-timber products
- concessions for non-profit activities such as forestation and reforestation
- declaration of private conservation areas
- private management of natural protected areas
- ecological easements
Private conservation areas are aimed at landowners who want to limit the use of their land in order to support conservation for the future or who want to maintain the quality of the products they expect to obtain from the sustainable use of their property. The landowner agrees to self-imposed restrictions on the use of the land, but benefits from the positive public perception associated with this kind of conservation activity.
Private management is for NGOs in partnership with the government whereby the NGO acts as administrator of the protected area plan. The ecological easement is appropriate for those who wish to legally protect the land from other uses.
Recognizing the need for a wider understanding of private conservation tools to make the most of the legislation available, SPDA has worked closely with INRENA as part of this CEPF-supported project. INRENA is part of the Ministry of Agriculture, which oversees the management of Peru's protected areas and biodiversity.
“We need to encourage private landowners to use these tools to show that conservation use of the forests is a real alternative so we can discourage the other uses that cause deforestation and loss of biodiversity,” says Pedro Solano of SPDA.
Until recently the authorities have not actively promoted the concessions. One of the major results of a series of SPDA workshops attended by representatives of INRENA, private landowners, campesinos (agricultural workers), indigenous communities, local authorities, NGOs and tourism operators is that INRENA staff now have a greater understanding of the private conservation tools and can advise on and promote them.
Following the workshops, INRENA received more than 25 requests for accessing Concessions for Ecotourism and 13 for Concessions for Conservation.
Available in Spanish, the free manual can be obtained from SPDA at postmast@spda.org.pe.