parks in peril site consolidation:

Parks in Peril Site Consolidation �

parksinperil siteconsolidation:

aframeworkforstrengtheningprotectedareasParksinPeril,InnovationsinConservationSeries,2007

Protectedareasarerecognizedasanintegralstrategyforprotectingearth’sbiodiversity.Protectedareasnowaccountformorethan12%oftheearth’ssurface(ofthis,lessthan1% aremarineprotected areas) (Chape 2003).Yet, it has been suggested that thedesign,comprehensivenessand,especiallythemanagementofmanyprotectedareasareinsufficienttoprotectfullythebiodiversityfoundwithinthemforthelongterm(CBD2004,Dudleyetal.2005,Ervin2006).

Toaddresstheweaknessesofprotectedareas,theprimarygoaloftheParksinPerilprogramhasbeentostrengthenlocalcapacitytomanageprotectedareasthroughoutLatinAmericaandtheCaribbeanthroughabroad-scalepartnershipwithTheNatureConservancy (TNC), the United States Agency for International Development(USAID),foreigngovernmentalorganizations,localnon-governmentalorganizations(NGOs),andlocalcommunities.Since1990,theParksinPerilprogramhassupported45protectedareasacross17countriesintheAmericas.

TheParks inPerilProgramstrengthensprotectedareas through theprocessof siteconsolidation,ortheprocessofbringingtogetheralltheresourcesnecessarytosupportlong-termbiodiversityconservationinspecificprotectedareas.Therefore,aconsolidatedsiteisaprotectedareawhichhasthetools,infrastructure,localconstituency,financingandpersonneltodealwithcurrentthreatsandmanagementchallenges,aswellasthecapacitytorespondtothreatsthatariseinthefuture(MartinandRieger2003).TheSiteConsolidationScorecardwasdevelopedasatooltohelpprotectedareapractitionersmanagetheprocessofsiteconsolidation.Itshouldbenotedthatthesiteconsolidationscorecardmeasurestheprogressofasiteasitacquirestheresourcesitneedstosupportconservation,butitdoesnotactuallymeasurethestatusofthreatreductionatasite.

This document provides an overview of theConvention on BiologicalDiversity’sProgrammeofWorkonProtectedAreas,outlinesthesiteconsolidationframework,anddrawsonexamplesandlessons learnedfromprotectedareassupportedbytheParksinPerilprogramtoillustratethisapproach.

1.ProgrammeofworkonprotectedareasTheConventiononBiologicalDiversity(CBD)notesthat“protectedareasareavitalcontributiontotheconservationoftheworld’snaturalandculturalresources”(CBD2007).Assuch,attheseventhmeetingoftheConferenceoftheParties(CoP7)totheConventiononBiologicalDiversity in2004,CBDdeveloped theProgrammeofWorkonProtectedAreas.TheoverallpurposeofthisambitiousProgrammeistosupport,by2010for terrestrialand2012 formarineareas, the “establishmentandmaintenanceofcomprehensive,effectivelymanaged,andecologicallyrepresentativenationalandregionalsystemsofprotectedareas”(CBD2004).

Lilo

Met

hfes

sel

in this issue...Programme of work on Protected Areas

Site Consolidation Framework

Strategic Planning

Basic Protection Activities

Long-term Financing

Site Constituency

Protected Area: An area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection

and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources,

and managed through legal or other effective means

(IUCN �994).

Mar

cio

Sztu

tman

� Parks in Peril Site Consolidation

In order to achieve this, CBD hasoutlined goals, targets and suggestedactivities, which fall into four maincategories(Dudleyetal.2005):

Directactionsforplanning,selecting,establishing,strengtheningandmanagingprotectedareasystemsandsites.Governance,participation,equityandbenefitsharing.Enablingactivities.Standards,assessmentandmonitoring.

The site consolidation frameworkreflects these categories and the globalconsensus on the critical elements thatmake protected areas effective andsustainable.Protectedareamanagerscanusethesiteconsolidationframeworkasastep-by-stepapproachforadvancingthegoalsoftheCBD’sProgrammeofWorkonProtectedAreas.

1.

2.

3.4.

2.Siteconsolidation frameworkThrough its history, the Parks in Perilprogram(PiP)hasdeterminedthattherearefourkeycategoriesorcomponentsthatmustbeaddressedinordertoeffectivelymanage and conserve protected areas.While the specific actions will differaccordingtothecontextoftheprotectedarea, the underlying premise of thefour components will remain the sameacrossavarietyofprotectedareas.Thesecomponentsarestrategicplanning,basicon-siteprotection, long-termfinancing,and a supportive local constituency(MartinandRieger2003).Withineachof these, there are several importantsub-components, or indicators, whichinclude protected area zoning, landtenure analysis, long-term financialplanningandpolicydevelopment,amongothers (see page 3). These categoriesandindicatorswillbeexplainedinmoredetailthroughoutthisdocument.

Recognizing that most establishedprotectedareasarealreadyimplementingmanagement actions, there is nospecific order of carrying out thesefour components. However, in general,strategicplanningshouldbecarriedoutat the initiation of a newly establishedprotected area, the start of a specificproject, or the beginning of a broad-

scale conservation intervention. Thiswillbetterdefinethescopeandgoalsofthemanagementactionsandensurethatsubsequentactions,suchasenvironmentalcommunication or specific policyinitiatives are in accordance with thegoalsof theproject.With this inmind,withinthisdocument,strategicplanningispresentedfirst.Theothercomponentsfollow in no specific order, but shouldbe implemented in coordination witheachother.

3.StrategicplanningThe first integral component of siteconsolidationisstrategicplanning.Long-term management consists of buildingthe analytic and strategic capacitynecessary for sustainable managementofprotectedareas.Thesiteconsolidationapproach to strengthening protectedareas management through strategicplanningincludes:

conductingathreatsanalysis

developingzoningplans

developing site-based long termmanagementplans

conducting scientific-informationneedsassessments,and

developing monitoring plans(MartinandRieger2003).

•••

•

•

Mar

k G

odfr

ey

The goals of the Programme of Work on protected areas which correspond to the steps of the Parks in Peril site consolidation approach can be found throughout this document, and are designated with this symbol


Site Consolidation Scorecard

To help protected area managers better organize and manage the site consolidation process, PiP developed an evaluation tool called the Site Consolidation Scorecard.

This tool helps managers monitor the progress protected areas are making towards consolidation over time and adjust management actions accordingly. The scorecard is most effective when used on an annual basis as a self-assessment tool by protected area managers (Martin and Rieger 2003).

This assessment is carried out at the start of the project, or intervention, in order to establish a baseline score. It is then applied on an annual basis to compare scores and to measure a protected area’s progress in bringing together the necessary resources for long term conservation.

To apply the site consolidation scorecard, protected area managers or teams evaluate each indicator and assign a score of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, with 5 being the best. While achieving “5s” in every category is ideal, as a general rule, a protected area that has achieved at least “4’s in all 17 indicators is considered consolidated. In some cases, the expected score may change based on changes to the context of the protected area.

For example, in the Amboro National Park in Bolivia, recent changes at the national government level have affected the activities related to land acquisition in the park’s buffer zone. As a result, the PiP project team has adjustmented the expected scores and objectives for this specific indicator (TNC 2007).

The generic score levels are summarized below. For a site to be considered consolidated, it must reach a level 4 or 5 in all indicators.

5 Excellent (proper management of the protected area ensured)

4Adequate (protected area is adequately managed for the most critical threats and highest priority conservation targets)

3 Progress made (protected area becoming adequately managed, but isn’t yet)

2Work begun (little actual progress towards adequate management of the protected area)

1 No work has been done (protected area not being managed)

Site Consolidation Categories & Indicators

The Parks in Peril Program (PiP) has identified four essential components, or categories that are critical for effectively conserving protected areas: strategic planning; basic on-site protection; long-term financing; and a supportive local constituency. Within the four basic categories, there are 17 indicators with which to measure site consolidation.

Categories Indicators

Strategic Planning

1. Threats analysis for the protected area

2. Project area zoning

3. Site-based long-term management plan

4. Science and information needs assessment

5. Monitoring plan development and implementation

Basic Protection Activities

1. Physical infrastructure for the protected area

2. On-site personnel

3. Training plan for on-site personnel

4. Land tenure issues within the protected area

5. Official declaration of protected area status

Financing 1. Long-term financial plan for the protected area

Site Constituency

1. Broad-based management committee/technical advisory committee for protected area

2. Community involvement in sustainable resource use in the protected area

3. Stakeholder and constituency support for protected area

4. Policy agenda development at national/regional/local levels for protected area

5. Environmental communication and education plans for the protected area

6. Institutional leadership for protected area

For a complete guide on using the site consolidation scorecard, please refer to Measuring Success: The Parks in Peril Site Consolidation Scorecard Manual on parksinperil.org.

4 Parks in Peril Site Consolidation

3.1 Threats analysis

Programme of Work on Protected Areas Goal 1.5:

To prevent and mitigate the negative impacts of key threats to protected areas (CBD 2004).

For a site to be considered consolidated, the threats to its conservation must have been identified and prioritized, and management strategies developed to address specific, priority conservation threats.

Asystematicthreatanalysisisonethatidentifiesthreatstoasite’sconservation,pinpointstheirorigins,andproposesstrategiesforovercomingthem.Itisanessential management tool for conservation of a protected area. A threatsanalysisestablishesprioritiesformanagementactivityandhelpsdirectlimitedresourcestoactionsofgreaterconservationimpact.

TNC’sConservationActionPlanning(CAP)methodologyisacomprehensivetoolforidentifyingconservationtargetsandthreatsanddevelopingabatementstrategies and monitoring indicators (Dudley et al. 2005). The CAPmethodologycanbefoundonwww.conserveonline.org/workspaces/cap.

ProtectedareamanagersandlocalstakeholdersinCockpitCountry,Jamaica(PiP2001–2007)usedthecollaborativeCAPmethodologyoverthecourseofthreeyearsto identifybauxitemining,forestconversion, invasivespecies,solid-waste disposal, incompatible agricultural practices, and hunting andcollecting as the top threats affecting the conservation targets in the area(JohnandNewman2006).Thisanalysisallowedtheprojectteamtodeveloptargeted conservation objectives such as “Within five years, measurablyreducethethreatof invasivespeciesonthehealthoftheCockpitCountry.”Conservation strategies were then developed in order to achieve this goal,including, “Develop detailed data on the distribution and impacts ofmajorinvasivespecies(e.g.,bamboo,Asianfern,Americancockroach,shinycowbird,etc.)onCockpitCountrybiodiversityanddevelopprioritiesforcontroland/oreradication”(JohnandNewman2006).

Itisimportanttonotethatmanyprotectedareasarecurrentlyvulnerabletolarge-scalethreatsthathavetheirorigins innationalpolicies.AsBrandonetal.(1998:404)notes,“thepolicycontextcantakemanyforms,suchasweakgovernmentinstitutions,conflictinggovernmentpolicies,andchangesinlawsregardingtenure;anditistheareawhereparkmanagementagenciesfeeltheyhavetheleastcontrol.”Inmanycases,lackofacommitmenttoenforceexistingenvironmentalregulations isadefactopolicythatmustbeaddressedinthethreatsanalysis(Brandonetal.1998,MartinandRieger2003).

Strategic planning – innovative examples

In the Lake Atitlán Watershed Multiple Use Protected Area (PiP 2001 – 2007) in Guatemala, the project team adapted the CAP methodology to include cultural conservation targets, in addition to ecological targets. For example, indigenous sacred sites were incorporated as a conservation target for the Conservation Action Plan and subsequent long-term management plan. Incorporating cultural targets as well as ecological targets allowed for a more holistic approach to protected areas planning and management and increased the participation and buy-in of local stakeholders. See CAP publications on www.parksinperil.org for more information.

In the Grenadines island chain, which consists of the countries of Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (PiP 2001 – 2007), strategic planning was done at the site, national and regional levels. Planning at multiple scales produced a hierarchical, or nested structure of conservation targets and goals. This allowed the protected areas project team to ensure that conservation actions at all levels were synchronized and compatible. In addition, the Grenadines PiP site has been able to influence policy and leverage actions beyond the limits of this island chain. The success of this planning process facilitated the expansion of the scope of the conservation action throughout the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

Conservation Targets: A limited suite of species, communities and ecological systems that are chosen to represent and encompass the full array of biodiversity found in a project area. They are the basis for setting goals, carrying out conservation actions, and measuring conservation effectiveness. May also be called Focal Conservation Targets (TNC 2007).

Ani

ta S

chill

er


3.2 Protected area zoning

A consolidated protected area will have clearly defined zones that have emerged from a participatory process. In addition, actual land uses in the consolidated site will conform to the described uses in critical zones of the area.

While the management category of aprotected area largely determines thedifferenttypesandintensitiesofresourceuse allowed, many protected areas arealso further subdivided into zonesaccordingtotheirspecificuse.Zoningisa key protected areasmanagement toolasitallowsfordifferentkindsofusesindifferent areas. For example, protectedareas based on the United NationsEducational, Scientific and CulturalOrganization (UNESCO) biospherereserve concept are customarily dividedintooff-limits corezones andmultiple-usebufferzones.Sincethelivelihoodsofpeoplelivinginbufferzonesareaffectedbytheboundariesandrestrictionsofthesedifferentzones,aparticipatoryprocessiscritical to facilitate the development ofresource use standards governing eachzone and generally conforming to landuse(MartinandRieger2003).

Itisimportanttonotethatparticipatoryprocesses for designing zoning andmanagement plans can greatly facilitatefuture management of the site bycreating stakeholder buy-in from theoutset. However, these processes needto be skillfullymanaged; a participatoryprocess gone awry, where stakeholderexpectations are not met, can causerifts between protected area managersand local stakeholder groups, whichundermines long-term management(MartinandRieger2003).

In the Rio Platano Biosphere Reservein Honduras (PiP 1998 – 2001), theBiosphereReservewasdividedintothreemajor zones, which correspond to theIUCNnormsaswellastheecologicalandculturalcharacteristicsoftheregion(AFE2000).Thenuclearzonecorrespondsto

anareathatispracticallyuninhabitedandfunctionstoprotectthebiodiversityoftheareainitsnaturalstate.Thebufferzoneispopulatedbyrelativelyrecentlyestablishedmestizofarmers,andtheculturalzoneispopulatedbymainly indigenous peoples,including Miskita, Garifuna, Pech andTawaka.Utilizingaparticipatoryprocess,these three zones were further dividedby those living in the region into sub-zones, including a multiple use zone,riparian buffer zone, and an extensiveusezone.Thesesub-zonescorrespondedlargely to existing landusenorms (AFE2000).Thelocalpopulationsalsocreated“specialusezones”withinthesub-zonesto designate important areas in need ofspecialmanagement,suchassacredsites,fishing areas, community forest areas,wildlife refuges and archeological sites(AFE2000).

3.3 Site-based long-term management plan


To substantially improve site-based protected area planning and management (CBD 2004).

To be considered consolidated, a protected area should have a management plan that describes and justifies a protection strategy extending at least five years into the future.

Amanagementplanisanexplicitstrategyfor conserving a particular protectedarea into the future. Many types ofmanagementplansexist, andoftentimesresource management agencies have anofficial management plan format. Thechallengeofmanagementplanning is toensurethatthedevelopedplanservesasaneffectivemanagementtooltoguidetheactionsofnotonlytheparkmanagementauthority, but also other stakeholdergroups, and for an extended period oftime,suchasfiveyears.

Official approval of amanagementplanmighttakemonthsoryearsaftertheplan’sfinaldraft.Inmanycases,theprocessofdeveloping the management plan, andthecollaborativerelationshipsthatresult,aremore important than thedocumentitself.A commitment to continue thoseprocesses,implementtheplan’sstrategies,and revisit the plan frequently is whatsupports effective conservation (MartinandRieger2003).

The CAP methodology is also usefultool for defining and prioritizing keystrategies and components of a long-term management plan. The CAPmethodology is a “collaborative andstructured approach to conservationplanning, which uses the principleof adaptive management to developsuccessfulconservationstrategies”(Johnand Newman 2006). This planningmethodologymaybeadaptedtodifferentscalesandmanagementcategoriesandalsoto incorporate key cultural factors suchas archeological sites, or recommendedmethods of production such as shade-grown coffee in private reserves. FormoreinformationaboutCAP,visitwww.conserveonline.org/workspaces/cap.

IntheLakeAtitlánWatershedMultipleUseProtectedArea(PiP2001–2007),the PiP project team carried out aparticipatory CAP process at the startof the project. This process not onlydeterminedthekeyconservationtargetsand their threats, but it also served tounite diverse stakeholders around acommonconservation vision.AccordingtoAlex Salazar,Ministry ofAgricultureCoordinator for the Department ofSololá, Guatemala, over the course ofa year of stakeholder workshops, thestrategic planning process united all ofthefragmenteddevelopmentplansoftheareaintoasinglesustainabledevelopmentplan. Because of the participation ofkey stakeholders, including municipalrepresentatives, community members,national government representatives,and NGOs, the resulting plan tookinto account the interests of eachrepresentativeentity.Thiscreatedasenseof ownership and accountability for the


plan, which enabled it to become theguidingmanagementplanforsustainabledevelopmentintheregionandtoliveonbeyondthefiveyearsofthePiPproject(A.Salazar2006,personalcommunication).

3.4 Science and information needs assessment

At a consolidated site, both conservation targets and the science and information needs required for effective management have been systematically identified, and contacts and actions have been initiated with appropriate organizations capable of addressing those needs.

Managementofprotectedareasshouldbebasedon thebest scientific informationavailable. However at times, sufficientinformation is not available. Since thepossibilities for conducting scientificresearch in the biologically diverseprotectedareasofLatinAmericaandtheCaribbeanarevirtuallylimitless,scienceandresearchneedsmustbeprioritizedsothatresearchfocusesonwhatprotectedareamanagersgenuinelyneedtoknow.Afirstneedatallsitesistheidentificationofasite’sconservationtargets,orvulnerablespeciesandnaturalcommunities(MartinandRieger2003).

Theremaybeopportunitiesforpartneringwithuniversitiesandscientificinstitutionstoshoreupscienceadvancementsatsites.Cultivatinglong-termrelationshipswiththese partners can also contribute tolong-termbiophysicalmonitoringatthe

siteandthisdatacanbeusedtoinformadaptive management in future years(MartinandRieger2003).

For example, in the Motagua-Polochicregion(PiP2001-2007)ofGuatemala,the project sponsored a local NGO,Zootropic, to conduct research on thepopulation status, reproductivebehaviorandhomerangeoftheHeloderma horridum charlesbogerti, a beaded lizard which isa close relative of the Gila Monster ofthe Southwestern United States. Thesestudies determined that this species isentirelyrestrictedtotheMotaguaRiverthorn scrub and is in critical condition,withlessthan175individualsremainingin the population. As a result of thisstudy, the beaded lizard was considereda conservation target and conservationstrategies have been developed andimplemented to mitigate the threatof extinction for this species (TNC2006a).

3.5 Monitoring plan development and implementation


To evaluate and improve the effectiveness of protected areas management (CBD 2004).

To be considered consolidated, a protected area should have a completed monitoring plan that is being implemented so that priority biodiversity targets and critical threats are being monitored.

Effective monitoring tracks the impactthatthreatshaveonconservationtargetsand, thus, enables site managers tomeasuretheeffectivenessofmanagementactions. Different types of monitoringcan be carried out at a protected area.Monitoring can focus on conservation

targetssuchaspopulationsofvulnerablespecies and natural communities orthreats to those targets such as landconversion.Forthepurposesofachievingconsolidation, monitoring should focusonthosepriorityconservationtargetsorthreats to priority conservation targetsthathavebeen identifiedandranked inthethreatsanalysisprocess.

Monitoring should track major threatsasdirectlyaspossible,choosingvariablesand monitoring techniques that arewithin the means of protected areamanagers or support groups to trackcontinuallyandatarelativelylowcost.Itisimportantsetasidesufficientfundingfor carrying out monitoring activities.Once variables are identified, initialdata-collectionisrequiredtoestablishabaselineagainstwhichfuturedatacanbecompared(MartinandRieger2003).

To be considered consolidated, a siteshouldbemonitoringtheprincipalthreatstoitsconservationtargets.Forexample,in the Condor Biosphere Reserve siteinEcuador(PiP2001–2007),thePiPproject team is monitoring the impactof threats and conservation actions onone of the site’s conservation targets,the Andean Spectacled Bear,Tremarctos ornatus. To this end, one of the PiPprojectteam’sconservationobjectivesisthatbySeptember30,2007,thedeathsorremovalofAndeanbearsarereducedby50%duetoconflictwithcattle-grazingin their natural habitat, especially inOyacachi,Cuyuja andCosanga.As oneoftheactivitiesofthisobjective,aBearCompensation Fund was established inOyacachitocompensatecattle-ownersforcattlekilledbybearsasawaytodecreaseconflicts with the local community.Protectedareamanagersaremonitoringthenumberofdeathsandrelocationsofproblembears,andusingthisinformationto evaluate whether their managementactions are minimizing these types ofnegative interactions, and therefore arecontributing to the conservation of theAndeanbear(TNC2006b).


To ensure that scientific knowledge contributes to the establishment and effectiveness of protected areas and protected areas systems (CBD 2004)


4.Basicprotection activitiesBasic on-site protection activities consist of thosewhich build and strengthen the logistic capacity tomanageprotectedareasincluding:

Physicalinfrastructure

On-sitepersonnel

Trainingofpersonnel

Resolutionoflandtenureissues

Officialdeclarationofprotectedareastatus

4.1 Physical infrastructure

At least the basic necessary infrastructure to address the most critical threats must be in place for a site to be considered consolidated.

Physicalinfrastructurereferstoonsiteimprovements(i.e.rangerstations,radiosystems,vehicles,boundarydemarcationandmanagement-relatedsigns,roadandtrail systems)necessary foreffectivemanagementofa protected area. It is important for site managersto determine the specific infrastructure needs ofsites in light of the overall requirements for basicmanagement.

BeforetheParksinPeril(PIP)programbeganactivitiesin1992,theareathatisnowprotectedasMbaracayúReserve(PiP1992–1997)wasat thecenterof thelargest continuous tract of interior atlantic forestremaininginParaguay.Howeveritwasunderprivateownership and threatened by uncontrolled loggingandconversiontopasture.Poachingandillegaltimbercuttingwerecommon,andtheareawasindangerofexpropriationbythegovernmentanddistributionasfarmland.PIPworkedwithFundaciónMoisésBertoni(FMB)toraisefundingforitspurchase.Atthetimeofpurchasetheboundarylinesofthereservehadnotbeenadequatelydemarcatedandthestaffaccommodationsweredeteriorating.Toremedythis,FMBimmediatelyrecruited,equipped,andtrained13parkguardsfromthelocalcommunitiesandconstructedguardstationsand visitor facilities. In addition, FMB demarcatedall the boundaries of the reserve. In 2000, TheMbaracayú Reserve was declared a United NationsBiosphereReserveandhasbeenrecognizednationallyandinternationallyasanimportantandwell-managedprotectedarea(FMB2007).

•••••

case1Comprehensive protection program in Amboro-Carrasco National Parks, Bolivia

Rising from 951 to 14,899 feet, the neighboring Amboró and Carrasco National Parks lie at the crook of the “Andes Elbow” where the Andes mountains meet the Amazon and form deep canyons. Amboró-Carrasco is a “natural island” in the midst of human activity: the parks lie between Andean settlements in the south, expanding agricultural lands to the north, and close to two million people between the cities of Cochabamba in the east and Santa Cruz in the west.

Through the protection program supported by Parks in Peril, the Amboro-Carrasco Conservation Unit achieved a number of accomplishments: illegal incursions into the park were reduced, park boundaries were consolidated, strengthened administrative and legal disincentives for incursions were strengthened, and a larger protection force was hired to guarantee long-term biodiversity conservation at the site.

To launch the protection program, the park administration, park guards, municipal governments, Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza (FAN) and established communities adjacent to the park defined the nature and scope of relevant protection issues. Once a thorough understanding of protection issues was in place, the protection program underwent a slow metamorphosis in order to change public perception of the park guards from one of “police guards” to one of “extension officers.” Crucial in this process was linking park guard activities with technical follow through in terms of monitoring, small-scale productive ventures, environmental education and communication activities that provided a venue for park guards to reach out to the communities in a non-threatening manner and begin to establish long-term working relations.

The protection program also succeeded in rapidly responding to infractions. Rapid response was made possible through funding by PiP for emergency fuel to mobilize park guards. PiP also provided uniforms and equipment (e.g., backpacks, GPS units, cameras, binoculars, motorbikes, bicycles, radios and other communication equipment, etc.) which allowed park guards to operate as a unit and obtain hard evidence required for prosecuting illegal activity. In addition, park guard reports were taken seriously and systematically by competent legal counsel to ensure follow through on illegal incursions, thus closing a legal loophole which had remained open in the past.

According to Gil Moye, Technical Coordinator of FAN,“PiP contributed to strengthening local participation, achieving effective municipal participation, and it helped improve the park guards’ technical capacity and working conditions.”

Source: Amboro and Carrasco National Parks, Bolivia: Parks in Peril End-of-Project Report, TNC, 2007, available on www.parksinperil.org.

Her

nand

o C

abra

l


4.2 On-site personnel

To be considered consolidated, a protected area should have the physical presence of sufficient on-site personnel in the right positions to carry out basic management activities, abate the most pressing threats, and carry out appropriate conservation activities.

The on-site presence of protected areastaff isgenerallyessentialtotheeffectivemanagementofaprotectedarea.Personnelshouldbeadequateformanagementbothin termsofnumber,butalso in termsofthe positions they occupy, and with thetraining and experience to achieve theperformance objectives. Staffing needsshould be developed according to amanagementplan,aConservationActionPlan, or another threats-based analysisof personnel needs. The financial planfor the area should identify sustainablefunding sources to pay for personnelcostsandotherbasicmanagementcostsafterconsolidation(TNC2007).

The Condor Biosphere Reserve inEcuador(PiP2001-2007)hasasystemofvolunteerparkguardselectedfromlocalcommunitiesaswellasregularpaidparkguards.Thevoluntaryparkguardsreceivetraining, equipment and identificationlikethepaidparkguardsandareassignedto work in locations close to theircommunities.Asaresultofthepresenceof the community park guards, whichincludes both salaried and voluntarypark guards, forest fires, overgrazingand uncontrolled tourism have all beensubstantially reduced (González, A.M.andA.S.Martin2007c).Foradditionalinformation on park guards, see Park Guards in the Conservation of Protected Areas onwww.parksinperil.org.

4.3 Training


To build capacity for the planning, establishment and management of protected areas (CBD 2004).

At a consolidated site, the specific training needs of on-site personnel have been identified and described in a training plan, and some training to fulfill these needs is being provided.

The presence of on-site personnelat a protected area is not sufficientin and of itself. Protected area staffshould alsohave the skillsnecessary forcarrying out their on-site managementresponsibilities.Whilemostsitesprovidesometrainingfortheirstaff,thepremiseof this indicator is that training mustbe systematically provided to personnelbasedonananalysisoftheskillsneededfor each one to function effectively. Asystematictrainingplanshouldrespond,besidestotheevolvingneedsofexistingstaff, to new staff ’s needs.The trainingplanshouldbedevelopedinconjunctionwith Conservation Action Planning oranothermanagementplan.

The experience of PiP has shownthat there is a tendency on the part ofprotected area managers to neglect tostrategically consider training needs.For example, managers may send staffto training events just because thetraining events have become available,or theymay decide which staff to sendfor training events as a reward for anunrelated reason, instead of linkingindividual and organizational trainingneeds with appropriate opportunities.Stafftrainingshouldrespondtothesuiteofskillsnecessaryformanagementoftheprotectedarea.

In the case of volunteer park guards,trainingmay serve both as an incentiveforrecruitingvolunteerguards,aswellasservingtomeetthestrategicandessentialneeds of the protected area (González,andMartin2007c).

case2Volunteer youth corps in Jaragua, Dominican Republic

Located in the southwestern end of the Dominican Republic, Jaragua National Park is the largest protected area in the country. From 1990 to 1994, PiP supported the consolidation of this park, as a critical natural area in urgent need of protection.

A group of 30 volunteer park guards was established for this purpose through partner Sociedad Ecológica Oviedo. Some are students, and the average age is 25. PiP helped provide training so they could effec tively manage and conserve the park. In addition to lowering the costs of patrolling this extensive area, the volunteers have also served as a link with the local community and a means of engaging fishermen, teach ers, housewives, bird watchers and community leaders from the Oviedo municipality and El Cajuil community in protection efforts. In addition, the volunteers have carried out educational campaigns at the schools, offer guided tours on land and by boat in the Oviedo Lagoon, and assist with scientific research in the zone.

Source: Park Guards in the Conservation of Protected Areas, Gonzalez and Martin, 2007, available on www.parksinperil.org.

TNC

Parks in Peril Site Consolidation 9

4.4 Land tenure issues

At a consolidated site, managers will have and use the land tenure information that facilitates taking management actions in critical areas of the site as identified in a Conservation Action Plan or management plan.

Goodlandtenureinformationiscriticaltoeffectiveprotectedareamanagement.Brandon et al. (1998) inParks inPeril:People, Politics, and Protected Areasdescribes the concept of land tenure:“Tenure is the form of rights or titleunder which property is held andthat determines how an individual orgroupmayuse, share, sell, lease, inherit,or otherwise control property andresources.” Tenure is most commonlyusedtodescribeland,butthesystemsofrightsandrulesthatmakeuptenurealsoapplytonaturalresources,suchaswater,trees, and wildlife. Tenure regimes andcustomary practices vary dramaticallyamongcountriesanddifferentgroupsofusers.Understandingwhatistraditional,whatislegal,andwhatareactualusesofland and resources isnecessary; all havean impact on biodiversity conservation(Brandonetal.1998:381).InNicaragua,indigenouscommunities in theBosawasBiosphere Reserve received communallandtitlesafteryearsofnegotiation.Seecase3foranexplanationoftheprocess.

Reliablelandtenureinformationisoftendifficulttoobtainandinthosesituations,site managers need to determine

which tenure information is critical tomanagement efforts. At a minimum, amap shouldbedeveloped todistinguishbetweendifferenttypesofprivate,publicandcommunallandholdingsbothwithinandadjacent to theprotectedarea. It isalsohelpfultomaintainrecordsofothertenure-relateddata,suchasresource-useconcessions, title histories, and contactnames for largeprivatelyorcommunallyheldlands.Genderissuesareoftencriticalin understanding tenure within bothtraditional and legal systems (e.g., thelegalrightsaffordedordeniedtofemale-headedhouseholdsindifferentcountries).Ideally,landtenureinformationshouldbebasedonthemostrecentofficialsources,verifiedontheground,andpresentedinanaccessibleway(i.e.,amap).

Unresolvedtenureissuesaddtothesocialand political complexity of protectedarea management, affecting advances inother site consolidation indicators, suchas reserve zoning and the developmentof a site-based long-term managementplan(Brandon1998,MartinandRieger2003).However, in thecaseofChagresNational Park in Panama (PiP 2001-2007),becauseofhistorical landtenureconflicts surrounding the declarationof the protected area, the project teamwaited until the management plan wascompleted before carrying out a landtenureanalysis.Thisallowedtheteamtocompiletechnicaldatawhichwasusedtomount a strategic process for acquiringthe land tenure information (Gonzálezand Martin 2007f ). For additionalinformation on land tenure issues inprotectedareas,seeLand Tenure in Protected Areas,foundonwww.parksinperil.org.

4.5 Official declaration of protected area status

At consolidated sites, managers and support groups will have done everything in their power to obtain a strong, accurate, legally binding decree.

An official decree is generally afundamental part of long-term securityat an official protected area. Somedecrees suffer from inaccuracies andlack of precision that undermine theiruse as a policy tool to protect an area.Whatconstitutesthecorrectboundariesof a protected area is often amatter ofinterpretation. Some decrees demarcatepolygonsthatdonotcloseorthatdonotaccurately reflect the geographic areaneedingprotection.Atconsolidatedsites,protected areamanagers will have doneeverything in their power to obtain alegallybindingdecree.

Official declaration of a protectedareamaynot be appropriate in all sites,nor will the declaration always be fora public protected area. For example,in Guatemala, the PiP program hasworkedwithprivatelandownerstocreateprivate nature reserves and municipalgovernments to create municipal-owned and managed protected areas.While not public protected areas, theseother categories of protected areas areofficially recognized by the government.Eachmunicipalorprivateprotectedareacan elect to be officially recognized bythe government and inscribed into thenationalsystemofprotectedareas

Hug

o A

rnal

Her

nand

o C

abra

l

�0 Parks in Peril Site Consolidation

case3Land tenure in Bosawas Biosphere Reserve, Nicaragua Covering almost 7% of Nicaraguan territory, the Bosawás Biosphere Reserve (PiP 2001 – 2007) is one of the most extensive and intact tropical rainforest ecosystems in Central America. Its name comes from combining the first letters of the geographical sites that serve as reference for its limits: BOcay River, SAslaya Mountain and WASpuk River. Originally, the reserve was to be managed by the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources. This protected area was created in 1991 in response to an emergency (the land was about to be handed over as mining and forestry concessions), and there was essentially no local consultation due to the crisis. Indigenous populations viewed this as an act of hostility, considering that their historical rights over the land had been ignored. The regional government also felt its rights were being violated by the federal government’s decision (Stocks 1996).

The Miskito and Mayangna communities have lived in these territories for centuries, maintaining practices of sustainable natural resource use. Many of them left to escape the violence of the Sandinista Revolution, but have returned since 1991 (Stocks 1996). They share the territory with campesinos migrating in search of productive lands. Expansion of the agricultural frontier constitutes the main threat to the reserve’s conservation, facilitated in part by unclear land tenure. For example, on the average indigenous people clear less than 5% of the land for productive livelihood activities, versus 50% by campesinos, who then claim property rights on the basis of these “improvements” to the land (Luz 1997).

Funded by USAID, TNC began tackling this situation in 1993 by supporting the formation and demarcation of the indigenous territories, representing around two-thirds of the reserve’s total area. The restoration of indigenous territorial rights became a point of common interest for those involved, the ultimate end for indigenous peoples, and a means of conservation for TNC (Stocks 1996). In a participatory process lasting several months, community maps were made to document existing land use patterns and zones in the territory, and agreement was reached on management regulations. Groups of indigenous researchers were trained to conduct a socio-economic census in their communities, and meetings were held between the Miskito and Mayangna communities and the campesino settlers to discuss the most serious territorial disputes and agree on a dividing line between their territories. Parallel to these activities, a lawyer was contracted to build a legal case for presentation to the Nicaraguan government, requesting that titles be granted to the indigenous peoples whose natural resource practices have conserved forests.

Through Parks in Peril, TNC and USAID returned to this theme once again in 2002, supporting titling processes for indigenous communities, legal advising, boundary demarcation, registration of property titles with the appropriate institutions, strengthening of indigenous organizations in the administration and defense of their land rights, and other activities. PiP focused on titling for two of the indigenous territories in Bosawás, encouraging other cooperation agencies to support the others.

In addition to strengthening and empowering the indigenous communities, in this case land titling was a key step toward controlling expansion of the agricultural frontier. Access to the reserve was wide open due to the weakness of the area’s institutions and limitations in enforcing regulations, with negative effects for its ecosystems. Clearly defined rights of ownership, use and access to natural resources were therefore vital. Granting these lands to the indigenous was a formal recognition of the compatibility between their way of life and the reserve’s environmental objectives. In addition, the process generated coordination among institutions of the national government, international agencies, regional authorities, reserve administrators and the indigenous communities.

Fostered in part by the positive results of this process, in 2003 the Nicaraguan congress approved legislation on a system of communal ownership by indigenous territories and ethnic communities. In May 2005, the central government granted five titles to the 41 indigenous communities living in the reserve, covering a total of 2,531 km2. Thanks to this historic decision, 21,000 people were awarded and guaranteed non-transferable communal property rights. This has made it possible for the indigenous to combine traditional laws and practices with new ideas about better resource use. Backed with titles, inhabitants can now file complaints with MARENA authorities when groups of colonizers invade the indigenous territories, with negative impacts on the forests.

(González and Martin 2007f).

John

Mye

rs

Parks in Peril Site Consolidation ��

5.Long-termfinancing


To ensure financial sustainability of protected areas and national and regional systems of protected areas (CBD 2004).

To be considered consolidated, a site should have completed a financial plan and begun to implement its recommended measures to achieve recurrent and/or sustainable sources of financing, with funding sufficient for the next fiscal year.

A long-term financial plan is anindispensablecomponentofasuccessfullong-term conservation strategy. Todevelopaneffectivesitefinancialplan,theprotectedareafirstneedsamanagementplan,whichoutlinesthegoals,objectives,

activitiesandresourceneedsofthesite.Whilethemanagementplaniscrucial,itisequallyimportantthattheinformationoutlinedthereinbefeasibleandnotjustawishlist.

The financial plan should identify adiverse funding base to pay for basicprotected area management activities.Each site’s access to sustainable and/orrecurrent sources will be different. Theplanning process should identify thesite’sbestavailablefinancingoptionsandshould outline a strategy for pursuingthem. Sources could include nationalgovernmentbudgetallocations,paymentforprotectedareaservice,suchasvisitorentrance fees, concessions, capitalizedendowments, multiple and multi-yearsources of foreign funding, and manymore.Forexample,atMorneTroisPitonNational Park in Dominica (PiP 1992- 1996), the Ministry of Agriculture,Forestry,andWildlifeestablishedauser-fee collection system to charge visitorsfor park services in order to help fundparkmanagement.

Generally, bringing these sources on-linewillrequiremonthsorevenyearsofpreparatory work by site managers andsupportgroups.

In addition, while many advances havebeenmade,thereisstillsignificantroomfor improvement increating sustainablefinancialmechanismsforprotectedareas.For additional information on advancesinsustainablefinanceforprotectedareas,pleaserefertotheConservationFinanceAllianceatwww.conservationfinance.org.

The Programme ofWork on ProtectedAreas has emphasized the need to lookbeyond the site level to sustainablefinancing for national systems ofprotected areas. Please see below forexamples of national and site-levelfinancial mechanisms that supportsustainableprotectedareasfinancing.InthePiPCentralSelvaprojectsiteinPeru(PiP2001–2007),theprojectteamhasdevelopedadetailedfinancial,orbusinessplan, which details funding strategies atthesitelevel.Thisplanthenfoldsupintoa larger financial plan for the nationalsystemofprotectedareas.

Finance mechanisms — innovative examples

Fondo para la protección del agua (FONAG) is a water protection fund for the metropolitan area of Quito, Ecuador. Founded in 2000, the water fund was set up with the support of the Quito potable water and sewage company, Empresa Metropolitana de Alcantarillado y Agua Potable de Quito, TNC, the electric company – Empresa Electrica Quito S.A., beer company, Cerveceria Andina S.A. and the Cooperacion Suiza para Desarollo (COSUDE). The premise of the fund is to attach value to environmental services and provide funding for activities that contribute to conserving the watershed, including reforestation of riparian areas, support for protected areas guards and environmental communication and education with school children and communities living within the watershed areas. The fund began with US$21,000 and in 2006, reached $US3.7 million, with $US1.7 million invested in programs and projects (FONAG 2006). For additional information see www.fonag.org.ec.

El Programa de Incentivos Forestales (PINFOR), in Guatemala is a unique program designed to provide incentives for conservation and reforestation. Developed by the Instituto Nacional de Bosques (National Forest Institute, INAB) in 1997, the program is funded by the National General Budget and will run through 2017. PINFOR offers incentives for three activities: forest conservation on municipal lands; sustainable management of forests on private lands, and reforestation on private lands. Since its initiation in 1999, PINFOR has recovered a total of 80,000 hectares of forest in Guatemala. The program consists of paying local landowners an annual payment for five years for each hectare of forest on their land. The beneficiaries are expected to assure the conservation of the hectares inscribed by protecting them from forest fires, timber harvesting, resource extraction and any other negative activities. Over the next five years, a total of USD $250,000 will be provided by PINFOR to the San Pedro, San Juan, Santa Clara and San Marcos Municipal Parks for a total of 1,159 hectares registered in the program (TNC 2006a). For additional information see www.inab.gob.gt.

•

•

�� Parks in Peril Site Consolidation

6. SiteconstituencyBuildinga supportive local constituencyintegrates protected areas into the livesof local societyaswell as thatofpeoplelivingfarbeyondasite.Thisincludes:

EmpoweringBroad-basedmanagementcommittees

PromotingCommunityInvolvementinSustainableResourceUse

BuildingStakeholderandConstituencySupport

DevelopingaPolicyAgenda

StrengtheningEnvironmentalCommunication

BolsteringInstitutionalLeadership

6.1 Broad-based management committee/technical advisory committee

To be considered consolidated, a site should have formed a management or advisory committee, that participates in conservation and management decisions. The Committee must be made up of key stakeholders identified in a creditable stakeholder analysis.

A management or technical advisorycommitteeallowsstakeholders,includingbut not necessarily limited to localcommunities, to participate in theprotectedareamanagementprocess.Thepresence of such a committee indicatesgoodwillandtransparencyonthepartofprotected area managers to incorporateand address the concerns of thesestakeholders.

Manytypesofmanagementandadvisorycommittees exist, ranging from supportcommittees(i.e.Friendsof thePark) toformal representative councils designedto ensure broad participation. Theauthority invested in these committeesvaries widely as well. Some are strictly

•

•

•

••

•

advisory, whereas others have decision-makingauthorityonmanyissuesaffectingprotectedareasecurityandmanagement.

The PiP experience has shown thattechnical advisory committees aremoreeffective if they are legally mandated.National decentralization policiesare one mechanism that supportslocal participation in protected areamanagement. In countries such asBolivia,nationaldecentralizationpolicieshavefacilitatedtheparticipationoflocalcivilsocietygroupsandmunicipalitiesinprotectedareamanagement.

In Peru, management committeeswere supported by the development ofnorms and regulations in 2001 underthe Natural Protected Areas Law of1997. The norms and regulations havedefined and systematized the role andfunction of management committees,althougheachgroupwillfurtheradaptitsstructuretothecontextoftheprotectedarea. By 2006, the National ResourceInstitute(InstitutoNacionaldeRecursosNaturales, INRENA) had formallyrecognized 31 management committeesthroughoutthecountry.Mostcommitteeshave an executive committee, which iscomposed of no less than three peopleand the director of the protected area,whoactsasanon-votingsecretary.

Oneofthemostimportantadvancementsfor the management committees inPeru, was the establishment in 2005of a national management committeecoordinating body “Consejo Nacionalde Coordinación de los Comités deGestión.” This body is charged withcoordinating a learning exchange withthe various committees in the country(González and Martin 2007b). Inaddition, the management committeeselect a representative to communicatetheir proposals and opinions to theProtected Areas Coordinating Body,el Consejo de Coordinacion delSistema Nacional de Areas Protegidaspor el Estado (SINANPE). Foradditional information see Management Committees in Protected Areas onwww.parksinperil.org.

6.2 Community involvement in compatible resource use


To promote equity and benefit sharing (CBD 2004).

At consolidated sites, the protected area’s principal community groups (or other key stakeholders) in critical zones of the protected area are involved in pilot initiatives for the sustainable use of local resources. These pilot initiatives are being documented in such a way that they can be adapted elsewhere.

In protected areas where communitiesare located either within the siteboundaries or immediately adjacentto the site, biodiversity conservationdepends on these communities’ usingthesite’sbiologicalresourcesinamannerthat is compatible with the biodiversityconservation goals of the protectedarea.A local constituency for a site canbe built when community organizationsareencouragedtodevelopprogramsthatpromotethecompatibleuseofresourcesthe site has to offer, and upon whichthese communities depend for theirlivelihoods.

By comparing diverse experiences incompatible resource use, conservationpractitioners have been able to suggestkeyelements that lead to success.Someof these elements include: conductinga diagnostic of community needs anddesires;payingattentiontogenderissuesand other social dynamics; trainingextensionstaffforworkincommunities;carryingoutfeasibilitystudiesforincome-generating projects; and implementingparticipatory monitoring of the resultsof compatible-use projects (Martin andRieger2003).


In thePacayaSamiriaNationalReserve(PSNR) in Peru (PiP 2001-2007),artisanal fishing organizations havegained the authority to manage andcommercially harvest Arapaima gigas,an enormous freshwater catfish knownlocally as paiche (Rojas et al. 2006)Thisfishisconsumedlocallyandisalsodried and sold outside of the Reserve.Beginning in the mid 20th century,Peru passed laws to protect the paiche,whose population was sharply decliningdue to uncontrolled harvesting. Thesemeasures included creating the PSNRand mandating a management plan forcommercialpaicheharvesting.

These efforts supported the paiche’srecoveryandbeginninginthemid1990s,TNC, the NGO, ProNaturaleza, andcommunitieslivingwithinPSNRbegantoworkwithgovernmentalauthoritiestoconsider approving amanagement planfor paiche that would give communityorganizations the right to manage thisresource for commercial purposes.The principle behind this was that thecommunitieswithin theReservewouldbenefiteconomicallybycommercializingpaiche harvest and would contributeto conserving this resource by beinginvolvedinitssustainablemanagement.

IncoordinationwithProNaturaleza,thelocalfishingandprocessingorganization,Organización Social de Pescadores yProcesadores Artesanales (OSPPA)–UnidaddePescaComunitaria(UPC)Yacu Tayta, developed a managementplan for paiche for 2004 – 2008. Thisplanstipulatesthetimeperiod,methods,size and quantity of paiche that can beharvested and fishermen must keepdata on the number, gender, age andsize of fish caught (Rojas et al. 2006).Sustainable harvesting of paiche is nowcontributingtotheeconomicwell-beingoflocalcommunitieswithinPSNR,andissupporting long-termconservationofthisspecies.

For additional information, seeCommunity Incentives for SustainableUse ofNatural Resources in ProtectedAreasonwww.parksinperil.org.

case5Mesquite artisans in Cuatrocienagas, Mexico

In the Cuatrocienagas Valley in northern Mexico, four ejidos (El Venado, San Vicente, Eliseo Mendoza Ber ruelo and La Vega) in the region have used and traded mesquite (Prosopis sp) for years, leading to a signifi cant reduction in reserves of this wood. The purpose of the project receiving PiP support was to use the wood to make handicrafts, a finished product that would provide higher profit margins.

The project initiated with a situation appraisal of mes quite in the Cuatrocienagas Valley, followed by training for participants in crafting products. Another emphasis at this stage was organizational strengthening, which led to formalization of the groups in legally recognized structures. These, in turn, banded together as a rural cooperative known as “Artesanos La Esperanza” and “Artesanos La Vega”. The creation of these two artisans groups facilitated equitable distribution of earnings among the beneficiaries. A catalogue with products and prices was prepared as a marketing document, and points of sale were arranged in nearby cities. One factor that enhanced the business was the adaptation of the models and types of handicrafts based on an analysis of existing supply and demand, thus boosting sales.

TNC and its partner, ProNatura, supported training of the artisans, organizational strengthening, equipping and promotion of the handicrafts. Other organizations col laborated in the project’s development. The Technolog ical Institute of Monterrey provided technical assistance for the artisans’ formal organization, as well as creating capacities in financial and marketing areas. In addition, the government Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Fishing (SAGARPA) offered funding to acquire the necessary equipment to produce the handicrafts, while the National Commission on Protected Areas supported training and sale of the products at the Visitors Center of the Cuatrocienagas Flora and Fauna Protection Area.

Source: Community-based Sustainable Natural Resource Use in Protected Areas: Experiences from the Parks in Peril Program in Latin America and the Caribbean, Gonzalez and Martin, 2007, available on www.parksinperil.org.

Her

nand

o C

abra

l

�4 Parks in Peril Site Consolidation

6.3 Stakeholder and constituency support

In a consolidated site, protected area managers will have identified priority stakeholders and areas of critical threat where stakeholders are important. Support from these stakeholders will be sufficient to allow implementation of high priority strategies that have been collectively decided.

There can be no enduring results inprotectedareaswithouttheengagementand support of critical constituencies,including stakeholders in localcommunities.Criticalconstituenciesandtheirrelationshiptopriorityconservationtargets and threats should be identifiedin a stakeholder analysis, normally aspartofaCAPprocessorsimilarthreats-based planning exercise. Protectedarea managers need to develop explicitstrategies forgainingthesupportof themost critical constituencies, includingrelevant stakeholders, especially localcommunities.

Thereareawidevarietyofconstituenciesfor the project area – from localcommunities and resource users, tostate and federal governments andglobal industries.Constituencies donotnecessarilyhaveto live inoraroundtheareatohaveanimportantroleandimpactonitsconservation.Oneormoreofthefollowingcharacteristicscandescribeanarea’sconstituencies:

Theyarecausingsource(s)ofstressontheconservationtargets.

Theyare,orcouldbe,mitigatingsource(s)ofstressontheconservationtargets.

Theycouldbenefitiftheprotectedareaconservationgoalswereachieved

Theycouldbeaffectedadverselyiftheprotectedareagoalswereachieved

•

•

•

•

Theycouldshapepublicopinionaboutconservationgoals&strategies

Theyhavetheauthority(formalorinformal)tomakedecisions,whichwouldaffecttheprotectedareamanager’sabilitytoimplementconservationstrategiesandachieveconservationgoals

Protected area managers may employ anumberofdifferentstrategiestoappealtothesupportofstakeholders.Communitydevelopmentandsustainableuseprojectsareanexample,butinvolvingstakeholdersin management decisions may alsocontribute to building constituencysupport,asmayotherstrategies.

In2001inthePiPAmistadprojectsite(PiP 2001 – 2007), the PiP projectteam began working with Panamanianorganization FUNDICEP, originallyFundación para el Desarrollo Integraldel Corregimiento de Cerro Punta.FUNDICEP was founded in the mid-1990s with the mission of supportingsustainabledevelopmentincommunitieslocated in the buffer zone of LaAmistad Biosphere Reserve in Panama.Through dialogue and a self-evaluationof the administrative capacity of theorganization, the PiP project team andFUNDICEP realized that it was weakin its administrative and particularlyaccounting capacity. The PiP teamrecognizedthepotentialofFUNDICEPfor long-term conservation of thesite and as part of the project, helpedstrengthen the organization’s weakerareas, including financial managementandbuildingadiversenetworkofpartnerandfundingorganizationsbeyondTNC.FUNDICEPhasnowtakentheinitiativeto leverage its stronger technical andadministrative capacity to support andstrengthenotherorganizationswithintheRedAlianzaparaelDesarolloAmbientalde Tierras Altas (ADATA), a networkof organizations working in sustainabledevelopment in thePacific highlands ofPanama (González andMartin 2007e).For additional information, see Partners for Protected Areas Conservation on www.parksinperil.org.

•

•

6.4 Policy agenda development at regional/national/local levels


To provide an enabling policy, institutional and socio-economic environment for protected areas (CBD 2004)

At consolidated sites, the policies needed to support the site’s long-term security have been identified and prioritized in a brief policy agenda. Also, a plan to promote policies related to the highest priority threats and conservation targets is being implemented.

Protected areas can support theconservation of biological diversityinsofar as local, regional, national, andinternational policies that promotebiodiversity conservation allow thesesitestofunctioneffectivelyandtothrive.Forthatreason,protectedareamanagersshouldworkwithNGOandgovernmentpartnerstoensurethatappropriatepoliciessupportingtheconservationofprotectedareasareinplaceattheappropriatelevels.

Withinprotectedareas,itisimportanttorecognize that thereareseveral typesofpoliciesthatmayimpacttheeffectivenessofaprotectedarea.Forexample,policiesmightbeinplace,whichpositivelyimpacttheconservationandsustainableuseofaprotectedarea.Otherpoliciesmaysupporteconomic development and may have apositiveornegativeeffectonaprotectedarea. Still other protected areasmay beaffectedbyalackofpoliciesthatsupporteffective management of protectedareas (González and Martin 2007a).Forexample,policiesthatrecognizeandsupport private-lands conservation, varywidely fromcountrytocountry inLatinAmerica and theCaribbean.Toaddressthis, a consortium of conservation


practitionersandorganizationsinCentralAmericaisworkingtodeveloparegion-widepolicyforprivate-landsconservation.This policy will delineate a regionalframework for regulations, incentivesandactionsthatwouldpromoteprivate-landsconservation.Currently,inCentralAmerica,onlyGuatemalaandCostaRicahave strong private-lands incentives inplace.Theimportanceofstrongprivate-landspoliciescanbeseenatthePiPsitesinCostaRicaandGuatemala,whereprivatelands conservation is a key conservationstrategy in those sites (González andMartin2007a).

For additional information, see Policy Agenda for Protected Area Management onparksinperil.org.

6.5 Environmental communication


To strengthen communication, education and public awareness (CBD 2004)

To be considered consolidated, a site should have an environmental communication and/or education plan – which identifies target goals, audiences, messages, activities and people responsible – in place.

People who impact the conservationof protected areas make decisions andtake action that favor the protection ordegradation of the environment basedon information, perceptions, and/or theexistence of alternatives (CCC 2003).Through communication, awareness-raising and education, those in chargeofprotectedareasmanagementcanhelppeople to modify their individual andgroup behaviors around conservationand sustainable natural resources use(GonzálezandMartin2007e).

Environmental education andcommunication covers a broad rangeof activities and approaches. One ofthe environmental communicationapproaches that has succeeded inmotivatinglocalcommunitiestoconserveand protect natural resources andbiodiversity inprotected areashasbeenthe development of social marketingtools.Socialmarketingusesmulti-mediastrategies to achieve benefits for thesocietyasawholeanditaimstochangethebehaviorofpeoplebyincreasingtheirawarenessandknowledge(CCC2003).

Rare, a U.S.-based conservation NGOhas worked for more than 15 years inthe design and implementation andmonitoring of social marketing toolsthroughPrideCampaigns.Bygeneratingpublic advocacy and peer pressure,the Campaigns have helped to changeknowledge, attitudes and behavior indiversesegmentsofthecommunitieswithrespect to environmental conservation(TNC2007).

In partnership with TNC, Rare hascarried out several pride campaignsin PiP project sites. Rare, TNC andthe Cuencas de Limon Foundationimplemented a Pride Campaign in theLimon Watershed area of Costa RicawhichincludestheParqueInternacionalLa Amistad (PILA) a bi-nationalprotected area between Panama and

Examples of policies supporting conservation

• Defensores de la Naturaleza, an NGO in Guatemala, succeeded in establishing a fishing season that protects fisheries with a total ban on fishing during July and August at Bocas del Polochic Wildlife Refuge (PiP 2001- 2007).

• At El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve in Mexico (PiP 1991-1997), reserve staff worked with other protected area managers to support the creation of the National Commission on Natural Protected Areas. Under the direction of the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente, Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT), or Secretariat of the Environment, Natural Resources in English, this commission created greater solidarity among those working in protected area management and guaranteed continuity in long-term management, financing, and protection activities in natural protected areas within Mexico.

• In 1996, President Ernesto Pérez Balladares of Panama decreed a ban on mining activities within Darien National Park (PiP 1991-1997), in part as a result of the efforts of the NGO, Asociación Nacional para la Conservacion de la Naturaleza (ANCON).

Con

nie

Gel

b


case6Education and Forest Conservation Campaign in Oxapampa, Central Selva, Peru

The Yanachaga Chemillén National Park (YChNP) is located in the Oxapampa Province, in the eastern side of the Peruvian Andes, in the tropical region. With Parks in Peril (PiP) support, the Education and Forest Conservation Campaign in Central Selva, Peru (CECOBO, due to its name in Spanish) started in 2005 to generate pride for the natural environment in the region. The campaign was developed by ProNaturaleza together with other institutions and organizations interested in the region and targeted 29,429 people distributed in four districts. The spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatos) was selected as the flagship species selected for the campaign through a participatory process during the first stakeholders meeting.

A survey was conducted with 1,028 people older than 12 years from the four districts to create a baseline regarding the level of understanding about the environment and the spectacled bear. Based on the findings, the Central Selva Pride Campaign designed and implemented the following activities: 1) production and distribution of communication materials (i.e., songs, t.v. and radio public service announcements, photo exhibits, bulletins, puppet shows, coloring books, posters, badges, t-shirts, caps, etc.); 2) informative talks and environmental festivals for students, natural resource professionals and local businesses; and 3) design of a costume for a spectacled bear mascot. In terms of financial support, ProNaturaleza obtained support from the German Cooperation Service for Development (GTZ), Oxapampa Provincial Municipality and other local NGOs for some of the campaign’s activities.

The campaign in Central Selva was not an initiative isolated from other conservation activities developed in the region. The campaign was integrated to the National Park Public Use Program and particularly within the Communication and Environmental Education sub-program.

The campaign became a strategy to improve the image of the National Park in the region, whereby the communities and local governments learned about the benefits that the protected area provides. The Oxapampa municipality and the Regional Tourism Directorate adopted the spectacled bear as an emblematic symbol used in their tourism promotional materials. Plans are also underway to formalize the bear festival and make it an annual event as well as to make the bear the official symbol for environmentally-friendly products and services produced in the region.

Source: Strengthening Communication, Education and Public Awareness in Protected Areas, Gonzalez and Martin, 2007, available on www.parksinperil.org.

CostaRica,andotherprotectedareasandindigenousreserves. This campaign, called Rios par la Vida,or Rivers for Life in English was implementedfrom2004-2006aspartof theconservationgoalsof the Amistad PiP project site (PiP2001-2007).

Thegoalofthecampaignwastopromotesustainableuse of the Banano and Bananito river watershedsthrough the followingobjectives: raisingawarenessin the target population of the importance of theBanano and Bananito rivers for potable water,natural richness and recreation; educating thepopulation on the avenues available for reportingillegal logging; and acquiring the commitment oflocalcommunitiestoparticipateinsustainablewaterresourcesmanagement(TNC2007).

At the end of the campaign, awareness of theimportance of the Banano and Bananito riverwatersheds for potable water had increased onaverageby20%.Therewasalsoanincreaseinthoseawareoftheimportanceoftheriversforrecreation.Inthetargetcommunities,morethan1000peoplesigned a commitment to participate in sustainablewater resources management. This translated tolobbyingthemunicipalgovernmentforawaterfeetohelpprotectthewatershed(Rare2007).

Itisunclearifthecampaignincreasedthereportingofillegallogginganditappearsthattheimportanceof natural richness in the Banano and Bananitoriver watersheds will need to be addressed in afollowup campaign. However, one of the benefitsofimplementinganenvironmentalcommunicationprojectsuchasaRarecampaign,isthattheresultsofthecampaigncanbemeasuredandstrategiesandactivitiesthatdon’tgeneratethedesiredimpactcanbemodifiedinordertoachievetheobjectives.

For protected area managers, these types ofcommunication campaigns may be advantageousover traditional general environmental education,because they aim to change specific behaviortowards conservation targets and threats within aspecifictimeframe.Withtraditionalenvironmentaleducation,itmaybedifficulttomeasuretheresultsof the intervention against a specific conservationtarget or threat, especially within a relatively shorttime frame. For more information on Rare Pridecampaigns,seePride Campaigns for Engaging Communities in Protected Areas Managementonparksinperil.organdwww.rareconservation.org.

Cés

ar L

aura

Con

trer

as


AsociaciónVivamosMejor,aGuatemalanNGO has been working for nearly20 years with communities in theAtitlán watershed (PiP 2001 – 2007)in Guatemala. In the past VivamosMejorfocusedprimarilyonsocialissuessuch as communal health, educationand poverty alleviation. However, itsdirector, Dr. Eduardo Secaira, began torealize that biodiversity conservation,and especially the protection of thewatershed,wasfundamentalforthelong-termsustainabilityofcommunitiesinthearea.Tothisend,VivamosMejorbegantoalsoworkinsustainabledevelopmentand natural resource management,including organic agriculture, forestryandconservation.

Through the decades of experienceworking on social issues with theprimarilyindigenouscommunitiesinthearea,VivamosMejorhadgainedthetrustofthelocalcommunitiesandwasamajorinstitutionalleaderinthearea.VivamosMejor already possessed vision, focusandmotivationandTNCrecognizedtheimportanceofpartneringwithVivamosMejorforthesuccessofthePiPprojectandlong-termconservationinthearea.

AccordingtoDr.Secaira,VivamosMejorand TNC complemented each otheras institutions. Vivamos Mejor wantedto work more in natural resourcesmanagementandTNChelpedstrengthenthis aspect of the organization.On theother hand, as a result of this project,TNC learned fromVivamosMejor thebenefits of approaching conservationwithabetterunderstandingofthesocialcontextoftheareaandtheimportanceofsustainabledevelopmentforconservationin the region (Dr. Eduardo Secaira,August2006,personalcommunication).

Theinstitutionalstrengthandleadershipof Vivamos Mejor has played a criticalrole in the success of conservationinitiatives of the PiP Atitlan site.Withoutthisleadership,builtonyearsoftrustwithlocalcommunities,theprojectwould not have been able to achievesuccessfulsiteconsolidation.Withtheir

continued vision, focus andmotivation,Vivamos Mejor will continue to unitethe stakeholders in the area under acommon sustainable development andconservationvisionforyearstocome.

For additional information, see Partners for Protected Areas Conservation on www.parksinperil.org.

The Parks in Peril Site ConsolidationFrameworkhasbeentriedandrefinedbynumerous protected areas practitionersoverthecourseofthelastseventeenyears.Inthespiritofadaptivemanagement, itcontinues tobemodifiedand improvedby protected areas managers, accordingto lessons learnedwithinthecontextofthe specific protected area and in lightof advancements in science, technology,and protected areas policy. Yet afternearlytwodecadesofuseasanapproachfor strengthening protected areas, thefundamentalelementsoftheframeworkremaininplace:strategicplanning,basicprotectionactivities,sustainablefinancing,andsupportivesiteconstituency.

The CBD’s Programme of Work onProtected Areas reiterates the needto bolster these elements of protectedareasmanagement in order to establishandmaintainsystemsofprotectedareaswhicheffectivelyandsustainablyconservetheworld’sbiodiversity.

The site consolidation frameworkpresented in this bulletin contributesto advancing the goals of the CBD’sProgrammeofWorkonProtectedAreasandisatime-testedapproachtobuildingthe capacity and conditions necessaryforeffectivelymanagingprotectedareas.Many of the elements and experiencesof site consolidation presented in thisbulletincanbefoundingreaterdetailonwww.parksinperil.org.

6.6 Institutional leadership

In a consolidated site, clear leadership is provided in critical zones of the area by one or more institutions that a) create and demonstrate a vision of long-term success, b) ensure implementation and monitoring of priority strategies by focusing efforts and using an adaptive management approach, and c) motivate stakeholders to work willingly towards the implementation of the priority strategies

InstitutionalLeadership isessential forachieving conservation success withinthesiteconsolidationmodel.Leadershipcapacity needs to be built within thecore institutions at a project area,whetherthereisoneleadinstitutionoracombinationofinstitutionsandacrossthreekeyleadershipcomponents:vision,focus,andmotivation.

Creating and demonstrating a visionof long-term success involves clearlydefiningandexpressingafuturefortheprotectedareabasedonbothcontextual(external) and institutional (internal)factors.

Focusing efforts to implement andmonitor strategies involves provid-ing resources and support for strategyachievement, monitoring performance,improving effectiveness, holding indi-vidualsand institutionsaccountable forachievingtheirgoals, tacklingproblemsbeforetheybecomecrises,andresolvingproblemsefficientlyandeffectively.

Motivating stakeholders to workwillingly towards the implementationof priority strategies involves buildinga broad base of support, negotiatingwin/win solutions by understandingthe needs andperspectives of a varietyof stakeholders, and creating a climatethat fosters individual and institutionalinvestment, development, excellence,andlearning.


sourcesAdministración Forestal del Estado—Corporación Hondureña de DesarrolloForestal (AFE-COHDEFOR). 2000.Proyecto Manejo y Protección de laBiosfera del Rió Plátano. Tegucigalpa,Honduras.

Brandon, K., Redford, K., and S.Sanderson (eds). 1998. Parks in Peril:People,Politics,andProtectedAreas.TheNatureConservancy.IslandPress.519pp.

Chape, S., S. Blyth, L.Fish, P. Fox andM. Spalding (eds). 2003. 2003 UnitedNationsListofProtectedAreas.IUCN,GlandSwitzerlandandCambridge,UKandUNEP-WCMC,Cambridge,UK.

Community Conservation Coalition(CCC). 2003. Putting Conservationin Context: Social Science Tools forConservationPractitioners.CD-Rom.

Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD). 2004. Protected AreasProgramme of Work. Downloaded onSeptember 26, 2006 from https:/www.cbd.int/programmes/cross-cutting/protected/wopo.asp.

Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD). 2007. Protected AreasIntroduction. Downloaded on April14, 2007 from https:/www.cbd.int/programmes/cross-cutting/protected/default.asp.

Dudley,N.,etal.2005.TowardsEffectiveProtected Area Systems: An ActionGuide toImplement theProgrammeofwork onProtectedAreas. Secretariat oftheConvention onBiologicalDiversity,Montreal.TechnicalSeriesno.18.

Ervin,J.2006.QuickGuidetoProtectedArea Management Effectiveness.Arlington,VA:TheNatureConservancy.18pages.

Fondo Para la Protección del Agua(FONAG). 2006. Fondo para laProtección del Agua: Invirtiendo en elFuturo.Quito,Ecuador.

Fundación Moisés Bertoni (FMB).n.d. Reserva de Biosfera del BosqueMbaracayú.DownloadedonMay4,2007fromhttp://www.mbertoni.org.py/.

González, A.M. and A. S. Martin.2007a. Policy Agenda for ProtectedAreas Management. Innovations inConservation Series. Parks in PerilProgram. Arlington, VA, USA: TheNatureConservancy.

González,A.M.andA.S.Martin.2007b.Management Committees in ProtectedAreas. Innovations in ConservationSeries.ParksinPerilProgram.Arlington,VA,USA:TheNatureConservancy.

González, A.M. and A. S. Martin.2007c.ParkGuardsintheConservationof Protected Areas. Innovations in

Conservation Series. Parks in PerilProgram. Arlington, VA, USA: TheNatureConservancy.

González, A.M. and A. S. Martin.2007d. Pride Campaigns for EngagingCommunities in Protected AreasManagement.InnovationsinConservationSeries.ParksinPerilProgram.Arlington,VA,USA:TheNatureConservancy.

González, A.M. and A. S. Martin.2007f. Partners for Protected AreasConservation:ExperiencesfromtheParksinPerilPrograminLatinAmericaandtheCaribbean.InnovationsinConservationSeries.ParksinPerilProgram.Arlington,VA,USA:TheNatureConservancy.

González, A.M. and A. S. Martin.2007g.LandTenureinProtectedAreas.InnovationsinConservationSeries.Parksin Peril Program. Arlington, VA,USA:TheNatureConservancy.

World Conservation Union (IUCN).1994. Guidelines for Protected AreaManagement Categories. CNPPA withtheassistanceofWCMC.IUCN.Gland,SwitzerlandandCambridge,UKx+261pp.

John,K.andM.Newman.2006.CockpitCountry Conservation Action Plan: ASummary. The Nature Conservancy.Kingston,Jamaica.

Her

nand

o C

abra

l

Parks in Peril Site Consolidation �9

For Additional Information

www.parksinperil.org Parks in Peril program information, publications and tools.

www.conserveonline.orgDatabase of multiple conservation publications and tools, including publications and tools produced by The Nature Conservancy such as Conservation Action Planning (CAP) Methodology.

www.protectedareas.info A guide for government and others for carrying out a gap analysis on national protected areas systems within the framework of CBD’s Programme of Work on Protected Areas.

www.conservationfinance.org The Conservation Finance Alliance is a collaborative effort to promote sufficient and sustainable funding for biodiversity conservation worldwide.

www.biodiv.org Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Programme of Work on Protected Areas can be found here. In addition, the excellent CBD Technical Series No. 18: Towards Effective Protected Areas Systems: An action Guide to Implement the Convention on Biological Diversity Programme of Work on Protected Areas can be found on this site.

www.iucn.org World Conservation Union

www.iucn/wcpa.org World Conservation Union’s World Commission on Protected Areas

www.fosonline.org/cmp Conservation Measures Partnership

Luz, Karen. 1997. Community-basedConservationintheBosawásReserve.TheNatureConservancy.Arlington,Virginia.

Martin,A.andJ.Rieger.2003.TheParksin Peril Site Consolidation Scorecard:Lessons from Protected Areas in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean. Arlington,VA.TheNatureConservancy.99pp.

Rare.2007.2005-2006GlobalImpacts:Changes in awareness and attitudes inkey locations. Downloaded from www.rareconservation.org/impact on May 3,2007.

Rojas,G,Noriega,J.andLaOrganizaciónSocial de Pescadores y ProcesadoresArtesanales (OSPPA) – Unidad dePesca Comunitaria (UPC) Yacu Tayta.2006. Plan de Manejo de Arapaimagigas “paiche” en La Cocha El Dorado,CuencaYanayacuPucate-RNPS.ReservaNacional Pacaya Samiria 2004– 2008.ProNaturaleza.Lima,Peru.

Stocks, Anthony. 1996. The BosawásNatural Reserve and the Mayangna ofNicaragua. In: Redford and Mansour(Eds).TraditionalPeoplesandBiodiversityConservation in Large TropicalLandscapes. The Nature Conservancy.AmericaVerdePublications.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC). n.d.Conservation Action Planning (CAP):Basic Practice 2 – ConserveOnline.Defining Scope and Selecting FocalConservation Targets. Downloadedon February 20, 2007 from http://conse r veon l ine .org /work space s /cbdgateway/cbdmain/cap/practices/bp_2.

TNC. 2004. Measuring Success: TheParksinPerilScorecardManual.Revised2004.Arlington,VA,USA:TheNatureConservancy.

TNC. 2006a. Parks in Peril:Motagua-Polochic System. Site EvaluationFY05/Workplan FY06. The NatureConservancy. Guatemala City,Guatemala.

TNC. 2006b. Parks in Peril: CondorBioreserve. Site Evaluation FY05/Workplan FY06. The NatureConservancy.Quito,Ecuador.

TNC. 2007. Measuring Success: TheParksinPerilSiteConsolidationScorecardManual. Innovations in ConservationSeries.ParksinPerilProgram.Arlington,VA,USA:TheNatureConservancy.

Her

nand

o C

abra

l

pleasecitethispublicationas:

Balloffet,N.M.andMartin,A.S.2007.Parksin Peril Site Consolidation: A Frameworkfor Strengthening Protected Areas. Series:InnovationsforConservation.ParksinPerilProgram.Arlington,VA,USA:TheNatureConservancy

©2007TheNatureConservancy,Arlington,Virginia,USA

Parks in Peril ProgramThe Nature Conservancy

4245N.FairfaxDrive,Suite100Arlington,VA22203-1606USA

Tel: +1-703-841-5300Fax:+1-703-524-0296

www.parksinperil.org www.parquesenpeligro.org

publicationcreditsSeries Editor:AngelaS.MartinAuthors: NicoleM.Balloffet,AngelaS.MartinDesign: KristenTruittParks in Peril Program Director:JamesF.RiegerContributions to this bulletin:JamesByrne,JorgeCardona,AnaMaríaGonzález,JamesRieger,AlexSalazar,EduardoSecaira

This report is made possible by thegenerous support of the Americanpeople through the United StatesAgencyforInternationalDevelopment(USAID) through the Award NoEDG-A-00-01-00023-00 for theParksinPerilProgram.Thecontentsare the responsibilityofTheNatureConservancy and do not necessarilyreflect the views of USAID or theUnitedStatesGovernment.

Sue

Ellis

TheNatureConservancy(TNC)isaleadingConservationorganizationworkingaroundtheworldtoprotectecologicallyimportantlandsandwatersfornatureandpeople.Since1951,TNChas been working with communities,businesses and people like you to protectmore than 117million acres of land, 5,000milesof river, and100marine sites aroundthe world. TNC’s mission is to preservetheplants,animalsandnaturalcommunitiesthat represent thediversityof lifeonEarthbyprotectingthelandsandwaterstheyneedtosurvive.

www.nature.org

Since 1990, The Nature Conservancy, theUnited States Agency for InternationalDevelopment,localgovernmentagenciesandnon-governmental organizations have beenworkingtogetherthroughtheParksinPerilProgram(PiP)toprotectandmanagemorethan 18.2 million hectares of endangeredhabitatsin45protectedareasin18countriesof Latin America and the Caribbean.PiP works with partner organizations toimprove financing, supportive policies, andmanagement of individual sites as well asentire systemsof protected areas, includingprivate, indigenous, andmunicipal reserves,aswellasnationalparks.

www.parksinperil.org

TheUnitedStatesAgencyforInternationalDevelopment (USAID) is an independentU.S. government agency that receivesforeign-policy guidance from the U.S.Secretary of State. Since 1961,USAIDhasbeen the principal U.S. agency extendingassistancetocountriesworldwiderecoveringfromdisaster, trying to escape poverty, andengagingindemocraticreforms.

www.usaid.gov

Documents

parks in peril site consolidation: