Governs biodiversity protection, ecosystem services, and access to genetic resources. Article 109 reverses the burden of proof for environmental harm, requiring permit-seekers to prove harmlessness.
Rige la protección de biodiversidad, servicios ecosistémicos y acceso a recursos genéticos. El artículo 109 invierte la carga de la prueba para daño ambiental: quien solicita el permiso debe demostrar inocuidad.
100 documents in this topic.
Ley 108612026
Reforma Ley del Servicio de Parques Nacionales
Law 10861 amends Law 6084, the National Parks Service Law, to strengthen the protection of wild protected areas. It introduces new prohibitions for visitors: entering areas that are off-limits according to management instruments and carrying out unauthorized activities. It establishes a sanctioning regime with graduated fines, ranging from three base…
Ley 105072024
Ley de Incentivo para la Protección de la Biodiversidad Marino-Costera
This law creates the Marine-Coastal Ecosystem Services Payment Fund to promote the conservation, sustainable use, and restoration of ecosystems within the territorial sea and exclusive economic zone. Administered by MINAE, the Fund will provide economic recognition to artisanal fishers, coastal associations, and other actors for activities such as mangrove…
Ley 101332022
Interpretación auténtica del artículo 39 de la Ley de Biodiversidad
This law provides an authentic interpretation of Article 39 of the Biodiversity Law No. 7788, clarifying that concessions and contracts for non-essential services in protected wild areas may also be granted to Education Boards, Administrative Boards of Public Schools, and the Costa Rican Red Cross, as they are considered local organizations. It also adds…
Ley 97662019
Reforma del Artículo 39 de la Ley de Biodiversidad
This law amends Article 39 of the Biodiversity Law No. 7788, setting new rules for concessions and contracts for non-essential services within state protected wild areas. The amendment authorizes SINAC to approve contracts and concessions for services such as parking, food, shops, and trail management, but expressly prohibits access to biodiversity…
Ley 77791998
Ley de Uso, Manejo y Conservación de Suelos
Law 7779 establishes the legal framework for soil protection, conservation, and improvement in Costa Rica, integrating soil management with other natural resources. It declares public interest in state and private action in this field. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) is designated as the lead agency, in coordination with the Ministry of…
Ley 77881998
Ley de Biodiversidad
Costa Rica's Biodiversity Law (Law 7788) establishes the legal framework for conservation, sustainable use, and fair distribution of benefits from biodiversity. It declares biochemical and genetic properties of biodiversity as public domain, regulates access to genetic resources through permits and concessions, and creates the National Commission for…
Ley 75751996
Ley Forestal
The Forestry Law (No. 7575) establishes the legal framework for the conservation, protection and management of natural forests and the promotion of forest resources in Costa Rica. It defines key concepts such as forest, forest plantation, forest ecosystem and environmental services. It declares the State's essential function to ensure the adequate and…
Ley 75241995
Creación del Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas de Guanacaste
This law establishes the Las Baulas de Guanacaste Marine National Park with the georeferenced boundaries described in Article 1, encompassing the Tamarindo, Ventanas, and San Francisco estuaries, mangroves, hills, islands, and a fifty-meter public zone. It authorizes the State to expropriate all or part of the properties within the delimited area,…
Ley 74161994
Ley 7416 — Convenio sobre la Diversidad Biológica
Law 7416 approves the Convention on Biological Diversity, signed in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. This international instrument aims at the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources. The Convention defines key terms such as 'biological diversity,'…
Ley 69001983
Ley 6900
This law, originally titled 'Establishes Patents in the Canton of Turrubares and declares Carara Biological Reserve', creates Carara National Park and the Cerros de Turrubares Protective Zone, defining their geographical limits by coordinates. It declares state lands within these areas inalienable, prohibits their registration through possessory…
Ley 67941982
Ley de Creación de Parques Nacionales y Reservas Biológicas
Law 6794 ratifies as Acts of the Republic the executive decrees that created or expanded 14 national parks and biological reserves between 1963 and 1981, including Cabo Blanco, Cahuita, Santa Rosa, Corcovado, Isla del Coco, Palo Verde, Hitoy Cerere, and Carrara, among others. It provides that these areas are legally established as such from the effective…
Ley 60841977
Ley del Servicio de Parques Nacionales
Law 6084 establishes the National Parks Service as the governing body for the development and administration of national parks, aiming to conserve the nation's natural heritage. It defines the Service's functions and powers, including resource management, proposing new protected areas, and advising the Executive Branch. An inter-institutional advisory…
Ley 56801975
Ley de Creación del Parque Nacional Tortuguero
Law 5680 of 1975 creates Tortuguero National Park, geographically defining its terrestrial and marine boundaries. It declares all national reserve lands within the park inalienable and entrusts administration to the National Parks Service of the Ministry of Agriculture, assisted by an Advisory Board coordinated by JAPDEVA. The law automatically subjects…
Decreto 448962025
Creación del Parque Natural Urbano Simón Bolívar
This executive decree designates the Simón Bolívar Zoo and Botanical Garden as a Protected Wilderness Area under the category of Simón Bolívar Urban Natural Park (PANU), covering 26,375 m². It is grounded in Article 50 of the Constitution, the Environmental Organic Law, the Biodiversity Law, and Decree 42742 which created the PANU category. Its…
Decreto 451412025
Reglamento a la Ley de Incentivo para la Protección de la Biodiversidad Marino-Costera
This executive decree regulates Law No. 10507, which creates the Marine-Coastal Ecosystem Services Payment Fund. It establishes the fund's governance under the exclusive competence of MINAE and details the roles of FONAFIFO as administrator and FUNBAM as a collaborator in securing financing. It defines the activities eligible for financial recognition,…
Decreto 453162025
Creación del Parque Natural Urbano Lorne Ross Ashley
This executive decree declares the Santa Ana Conservation Center, covering approximately 50.45 hectares in Santa Ana, San José, as a protected wild area under the 'Urban Natural Park' (PANU) management category, named Lorne Ross Ashley. It is grounded in the constitutional right to a healthy environment, the Organic Environmental Law, the Biodiversity Law,…
Decreto 444152024
Ratificación del Protocolo de Nagoya
This Executive Decree formally ratifies the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization, adopted on October 29, 2010, in Japan. The Decree gives effect to prior legislative approval through Law 10372, in compliance with the constitutional procedure for incorporating…
Decreto 445692024
Reglamento al artículo 39 de la Ley de Biodiversidad
This Executive Decree No. 44569-MINAE regulates the contracting of non-essential services and activities (SANE) within state-owned wild protected areas (ASP) pursuant to the amended Article 39 of Biodiversity Law No. 7788. Only community development associations, cooperatives, microenterprises, and non-profit social organizations made up of inhabitants…
Decreto 446622024
Reglamento al artículo 80 de la Ley de Biodiversidad
This executive decree regulates the mandatory prior consultation with the Technical Office of CONAGEBIO, required of the Intellectual Property Registry (RPI) and the National Seeds Office (ONS) before granting patents or plant variety titles that involve genetic or biochemical resources or associated traditional knowledge of biodiversity. It establishes…
Decreto 447192024
Reforma del Reglamento a la Ley de Protección Fitosanitaria sobre Organismos Vivos Modificados
Executive Decree 44719-MAG, signed in July 2024, amends two provisions of the Regulation to the Plant Protection Law (Decree 26921-MAG of 1998) concerning living modified organisms (LMOs) for agricultural use. Based on the Plant Protection Law (No. 7664), the Biodiversity Law (No. 7788), the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Cartagena Protocol on…
Decreto 442442023
Reforma al Reglamento de Protección Fitosanitaria sobre Biotecnología Moderna
Executive Decree 44244-MAG reforms the Regulation to the Phytosanitary Protection Law to update the regulatory framework for living modified organisms (LMOs) for agricultural use and new breeding techniques. It incorporates definitions and procedures aligned with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. It classifies organisms obtained through genome editing…
Decreto 442582023
Creación del Monumento Natural Zona de los Santos
This executive decree establishes the Zona de los Santos Natural Monument, a 1,861.36-hectare protected wilderness area in the cantons of Dota, Tarrazú, and León Cortés. The creation addresses the need to safeguard the water, forest, and scenic resources of the Cerros San Pedro, La Trinidad, La Roca, and Abejonal, which serve as the primary water source…
Decreto 411242018
Reglamento para la gestión y reconocimiento de servicios ecosistémicos
This executive decree establishes the regulatory framework for SINAC to manage and recognize ecosystem services (ES) provided by the State Natural Heritage and private lands important for conservation. It defines economic and non-economic mechanisms —such as trusts, payments for ES, conservation credits, royalties, debt-for-nature swaps, partnerships, and…
Decreto 415912018
Reforma a las Normas Generales de Acceso a Recursos Genéticos y Bioquímicos y Reglamento para Acceso ex situ
This decree amends and clarifies procedures for access to genetic and biochemical resources of biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge, under both in situ and ex situ conditions. It updates definitions, requirements for basic research, bioprospecting, and economic use permits, and strengthens obligations on prior informed consent and fair…
Decreto 401102016
Reglamento Modelo de Gobernanza Compartida Parque Nacional Cahuita
Executive Decree No. 40110-MINAE of December 2016 regulates the functioning of the shared governance model of Cahuita National Park, recognizing and formalizing a more than twenty-year practice of co-management between the local community—primarily Afro-descendant—and the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC). The regulation establishes a Local…
Decreto 388822015
Entrega al Museo Nacional de la colección biológica ex situ del INBIO
Executive Decree 38882 regulates the transfer of all ex situ biological collections and associated information from the National Biodiversity Institute (INBIO) to the National Museum of Costa Rica for custody, conservation, and research. It declares these collections—and any others held by the Museum—to be of national and cultural public interest. An…
Decreto 393412015
Reglamento de Sanciones por Acceso No Autorizado a Recursos Genéticos y Bioquímicos
This executive decree establishes the administrative sanctioning procedure to apply fines and measures provided in Articles 112 and 113 of the Biodiversity Law No. 7788, in cases of unauthorized access to genetic and biochemical resources of Costa Rican biodiversity. It defines unauthorized access as access carried out without a permit from the CONAGEBIO…
Decreto 382002014
Nombramiento de Miembros de la Comisión Nacional para la Gestión de la Biodiversidad
This executive decree appoints the principal and alternate representatives of the Asociación Mesa Nacional Campesina to the National Commission for Biodiversity Management (CONAGEBIO) for a three-year term, pursuant to Article 15 of the Biodiversity Law. The Commission, as a deconcentrated body of MINAE with instrumental legal capacity, is tasked with…
Decreto 385232014
Nombramiento de miembro de la CONAGEBIO
This executive decree appoints Patricia Madrigal Cordero as a full member representing the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) on the National Commission for Biodiversity Management (CONAGEBIO). She is designated for a full three-year term, in accordance with Article 15 of Biodiversity Law No. 7788. Additionally, the previous appointment contained…
Decreto 385842014
Nombramiento de Julio Jurado a la CONAGEBIO
Executive Decree No. 38584-MINAE of July 2, 2014, appoints Mr. Julio Jurado Fernández as a full member of the National Commission for Biodiversity Management (CONAGEBIO), representing the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC). The appointment is for a full three-year term, in accordance with Article 15 of the Biodiversity Law No. 7788. CONAGEBIO is…
Decreto 379352013
Nombra miembro de la Comisión Nacional para la Gestión de la Biodiversidad
This Executive Decree appoints a representative of the forestry concessionaires' sector as a member of the National Commission for Biodiversity Management (CONAGEBIO), in fulfillment of Article 14 of the Biodiversity Law No. 7788. The norm is an administrative act of individual designation, without general normative content, and has been amended twice,…
Decreto 379862013
Resumen Ejecutivo del Plan de Manejo del Humedal Nacional Térraba-Sierpe
Executive Decree 37986-MINAE officially publishes the Executive Summary of the General Management Plan for the Térraba-Sierpe National Wetland (HNTS), approved by the National Council of Conservation Areas. The plan establishes a condition-based zoning system (pristine, semi-natural, social, influence, and buffer zones), specifying conservation objectives,…
Decreto 380812013
Reglamento de Organización y Funcionamiento del Consejo Regional del Área de Conservación Pacífico Central
This executive decree establishes the structure, functions, and procedures of the Regional Council of the Central Pacific Conservation Area (CORAC-ACOPAC). It regulates the democratic election of its members, composed of representatives from government institutions, non-governmental organizations, community organizations, and municipalities, all with voice…
Decreto 371072012
Nombramiento de miembro de CONAGEBIO
This executive decree appoints Fiorella Donato Calderón as a full member of the National Commission for Biodiversity Management (CONAGEBIO), representing the National Council of Rectors, for a full three-year term. It also repeals a prior appointment decree from 2009. The decree is based on Biodiversity Law No. 7788, which created CONAGEBIO as a…
Decreto 372082012
Nombramiento de miembro de CONAGEBIO
This executive decree appoints Mr. Rafael Ángel Gutiérrez Rojas as a full member of the National Commission for Biodiversity Management (CONAGEBIO) representing the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC). The appointment is for a full three-year term, as stipulated in Article 15 of the Biodiversity Law No. 7788. The decree also expressly repeals the…
Decreto 372572012
Nombramiento de representante ante CONAGEBIO
This executive decree appoints Eva María Carazo Vargas as a full member of the National Commission for Biodiversity Management (CONAGEBIO), representing the Costa Rican Federation for Environmental Conservation (FECON). The appointment is for a three-year term, in accordance with Article 15 of the Biodiversity Law No. 7788. It also repeals the previous…
Decreto 372742012
Reglamento del Consejo Regional del Área de Conservación La Amistad Caribe
This executive decree establishes the internal regulations for the constitution, operation, financing, and administration of the Regional Council of the La Amistad Caribe Conservation Area (CORAC ACLA-C), pursuant to the Biodiversity Law No. 7788 and its Regulations. It defines the call for a Public Assembly with representation from eight sectors…
Decreto 364272011
Programa Nacional de Humedales y Comité Nacional de Humedales
This executive decree creates the National Wetlands Program within the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) as the technical structure responsible for promoting, planning, and developing Costa Rica's wetlands. It also establishes a National Advisory Council on Wetlands, composed of government authorities, indigenous representatives, and…
Decreto 364522011
Crea Área Marina de Manejo Montes Submarinos
This executive decree, signed by the President and the Minister of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications, creates the Bicentennial Marine Management Area (originally called Montes Submarinos) in the Costa Rican Pacific, covering approximately 106,283.66 km². The new protected area, which surrounds Cocos Island National Park, aims to conserve the high…
Decreto 366032011
Nombramiento de Representantes Campesinos en CONAGEBIO
This executive decree appoints a proprietary member and an alternate representing the Asociación Mesa Nacional Campesina to the National Commission for Biodiversity Management (CONAGEBIO). The measure is based on Article 15 et seq. of Biodiversity Law No. 7788, which establishes the plural composition of the body with representation from various social…
Decreto 366992011
Ampliación del gasto presupuestario máximo de CONAGEBIO para 2011
This executive decree increases the maximum budget expenditure authorized for the National Commission for Biodiversity Management (CONAGEBIO) in 2011, raising it by ₡31,701,005.67. The increase is based on a request from CONAGEBIO, endorsed by the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications, to cover salary payments for the Technical Office from…
Decreto 366942011
Nombramiento de miembro de CONAGEBIO
This executive decree appoints Walter Quirós Ortega as a full member of the National Commission for Biodiversity Management (CONAGEBIO), representing the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. The appointment is for a full three-year term, in accordance with Article 15 of the Biodiversity Law. The decree also repeals a prior appointment contained in…
Decreto 367042011
Nombra miembro de la Comisión Nacional para la Gestión de la Biodiversidad
Executive Decree 36704-MINAET, signed on June 23, 2011, by the President of the Republic and the Minister of Environment, Energy, and Telecommunications, appoints a proprietary member and two substitute members to the National Biodiversity Management Commission (CONAGEBIO). CONAGEBIO is a decentralized body of MINAET created by Biodiversity Law No. 7788,…
Decreto 368062011
Nombramiento de miembro de la CONAGEBIO
This executive decree appoints Elizabeth Arnáez Serrano as an alternate member representing the National Council of Rectors to the National Biodiversity Management Commission (CONAGEBIO) for a three-year term, in accordance with Article 15 of the Biodiversity Law. It also repeals several prior decrees that designated other alternate representatives from…
Decreto 355422009
Reglamento del Consejo Regional del Área de Conservación Marina Isla del Coco
This decree establishes the structure and operation of the Regional Council of the Cocos Island Marine Conservation Area (ACMIC), pursuant to Biodiversity Law No. 7788. The Council is composed of representatives from public institutions, municipalities, NGOs, and community organizations within the area's influence, aiming to integrate sectors for natural…
Decreto 344332008
Reglamento a la Ley de Biodiversidad
This executive decree develops the administrative and technical organization for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of biodiversity in Costa Rica, pursuant to Biodiversity Law No. 7788. It regulates the structure and functions of the National Commission for Biodiversity Management (CONAGEBIO) and the National System of Conservation Areas…
Decreto 349582008
Reglamento al Artículo 80 de la Ley de Biodiversidad
This executive decree developed the procedures for the mandatory prior consultation with the National Commission for Biodiversity Management (CONAGEBIO) required before granting intellectual or industrial property protection for innovations involving biodiversity elements. It also established the obligation to submit a report verifying compliance with…
Decreto 349592008
Reglamento al Artículo 78, Inciso 6) de la Ley de Biodiversidad
This executive decree aimed to regulate Article 78(6) of the Biodiversity Law, which sets out exceptions to patentability for inventions related to biodiversity. It sought to develop criteria to protect traditional knowledge and ensure equitable benefit-sharing, in line with the Convention on Biological Diversity and the TRIPS Agreement. However, the…
Decreto 315142003
Normas Generales para el Acceso a los Recursos Genéticos y Bioquímicos de la Biodiversidad
This executive decree regulates access to genetic and biochemical resources of biodiversity in Costa Rica, establishing three types of permits: basic research, bioprospecting, and economic use. It details the requirements and procedures to obtain them, including prior informed consent from providers—local communities, indigenous peoples, or landowners—and…
Decreto 278471999
Integración Comisión Nacional para Gestión de Biodiversidad
Executive Decree 27847-MINAE of 1999 creates the National Commission for Biodiversity Management (CONAGEBIO), tasked with advising the Executive Branch on biodiversity policy formulation and supervising the National Biodiversity Strategy. The commission includes representatives from key public institutions such as MINAE, MAG, ICT, Ministry of Health, and…
Decreto 170231986
Zona Protectora Tivives
This executive decree establishes the Tivives Protective Zone on the Pacific coast, covering approximately 2,368.75 hectares including the Mata Limón and Tivives mangroves and a remnant of tropical dry forest, considered the last representative stand of this ecosystem in the Central Pacific region. It places administration under the General Forestry…
Res. 16088-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Protección del Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio frente a visitación no controlada, abandono de sector y agricultura cercana
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed against SINAC for alleged violations of the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment in Manuel Antonio National Park. The petitioner claims: (1) uncontrolled tourism visitation exceeding the park's carrying capacity, causing ecosystem deterioration; (2) proliferation of infrastructure works…
Res. 31754-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de infraestructura en Refugio de Vida Silvestre Playa Hermosa-Punta Mala
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by a Spanish citizen on behalf of the Playa Hermosa-Punta Mala National Wildlife Refuge against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) and SINAC. The petitioner argued that deplorable infrastructure, staff shortages, and lack of supplies made it impossible to adequately protect olive ridley turtles…
Res. 32312-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Centro Cívico por la Paz en área protegida: fases preparatorias y principios preventivo y precautorio
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Municipality of Liberia and MINAE regarding the Civic Center for Peace project, planned within the Liberia Natural Monument Ecological and Recreational Park, a protected wild area. The petitioner claims that the project, involving the felling of approximately 200 trees, would cause severe…
Res. 21308-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Desafectación de 113 ha de Reserva Biológica Lomas de Barbudal
The Constitutional Chamber, by majority, dismissed a constitutional challenge to Law No. 9610, which modified the boundaries of the Lomas de Barbudal Biological Reserve to allow the construction of the PAACUME water supply project. The majority held that the law was supported by sufficient prior studies, that the disaffectation did not eliminate…
Res. 18213-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Acción de inconstitucionalidad contra excepción de pesca de atún con red de cerco en polígono oceánico
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a constitutional challenge against Articles 13 and 14 of Executive Decree No. 38681-MAG-MINAE, which exceptionally allowed purse seine tuna fishing in the oceanic polygon of Costa Rica's Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone when there was a shortage of raw material for the national tuna industry. The majority denied the…
Res. 13836-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Desafectación de la Reserva Biológica Lomas de Barbudal y proyecto PAACUME
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a constitutional challenge to Law 9610, which reduced 113 hectares of the Lomas de Barbudal Biological Reserve to allow a reservoir for the PAACUME water supply project and established compensation with adjacent private lands. The majority dismissed the action regarding the right to a healthy environment (Art. 50 of the…
Res. 24513-2019 Sala Constitucional2019 · Sala Constitucional
Prohibición del uso de neonicotinoides para proteger abejas
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by a congressman against the Ministry of Agriculture (MAG) for failing to ban neonicotinoid agrochemicals. The petitioner argued these pesticides are highly dangerous to bees and threaten food security and biodiversity. The Chamber requested expert reports from the University of Costa Rica and the…
Res. 10540-2013 Sala Constitucional2013 · Sala Constitucional
Inconstitucionalidad de la pesca de camarón con red de arrastre
The Constitutional Chamber declares unconstitutional the provisions of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Law that allowed shrimp trawling. The ruling is based on the serious environmental damage this technique causes to marine ecosystems, the high bycatch of accompanying fauna, and the violation of constitutional principles and international law, such as the…
Res. 13367-2012 Sala Constitucional2012 · Sala Constitucional
Requisitos de estudios técnicos para reducir áreas protegidas
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a facultative legislative consultation regarding Bill 18.207, which aimed to remove the coastal zone of the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge from its protective regime and subject it to the maritime-terrestrial zone regime. The Chamber declares the bill unconstitutional for violating Article 50 of the…
Res. 16938-2011 Sala Constitucional2011 · Sala Constitucional
Anulación de criterios que excluían humedales del Patrimonio Natural del Estado
The Constitutional Chamber partially upheld an unconstitutionality action against Articles 1, 2, and 3 of Executive Decree No. 35803-MINAET, which set technical criteria for wetland identification, classification, and conservation. The plaintiff argued that the norms restricted SINAC's protection and administration to only those wetlands declared as a…
Res. 09563-2006 Sala Constitucional2006 · Sala Constitucional
Personalidad jurídica instrumental de la CONAGEBIO y el SINAC es constitucional
The Constitutional Chamber rejected the unconstitutionality action against several articles of the Biodiversity Law (No. 7788) that grant instrumental legal personality to the National Commission for Biodiversity Management (CONAGEBIO) and the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), and assign them policy formulation, resource management, and…
Res. 17126-2006 Sala Constitucional2006 · Sala Constitucional
Constitucionalidad del cambio de uso de suelo en terrenos forestales privados para proyectos de conveniencia nacional
The Constitutional Chamber rejects a challenge to Articles 19(b) and 34 of the Forestry Law, which exceptionally allow tree cutting on private forest land and protected zones for projects declared of national interest. The plaintiff argued these provisions created a state privilege harming the right to a healthy environment, but the Chamber holds that they…
Res. 06380-2002 Sala Constitucional2002 · Sala Constitucional
Carga de la prueba en denuncias ambientales ante el TAA no revisable por inconstitución sin acto final
The Constitutional Chamber rejects outright an unconstitutionality claim filed against Article 109 of the Biodiversity Law (which shifts the burden of proof in administrative proceedings for environmental damage) and Article 9(l) of the Mining Code Regulations. The claimant, who faced an environmental complaint before the Environmental Administrative…
Resolución 0002-12026
Plan General de Manejo del Área Marina de Manejo Barra del Colorado
This resolution by the National Council of Conservation Areas (CONAC) officially adopts the 2026-2030 General Management Plan for the Barra del Colorado Marine Management Area, a protected marine-coastal area of approximately 66,782 hectares in Costa Rica's North Caribbean. The plan establishes a zoning scheme with two categories: Minimum Intervention Zone…
Resolución 0052026
Plan General de Manejo del bloque de ASP del ACG 2024-2033
This resolution approves and brings into effect the updated General Management Plan for the Protected Wildlands Block of the Guanacaste Conservation Area (ACG), valid for ten years. The plan establishes conservation targets, focal management elements for terrestrial and marine-coastal ecosystems, prioritized threats, zoning, and nine strategic projects for…
Resolución 00032025
Resolución 0003-2025: Plan General de Manejo del Parque Nacional Corcovado
Resolution R-SINAC-CONAC-0003-2025, approved by the National Council of Conservation Areas (CONAC) on January 20, 2025, formalizes the General Management Plan (PGM) for Corcovado National Park (PNC) for the period 2022-2031. Developed through a participatory process involving 87 people from institutions, NGOs, communities, and businesses, the PGM defines…
Resolución 0012025
Plan General de Manejo del Humedal Nacional Térraba-Sierpe
Resolution R-SINAC-CONAC-001-2025 approves and formalizes the General Management Plan (PGM) for the Térraba-Sierpe National Wetland (HNTS) Protected Area, located in the Osa Conservation Area (ACOSA). The PGM is the planning instrument that guides the protected area's management towards its long-term conservation objectives. It defines four zoning…
Resolución 00022025
Resumen Ejecutivo del Plan General de Manejo del Parque Nacional Piedras Blancas
Resolution R-SINAC-CONAC-0002-2025 approves and formalizes the General Management Plan for Piedras Blancas National Park for the 2023-2033 period. The document establishes conservation objectives, focal management elements—such as lowland forests, mangroves, lotic and lentic ecosystems, terrestrial mammals, needlefish, and corals—and a zoning scheme for…
Resolución 00152025
Plan General de Manejo del Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal 2025
Resolution R-SINAC-CONAC-0015-2025 approves the updated General Management Plan (GMP) for Arenal Volcano National Park (PNVA), developed through a participatory process with local and institutional stakeholders. The GMP establishes zoning of the protected area into six categories: zero intervention (78% of the park, maximum protection), low, medium, and…
Resolución 00862025
Plan General de Manejo del Área Marina de Manejo del Bicentenario
Resolution SINAC-ACMC-DR-RES-0086-2025 validates and approves the General Management Plan (PGM) for the Bicentennial Marine Management Area (AMMB), a new marine protected area established by Executive Decree No. 43368 of 2022. The PGM serves as the technical and planning instrument defining zoning, conservation objectives, focal management elements…
Resolución 0022024
Plan General de Manejo del Parque Nacional Isla del Coco 2024
Resolution 002-SINAC-ACMC-DR-2024 approves and formalizes the new General Management Plan (GMP) for Cocos Island National Park, an oceanic protected wild area of the National Park category created in 1978 and expanded in 2022. The GMP defines the vision, objectives, and strategies for the conservation of marine and insular biodiversity and the…
Resolución 0672024
Resumen del Plan General de Manejo de la Reserva Biológica Hitoy Cerere
The National System of Conservation Areas' National Council (CONAC) approves the Summary of the General Management Plan (PGM) for the Hitoy Cerere Biological Reserve (RBHC) for the 2019-2028 period. This technical planning instrument establishes the objectives, zoning, permitted and prohibited activities, and monitoring mechanisms for the administration of…
Resolución 0682024
Plan General de Manejo del Parque Nacional Chirripó
The General Management Plan (PGM) for Chirripó National Park serves as the guiding instrument for its administration and conservation, approved by the National Council of Conservation Areas (CONAC). It outlines strategic objectives to conserve and restore biodiversity and ecosystem services, promote low-impact tourism, and facilitate scientific research.…
Resolución 212023
Plan General de Manejo del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Privado Nogal
This resolution approves the General Management Plan for the Nogal Private National Wildlife Refuge, a technical planning instrument guiding the protected area's management toward long-term conservation goals. It identifies seven focal management elements, including the Sucio River, the tropical rainforest, and threatened species such as the Great Green…
Resolución 0042013
Plan General de Manejo del Parque Nacional Volcán Irazú
Resolution R-SINAC-CONAC-004-2013 approves and publishes the Irazú Volcano National Park General Management Plan for the period 2008-2013. This plan is the primary technical instrument for the park's administration and conservation, establishing zoning, management programs, and use regulations. It defines five management zones: strict protection,…
Resolución 062012
Plan de Manejo del Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Barra del Colorado
This document formalizes the Management Plan for the Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge (RNVSBC), approved by the National Council of Conservation Areas (CONAC). The plan establishes the refuge's zoning into five categories: Absolute Protection, Public Use, Special Use, Sustainable Use, and Human Settlements, with specific rules and prohibitions…
Resolución 112012
Plan de Manejo del Parque Nacional Isla del Coco
This resolution by the National Council of Conservation Areas (CONAC), R-SINAC-CONAC-11-2012, approves and publishes the Management Plan for Cocos Island National Park (PNIC). The plan establishes five management programs: Administration and Operations, Financing Management, Control and Surveillance, Natural and Cultural Resources Management, and…
Resolución 122012
Plan de Manejo del Parque Nacional Corcovado
This resolution by the National Council of Conservation Areas (CONAC) approves and publishes the Management Plan of Corcovado National Park. The document sets out the park's conservation objectives, its land and marine zoning based on desired intervention conditions, and strategic elements such as mission, vision, and values. The zoning defines zones of…