Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
National Parks & Protected Areas
The national-park system began in the 1960s, and has since been expanded into a Sistema
Nacional de Areas de Conservación (Sinac; National Conservation Areas System) with an
astounding 186 protected areas, including 32 national parks, eight biological reserves, 13
forest reserves and 51 wildlife refuges. At least 10% of the land is strictly protected and
another 17% is included in various multiple-use preserves. Costa Rican authorities enjoy
their claim that more than 27% of the country has been set aside for conservation, but
multiple-use zones still allow farming, logging and other exploitation, so the environment
within them is not totally protected. The smallest number might be the most amazing of
all: Costa Rica's parks are safe haven to approximately 5% of the world's wildlife species.
In addition to the system of national preserves, there are hundreds of small, privately
owned lodges, reserves and
haciendas
(estates) that have been set up to protect the land.
Many belong to longtime Costa Rican expats who decided that this country was the last
stop in their journey along the 'gringo trail' in the 1970s and '80s. The abundance of
foreign-owned protected areas is a bit of a contentious issue with Ticos. Although these
are largely nonprofit organizations with keen interests in conservation, they are private and
often cost money to enter.
Although the national-park system appears glamorous on paper, national conservation
body Sinac still sees much work to be done. A report from several years ago amplified the
fact that much of the protected area is, in fact, at risk. The government doesn't own all of
this land - almost half of the areas are in private hands - and there isn't the budget to buy
it. Technically, the private lands are protected from development, but there have been re-
ports that many landowners are finding loopholes in the restrictions and selling or devel-
oping their properties, or taking bribes from poachers and illegal loggers in exchange for
access.
On the plus side is a project by Sinac that links national parks and reserves, private re-
serves and national forests into 13 conservation areas. This strategy has two major effects.
First, these 'megaparks' allow greater numbers of individual plants and animals to exist.
Second, the administration of the national parks is delegated to regional offices, allowing a
more individualized management approach. Each conservation area has regional and sub-
regional offices charged with providing effective education, enforcement, research and
management, although some regional offices play what appear to be only obscure bureau-
cratic roles.
