Legislators approved in the second reading a bill that will give more human resources to the National Parks. With the reform, the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAX) will be able to receive support personnel hired by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for protected areas.
Currently, Costa Rica has 127 protected areas that cover more than 25% of the national territory. But there are a limited number of rangers and other resources.
The SINAC is authorized to sign cooperation agreements that allow the use, as a free contribution, of personnel hired by non-profit, non-governmental, conservationist organizations, to perform exclusively non-essential support functions of the System,”
states the first article of the project, which was discussed under file 20.039.
Wild Protected Areas (ASP) generate almost $24 million a year and represent the spearhead of Costa Rica’s positioning as a benchmark in environmental protection and attraction of green tourism. By law, more than a quarter of the national territory is under a protection regime.
During the past government and in previous ones, more resources were requested for the SINAC. A group of park rangers demonstrated against the administration of Luis Guillermo Solís.
The previous minister, Édgar Gutiérrez, admitted deficiencies and pointed out that the SINAC alone needs between 500 and 600 new vacancies. But he stressed that in his administration the IDB Tourism project was rescued, for $ 25 million that were not executed in the last government. The Inter-American Development Bank financed $19 million and $6 million from SINAC, municipalities and the Treasury.
The Legislative Plenary gave its approval, after some clashes and disagreements between José María Villalta from Frente Amplio, Paola Vega from the Citizen Action Party, and Carlos Ricardo Benavides from the National Liberation Party.