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Panama Struggles to Protect San Lorenzo Forest By Diane Jukofsky EL DORADO, Panama, September 29, 1999 (ENS) - It will all be over by noon on December 31, 1999. All Panama Canal lands and buildings once managed by the United States, some 265,000 acres, will have reverted to Panama in fulfillment of a 1977 treaty signed by U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos.
Panama Canal (Photo courtesy Colon 2000 Adventure Tours)One of the choicest pieces is the San Lorenzo protected area, about 30,000 acres of forest at the mouth of the Caribbean entrance to the canal. San Lorenzo reverted to Panama in June.To ensure that the mostly forested area remains intact and its protection benefits local residents, the Panamanian Center for Research and Social Action (CEASPA in its Spanish acronym) is working with the national environmental agency, the tourism institute, and the Interoceanic Regional Authority, the agency charged with coordinating how the reverted lands will be used. With $725,000 over four years from the Global Environmental Facility, a fund managed by the United Nations and World Bank, CEASPA has the delicate task of trying to unify the many people with different ideas about what to do with the San Lorenzo lands. The main way the nonprofit group will achieve that goal, says project coordinator Charlotte Elton, is through information sharing. CEASPA has held numerous community meetings and plans many more, so San Lorenzo’s neighbors feel they have a say in the area’s future. "Many feel that if San Lorenzo is a protected area, they won’t enjoy the benefits of development," Elton explains. "That’s a valid concern." CEASPA must also counteract a prevalent attitude that after nearly a century of U.S. presence in San Lorenzo, the land is available to whoever can move in first with a chainsaw. CEASPA is helping to train forest rangers who will patrol the area and work with residents and local governments so everyone understands what is permitted and what is not in San Lorenzo. Bolívar Zambrano, the regional administrator of the natural resources authority, ANAM, believes that illegal logging could be a problem in the area, since the forests hold magnificent and valuable hardwoods. He says that ANAM is committed to protecting the rainforest. "The area has an abundance of natural wealth important to all of Panama," he points out. "It is particularly valuable for migratory birds, which fly back and forth from North and South America."
San Lorenzo Fort (Photo courtesy Colon 2000)Elton believes that San Lorenzo’s natural resources and historic value add up to tremendous tourism potential which can bring new opportunities to local residents.One attraction is the San Lorenzo Fort. Constructed in the late 16th century as part of the defence system built by the Spanish Crown to protect transatlantic trade, in 1980 it was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the UN Education, Science and Cultural Organization. Birders will love the area. The Panama Audubon Society counted 357
species of birds in San Lorenzo during one 24 hour period, a record among
Audubon Society bird counts in the Western Hemisphere. Jaguar (Photo courtesy Brianna)The San Lorenzo forests also protect such endangered species as tapirs and jaguars.Along with wealthy developers, local farmers, and the landless poor, Elton has a vision for San Lorenzo. "In 10 years, we hope to see local people committed to the idea of protection, with training and job opportunities for them," she muses. "We see volunteer forest rangers and tourism, scientific research, and environmental education activities, with universities using the abandoned barracks, and some good hotels," Elton projects. She envisions an intact forest, where birdwatchers can still count record numbers of species, and jaguars can still roam the woods undisturbed. | |
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