December - January 2003

New & Notable on www.eco-index.org: Dialogue, Trust Lead to Local Involvement in Corridor Conservation in Costa Rica

Project Name: Environmental Administration and Management of the Cerros de Jesús Biological Corridor Managing Organization, country: Fundación Cerros de Jesús, Costa Rica

Project director: Floribeth Venegas Soto

Synopsis: The Cerros de Jesús encompass approximately 8,000 acres (3200 hectares) in the Tempisque River watershed and comprise part of the area of influence of Barra Honda National Park on Nicoya Peninsula, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The Cerros de Jesús Foundation (FUNCEJE) is trying to reconcile local residents' needs to earn a decent living with ecosystem conservation within a biological corridor.

Annual budget and donors: $20,000 from Costa Rica's Environment and Energy Ministry; US Peace Corps; Fundación Café Forestal; and the Global Envi-ronment Facility/Small Grants Program of Costa Rica.

Lessons Learned: Dialogue and consensus-building have been effective tools for reconciliation among various stakeholder interests.

• Solidarity and altruism with local organizations have been a principle that builds trust in the population toward the initiative.
• National policies involving incentives and disincentives for landowners have been useful mechanisms for sound administration of resources on private property.
• Community environmental management should provide tangible assets to families so they are motivated to get involved.
• Use of legal tools like endowments and activities that strengthen local organizations financially and organizationally over the medium and long term are vitally important.

Contact:

Fundación Cerros de Jesús
Costado sur de la plaza nueva
La Mansión de Nicoya
Guanacaste, Costa Rica
tel/fax +506/659-1365
mibruma@costarricense.cr

Read more lessons learned and the complete project profile on the Eco-Index:
www.eco-index.org/search/results.cfm?ProjectID=381