Costa Rica Forest

 

One of the most damaging activities has been banned in Costa Rica: logging to develop building projects. A government decree authorizing the logging of coastal forests for eco-tourism projects in Costa Rica was approved in 2004 allegedly to benefit a hot shot entrepreneur who needed to remove a partial piece of forest to build a hotel.

 

According to Alvaro Sagot, an environmental law professor: “The decree had a first and last name…It was made for someone in particular that needed to cut down forest to build hotels”, yet he would not name names since his main concern is not to look for people responsible but to take care of Costa Rica forests.

 

The decree was set by the Environment, Energy and Telecommunications Ministry (MINAE) back in April 2004 and basically what it stated was a regulation for eco-tourism, calling these projects “tourism developments that simultaneously promote environmental education in Costa Rica, the conservation of natural resources, the socioeconomic development of the inhabitants that reflect an environmental conscience and identity”. The decree also limits definition to coastal projects that fell within the first 200 meters inland from the ocean, which is state-owned land known as the maritime zone.

 

Lately a lot of people around the world have been saying that Costa Rica natural resources were disappearing because of several development projects, yet the problem was not really there until this decree was found, and now completely annulled to prevent any damage to Costa Rica forests and other natural reservations.

 

The decree was actually a terrible decision made the government back then since it was signed by former Costa Rica environment minister Carlos Manuel Rodriguez and former President Abel Pacheco. The decree allowed so called “eco-tourism” projects to get concessions on forested property in Costa Rica and build over as much as 15% of old growth or primary forest, and 25% if the forest is second growth.