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 1978. Support in the creation of the Braulio Carillo National Park, founded on April 28th interested in the conservation of the Flora and the Fauna. These people voluntarily decided to take part in the conservation actions of the protected areas by the state. At that moment they started working with the Departmento de Direccion General del servicio de parques Nacionales (Forest Service of National Parks) and with the Department of Wild Life and the Ministry of Agriculture and livestock. All this effort was generated while the new National Park Braulio was under development, which became our daily scene of work. At that time The Association of Preservationists of Flora and Fauna had not been formed officially.
1987. For Environment week, APREFLOFAS wrote a press release for the country wide media campaign “We save the rivers”, thus beginning their actions in San Pedro de Montes de Oca, cleaning out the trash dumped into the rivers. The organization also planted around 5000 trees in main offices of the University of Costa Rica in San José and in other branch offices throughout the country.
The first filing of claims against environmental crimes occurred on the 29 of September in 1987. APREFLOFAS complained of the use of cars and official arms on the part of rural guards. They seized 32 palm hearts, meat of wild fauna and a 30mm caliber weapon. The arrest of ex- deputy Rogelio Carazo for illegal hunting in caño seco, Ticaban in Guápiles.
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Direction and support of the development of projects of Rural Tourism Communication, as an alternative for the conservation of the forests and the subsistence of its owners, using low environmental impact activities and other additional benefits like the strengthening of the Costa Rican culture. Three communities with more than 400 hectares of forest decided to conserve it and use it with communitarian rural tourism.
 (more info) (spanish)
2002. Thanks to the management of the National Association of the Protection of Animals (ANPA), the World-wide Society for the Protection Animal (WSPA) APREFLOFAS and other environmentally conscious organizations and people, obtained a Executive Decree that Prevented the Entrance of Circuses with Wild Animal to Costa Rica. By Executive decree N 3058-0 published MINAET-MAG-S was published on the 31st of July, 2002 in Newspaper N 146.
2004. Prize ONE´s INTERNATIONAL, granted by the Mediterranean Spanish organization, for performance in the conservation of the nature.
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1998. Support in the fight to stop the deforestation on the Osa Peninsula, in coordination with other organizations of the country, such as The National Front for the Forests, which was created on the June 5th, 1998 within the framework of the World Environment Day and supported by more than 19 other organizations.
Joining efforts with social groups, along with a good strategy is key, to avoid being easily targeted. The National Front for the Forests showed the major concern of diverse social groups, such as religious groups, indigenous groups, entire communities and of course the conservationists who saw the new great threat of chainsaws in search of good business lumber companies. This unprecedented tool allows extraction of forests, destruction of land, streets and bridges in rural communities it also rewarded lumberjacks for the economic advantage with these important resources.
Between 1980-1995 17,650 hectares of inland forest on the Osa Península were destroyed by deforestation. 11,000 were located less than a kilometer from rivers and wetlands, 6,000 between 1 and 5 kilometers, 15,300 less than kilometer from cattle ranches, 8,900 less than a kilometer from roads, and 5,600 between 1 and 5 kilometers. The statistics of deforestation has been different depending on the degree of protection of the land. 40% of deforestation happened on non protected lands, which means 7,300 hectares, 10,200 were inside the forest reserve Golfo Dulce. The riverbanks mainly affected by deforestation are Tmon-escondido, Sadalo-Trrones, Conte, Agua Cliente-Tamales and Sabalo.
After studying a recurring situation in Osa, we clearly understood that the forests that had still not been preserved by the government to some degree had long term socio-ecological impact. The people were selling their privately owned forest to ‘generous’ lumber companies for subsistence. Their forest was falling over the exposed red soils and continuous caravans of trucks in route to sawmills in San Isidro del General and Cartago.
This site not uncommon in the North and has also changed radically the perception of the forest in rural populations. Seeing the native forests in the hands of the people, we think one of the solutions to profit from these resources without exploiting it; will be to utilize it for tourism. Of course we understand that this process will be long and unsure but that it is worth trying. From this experience, on June 21st, 1999 the Community Handled Project of the Playa Hermosa Biological Reserve, was created in the community of the same name close to Uvita of Bahía Ballena on the Southern Pacific Coast.
Download CECROPIA report (in Spanish) here
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