Constitutionality review of Art. 7 of Possessory Information Law vs. Forestry LawConsulta de constitucionalidad sobre Art. 7 de Informaciones Posesorias frente a Ley Forestal

VOTO N° 0469-F-09 VOTO N° 0469-F-09 AGRARIAN TRIBUNAL OF THE SECOND JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OF SAN JOSÉ. Goicoechea, at fourteen hours thirty minutes on the twenty-sixth of June, two thousand nine.- Judicial Consultation on Constitutionality raised by this Tribunal before the Constitutional Chamber (Sala Constitucional), within the Possessory Information Proceeding (Proceso de Información Posesoria) filed by [Name1], whose particulars are known in the record, processed in the Agrarian Court (Juzgado Agrario) of the Second Judicial Circuit of Alajuela. Acting as Special Judicial Attorney-in-Fact (Apoderada Especial Judicial) for the title applicant is attorney Jorge López Chaves. The Instituto de Desarrollo Agrario, represented by [Name2], and the State, represented by the Deputy Procurator (Procurador Adjunto) Attorney Víctor Bulgarelli Céspedes, were joined as parties in the proceeding.- Drafted by Judge Darcia Carranza; and,

CONSIDERING:

I.- This proceeding concerns the titling, through the procedure established in the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, of a property located at [Address1] (Los Angeles), [Address2] (San Ramón) in the Province of Alajuela, with an area of twenty hectares, eight thousand nine hundred ninety-six meters and ten square decimeters, which it was indicated, when the proceeding began in the year two thousand one, was covered with virgin mountain and, according to certifications in the record from the User Service Office (Oficina de Atención al Usuario) of the Sistema Nacional de Areas Silvestres Protegidas of the Ministerio del Ambiente y Energía, now Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía y Telecomunicaciones, is entirely OUTSIDE ANY PROTECTED WILD AREA (AREA SILVESTRE PROTEGIDA). The trial court judge rejected the titling based on the same criteria established by this Tribunal in vote No. 1021-F-05 at 16:15 hours on December 7, 2005, which will be transcribed below, upon considering that it involved a primary forest and that this type of property is considered part of the forest and natural heritage of the State (patrimonio forestal y natural del Estado), which is not susceptible to private appropriation as they are public domain assets (bienes demaniales), based on Article 11 of the Ley de Tierras y Colonización, 32 and 33 of the Ley Forestal 4465 of November 25, 1969, Ley Forestal No. 7032 of April 7, 1986, Ley Forestal No. 7174 of June 28, 1990, and Articles 13 and 14 of the Ley Forestal No. 7575 of February 5, 1996. In accordance with the provisions of Article 102 of the Ley de Jurisdicción Constitucional, this Tribunal considers, prior to resolving the Appeal (Recurso de Apelación) (Folio 198) filed by the title applicants against the first-instance judgment No. 23-2008, issued at nine hours sixteen minutes on the sixteenth of June, two thousand eight (Folio 186), that the constitutionality of Article 7 of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias must be consulted with the Constitutional Chamber (Sala Constitucional), insofar as it permits the titling of assets subject to the public domain (demanio público) such as the "Forests of the National Reserves" (Bosques de las Reservas Nacionales), which violates Article 50 of the Political Constitution regarding the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment.

II.- It is important to bring up what is stipulated by the Ley de Tierras y Colonización, number 2825 of October fourteenth, nineteen sixty-one, which in its Article 11, in what concerns us here, stipulates: “…While not proven otherwise, the following belong to the State in the capacity of national reserves (reservas nacionales): a) All lands within the limits of the Republic that are not registered as private property, or property of the Municipalities or Autonomous Institutions; b) Those not covered by ten-year possession (posesión decenal)…”. In reinforcement of the foregoing, it is necessary to analyze what the first Ley Forestal, number 4465 of November 25, 1969, said about forest property. It established in its Articles 32 and 33 the following: “Article 32.- The forest heritage of the State (patrimonio forestal del Estado) is constituted by all forests and forest lands (terrenos forestales) of the national reserves (reservas nacionales), of areas declared inalienable, of farms registered in its name, and of those belonging to municipalities, autonomous institutions, and other Public Administration bodies….” “Article 33.- The forest lands and forests that constitute the forest heritage of the State, detailed in the previous article, shall be unseizable (inembargables) and inalienable (inalienables); their possession by private parties shall not create any right in their favor, and the State’s action for recovery (acción reivindicatoria) over these lands is imprescriptible (imprescriptible). Consequently, they are not susceptible to registration in the Public Registry (Registro Público) through possessory information (información posesoria); their invasion and occupation shall be sanctioned in accordance with the provisions of this law.” (highlighting is the drafter’s). Based on the foregoing, the first forestry law classified forested areas and lands of forest aptitude within the National Reserves as public domain assets (bienes demaniales), qualifying them as unseizable, inalienable, and imprescriptible, not subject to private appropriation, this since nineteen sixty-nine. This aspect is confirmed by Article 8 of the regulation to that law, which states: "The National Lands included within the areas declared Forest Reserves (Reservas Forestales) are inalienable, meaning they cannot leave the domain of the State, and their possession shall not create any right of any kind in accordance with the provisions of Articles 25, 49, and 57 of the Ley Forestal".- Article 80 of the cited repealed Ley Forestal indicated: "The invasion and occupation of lands in National Parks (Parques Nacionales), Forest Reserves (Reservas Forestales), and Protective Zones (Zonas Protectoras) is prohibited. This prohibition extends to the National Reserves (Reservas Nacionales), until their classification and transfer have been determined..." Article 6 of this same law provided: " Any person who: a-) Exploits a forest of the forest heritage (patrimonio forestal) without the corresponding legal authorization... b-) Invades a National Park, Biological Reserve, Protective Zone, or Forest Reserve... shall be punished with imprisonment from six months to two years or with a fine of fifteen to one hundred days. ...If the invasion is in National Reserves (Reservas Nacionales), it shall be subject to the provisions of Article 227 of the Penal Code.-" As can be observed, possessory acts carried out in a State-heritage forest are illegitimate and therefore cannot confer any right of possession.- The aforementioned Law 4465, it can be noted, regulated in its entire content, in addition to the foregoing, the use and utilization of all the country's forests, both private and state-owned, such that the forest heritage of the State (patrimonio forestal del Estado) includes the entire national territory (Articles 4, 32 to 42), which in turn can be subdivided into three areas: A) That comprised by the forestry regime (régimen forestal) (Articles 1, 2, 7, 47 to 54, 66 to 81); B) Forest uses on private property lands (Articles 43 to 46, 60 to 65, 82 to 91); and C) the national reserves (reservas nacionales) (Articles 32 and following). For its part, the forestry regime (régimen forestal) —constituted by the set of provisions of a legal, economic, and technical nature, tasked with giving substance to the conservation, protection, and rational use of forests and forest lands (terrenos forestales) (Article 7)— also has three sub-areas: A) protective zones (zonas protectoras), B) national parks, forest reserves, and biological reserves, and C) forests and forest lands (terrenos forestales). The Land and Colonies Section (Sección de Tierras y Colonias) of the Rural Credit, Lands, and Colonies Department (Departamento de Crédito Rural, Tierras y Colonias) of the Banco de Costa Rica was assigned this function; it later passed to the Instituto de Tierras y Colonización, and upon the Ley Forestal No. 4465 entering into force, the administration of the forest heritage of the State (patrimonio forestal del Estado) was granted to the Dirección General Forestal created within the Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería. Today, the Dirección General Forestal is part of the Ministerio de Recursos Naturales, Energía y Minas (Articles 9 to 16). All lands considered as national reserves (reservas nacionales) are immediately affected for the purposes of the forestry regulations (Article 32). On them, the State may create —by Law or Executive Decree— forest reserves (reservas forestales), protective zones (zonas protectoras), national parks, wildlife refuges, and biological reserves, thus forming the forest heritage (patrimonio forestal) (Article 35). To be colonized or alienated, legislative authorization is required (Article 40), and even when possessed by third parties, they acquire no right, the State's right to recover (reivindicar) being imprescriptible (imprescriptible) (Article 33). The national reserves have a detailed regulation within the Chapter "On the use of the forest resource on lands of the State and other public administration bodies." These uses on the national reserves may only be carried out by concession granted by the Dirección General Forestal (Articles 55 and 56). The bids shall be processed according to technical forest management plans (planes técnicos de manejo forestal), subject to the bidding conditions (cartel) prepared by the Directorate (Article 55, subsection a), with the concessionaires providing sufficient guarantee (Article 56). No person may obtain concessions from the forest heritage (patrimonio forestal) in quantities exceeding the raw material needs they demonstrate they require. Authorizations obtained directly or through intermediaries in contravention of the above are null (Article 59). In a diametrically opposed position to that of the national reserves is that of private property, denominated in the law as "On the use of the forest resource on private property lands." These lands, for reasons of social interest, form part of the forest heritage of the State (patrimonio forestal del Estado). This is so because private parties —operating under any system (agricultural or livestock enterprise, for subdivision or colonization, whether nationals or foreigners)— if their work plans include forest exploitation or the elimination of the forest, in any form, must necessarily obtain express approval from the Dirección General Forestal, under the terms of the Ley Forestal and its regulation (Article 60). Therefore, the forest heritage of the State (patrimonio forestal del Estado) is applicable to all national assets where natural forest resources exist. To exploit their own timber resources, private parties must prepare technical forest plans (planes técnicos forestales), and the directorate shall grant them long-term concessions (Article 61). The foregoing implies a voluntary submission to the forestry regime (régimen forestal). This is a legal presumption as it turns out to be the only alternative for the private party who is prevented from felling trees, using or exploiting forest products within their own property if prior authorization from the Dirección General Forestal has not been obtained (Articles 63 and 65). For these purposes, the State grants a series of incentives for the management and regulation of forests and forest lands (terrenos forestales) of private domain, especially through Forest Bond Certificates (Certificados de Abono Forestal) (Articles 82 to 86) and other fiscal incentives (Article 87). As the Dirección General Forestal must have trained personnel, forest rangers (guardabosques), and maintains relations with authorities, it shall provide owners with all necessary collaboration to keep their properties free from invaders and occupants (Article 67). Forests and lands of forest aptitude also exist. Whether state-owned or reduced to private domain, they are subject to the purposes of the Law. They are of public utility and therefore subject to expropriation, except those voluntarily submitted to the forestry regime (régimen forestal), where afforestation, reforestation, and natural forest management projects are efficiently developed (Articles 1 and 4). Forests (bosques) are "all plant associations composed predominantly of trees and other woody vegetation" (Article 6). Lands of forest aptitude (terrenos de aptitud forestal) shall be those declared as such by the Dirección General Forestal according to the official methodology for land classification (Article 5). Within this framework, the forest management plan (plan de manejo forestal) establishes the technical standards to regulate actions executed in a forest or on lands of forest aptitude, in order to conserve, develop, and improve the tree vegetation existing there or intended to be established. Its foundation lies in the principle of rational use of renewable natural resources (Article 8). The forests and lands of forest aptitude constituting both public and private forest areas are subject to the respective management plan. It seeks to allow their conservation and promotion, in accordance with economic and silvicultural principles (Articles 47 and 48).

Subsequently, the next Ley Forestal, number 7032 of April 7, 1986, contained regulations regarding the forest heritage of the State (patrimonio forestal del Estado) and established the same as the previously transcribed law in the same articles. This last regulation was declared unconstitutional, restoring the validity of Law 4465, already mentioned. In the year nineteen ninety, a new Ley Forestal was enacted, under number 7174 of June 28, 1990, which again enshrines the public domain status (demanialidad) of lands with forests and forest lands of the National Reserves (Reservas Nacionales). Said law was in force until February fifth, nineteen ninety-six, the date of enactment of the current Ley Forestal number 7575. This standard again contemplates the public domain status (demanialidad) of forested areas and lands of forest aptitude within the national reserves by stating, in what concerns us here, in its Article 13: “… The natural heritage of the State (Patrimonio natural del Estado) shall be constituted by the forests and forest lands (terrenos forestales) of the national reserves (reservas nacionales) …”. Likewise, Article 14 of said regulatory body indicates: “…The forest lands (terrenos forestales) and forests that constitute the natural heritage of the State (patrimonio natural del Estado), detailed in the previous article, shall be unseizable (inembargables) and inalienable (inalienables); their possession by private parties shall not create any right in their favor, and the State’s action for recovery (acción reinvindicatoria) over these lands is imprescriptible (imprescriptible). Consequently, they cannot be registered in the Public Registry (Registro Público) through possessory information (información posesoria), and both the invasion and the occupation thereof shall be sanctioned in accordance with the provisions of this law…”. Furthermore, Article 58 of the current Ley Forestal also regulates as a crime the invasion of forest areas or lands subject to the forestry regime (régimen forestal), regardless of the area occupied. Such subjection is imposed by the same rule when categorizing the areas of the national reserves as part of the Natural Heritage of the State (Patrimonio Natural del Estado), as indicated above.

III.- Consequently, with the foregoing regulatory analysis, it is clear a special regime exists, applicable to forest resources, the genesis of forest property, with the law's validity. From the foregoing, there is not the slightest doubt that the national reserves (reservas nacionales) are subject by law to this forest property regime, as they belong to the State, and according to the analysis, the forested lands and lands of forest aptitude have not left the classification of public domain assets (bienes de dominio público) conferred through the different forestry laws that have been in force through time to the present. When possession of a public domain asset (bien demanial) is disputed, that discussion is only appropriate when the right was acquired before the asset was declared as being of public domain (dominio público). Likewise, the right of ownership in such cases may only be obtained when the holder has demonstrated ten-year possession (posesión decenal), exercised at least ten years prior to the date of entry into force of the law declaring the object as Natural Heritage of the State (Patrimonio Natural del Estado). It is important to mention that the Constitutional Chamber (Sala Constitucional) has been vehement in requiring judges to analyze from when an asset became affected to the public domain (demanio público).- In that sense, the Constitutional Chamber (Sala Constitucional), in Vote No. 4587 at 15:45 hours on August 5, 1997, in which it analyzed the constitutionality of the cited Article 7, held that in order to title lands located in the protected zones indicated therein, the interested party had to demonstrate possession ten years before the validity of the respective Decree. The Chamber said, basically, on that occasion: "… given the nature of the asset intended to be titled (public thing), the period of possession suitable for usucapion (usucapión) must elapse before the asset’s classification as public domain (dominio público) occurs. That is, the declaration as a protected wild area (área silvestre protegida) prevents possession subsequent to the classification from counting, and prevents fulfilling the requirements for usucapion if the right has not been acquired at that moment, that is, if the ten years of possession suitable for usucapion under the conditions established by law have not elapsed… it is important to synthesize the basic elements handled at the doctrinal and jurisprudential level on these issues, and that oblige the judge – in relation to the challenged norm – to determine in each case the specific type of possessory act exercised on the property – that becomes part of the protected wild area (área silvestre protegida) – intended to be titled. The foregoing, so that the judge has a broader criterion – not limited to the date of entry into force of the law or executive decree defining the limits of a specific wild area – to establish with greater precision the moment when said assets became inalienable (inalienables) and imprescriptible (imprescriptibles), for the purpose of determining whether possession ad usucapionem (posesión ad usucapionem) was exercised on them for ten years prior to their acquiring that condition. This broader perspective favors the protection of the Nation's environmental heritage, dictates that when it is intended to title – through the procedure of possessory informations (informaciones posesorias) – a property located within a protected wild area (área silvestre protegida), the discussion is not reduced to the simple calculation of the time elapsed since entry onto a property in relation to the date the declaration of protected wild area was made, since – on one hand – the elements contemplated by each specific type of possession must be considered for the purpose of accrediting possession ad usucapionem during the period established in Article 7 of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, and – on the other hand – the possible existence of norms that long ago declared those lands inalienable (inalienables), even before their specific classification as public domain (dominio público)… ".

IV.- On the other hand, we have the provisions of Article 7 of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias which provides, in relevant part: " Article 7.- When the property to which the information refers is comprised within a protected wild area (área silvestre protegida), whatever its management category, the title applicant must demonstrate being the holder of the legal rights over ten-year possession (posesión decenal), exercised at least ten years prior to the date of entry into force of the law or decree creating that wild area. Farms located outside those areas and having forests may only be titled if the promoter demonstrates being the holder of the legal rights of ten-year possession (posesión decenal), exercised for at least ten years, and having protected that natural resource, with the understanding that the property must be duly demarcated and with fences or clean lanes...". The foregoing norm permits the titling of forested areas, outside protected wild areas (áreas silvestres protegidas), which contravenes the provisions of the regulations previously cited. That is, there exists contradictory norms among themselves: on one hand, the Ley Forestal declares the Natural Heritage of the State (Patrimonio Natural del Estado) as Public Domain (Demanio Público), among which are the forests and forest lands of the National Reserves (Reservas Nacionales), and on the other hand, the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias would be permitting the titling of assets that continue to be subject to the public domain (demanio público). It is worth noting, the regulation governing the "Forest" resource is the Ley Forestal and not the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, which becomes a law of a general nature that regulates the titling of unregistered properties. From this perspective, we also have that the principle of specialty of norms comes into play.

V.- The recognition of the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment marks a milestone in the country's ecological history. It contains guidelines of the highest axiological content whose development is not exclusively national. On the contrary, it is a movement of a universal character whose result has been to place the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment as a true human right. It is placed within the so-called third-generation rights: a step beyond classic human rights, civil or political (first generation) and economic, social, and cultural rights (second generation). This has provided the basis for formulating a new legal classification: Ecological Law. Today it has a very defined object in natural resources, and its complex of sources characterized by organicity and completeness. Just to mention two fundamental documents promoted by the United Nations, in which Costa Rica has participated, the "Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment," held in Stockholm in June 1972, and the "Declaration on the Right to Development," approved by the General Assembly in its resolution 41-128 of December 4, 1986, must be emphasized. The first, based on the premise that "man is both creature and moulder of his environment, which gives him physical sustenance and affords him the opportunity for intellectual, moral, social and spiritual growth," establishes as fundamental principles - among others - the following: "The natural resources of the earth, including the air, water, land, flora and fauna and especially representative samples of natural ecosystems, must be safeguarded for the benefit of present and future generations through careful planning or management, as appropriate... The capacity of the earth to produce vital renewable resources must be maintained and, wherever practicable, restored or improved... Man has a special responsibility to safeguard and wisely manage the heritage of wildlife and its habitat, which are now gravely imperilled by a combination of adverse factors. Nature conservation, including wildlife, must therefore receive importance in planning for economic development... The non-renewable resources of the earth must be employed in such a way as to guard against the danger of their future exhaustion and to ensure that benefits from such employment are shared by all mankind... Resources should be made available to preserve and improve the environment, taking into account the circumstances... In order to achieve a more rational management of resources and thus to improve the environment, States should adopt an integrated and coordinated approach to their development planning so as to ensure that development is compatible with the need to protect and improve environment for the benefit of their population... All countries, big or small, must approach international matters concerning the protection and improvement of the environment in a cooperative spirit and on an equal footing ...". For its part, the "Declaration on the Right to Development" proclaims: "The human right to development also implies the full realization of the right of peoples to self-determination, which includes, subject to the relevant provisions of both International Covenants on Human Rights, the exercise of their inalienable right to full sovereignty over all their natural wealth and resources ...".

VI.- It is important to mention Vote No. 16975-2008 at 14:53 hours on November 12, 2008, issued by the Constitutional Chamber (Sala Constitucional), which refers to the Natural Heritage of the State (Patrimonio Natural del Estado) and its classification as public domain (demanio público): "... IV.- The Chamber considers that the impugned decree is unconstitutional in its entirety, for violating Article 50 of the Political Constitution, which recognizes the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment. Indeed, as the report of the Procuraduría General de la República has highlighted, the Natural Heritage of the State (Patrimonio Natural del Estado) is a public domain asset (bien de dominio público) whose conservation and administration are entrusted, by law, to the Ministerio del Ambiente y Energía, through the Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación (Ley Forestal, arts. 6 subsec. a and 13 para. 2°, and 14; Ley Orgánica del Ambiente, Article 32, para. 2°). It is composed of two important components: a) The Protected Wild Areas (Áreas Silvestres Protegidas), whatever their management category, declared by Law or Executive Decree: forest reserves (reservas forestales), protective zones (zonas protectoras), national parks, biological reserves, national wildlife refuges, wetlands, and natural monuments (Ley Forestal 7575, arts. 1°, para. 2°, 3° subsection i; Ley Orgánica del Ambiente 7554, Article 32; Ley de Biodiversidad No. 7788, arts. 22 and following and 58; Ley del Servicio de Parques Nacionales No. 6084, Article 3° subsecs. d and f, in relation to the Ley Orgánica del MINAE No. 7152 and its Regulation; Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre No. 7317, Article 82, subsection a). b) The other forests and forest lands (terrenos forestales) or lands of forest aptitude of the State and public institutions (Article 13 of the Ley Forestal), which have an immediate legal classification. For the maritime-terrestrial zone (zona marítimo terrestre), Law 6043 itself (Article 73) excludes Protected Wild Areas from its scope and subjects them to their own legislation. The rest of the forested areas and lands of forest aptitude of the littorals are also under the administration of the Ministerio del Ambiente and are governed by their specific regulations (Ley Forestal, Article 13 and concordant articles). In this vote, the Constitutional Chamber (Sala Cosntitucional) recognizes the public domain status (demanialidad) of forests, as these belong to the Natural Heritage of the State (Patrimonio Natural del Estado).

VII.- Consequently, forestry regulations establish, for all cases and throughout the national territory —and not just for some—, a special regime applicable to all forest resources, from which forest property arises. The national reserves (reservas nacionales) are subject by law to the regime, as belonging to the State, the legislative will requires no other requirement, and expropriation is only appropriate when, in the case of private assets, they are affected to form national parks, forest reserves, or biological reserves, forests or forest lands. Based on all the foregoing, the Tribunal is faced with the dilemma in this particular case of applying Article 7 of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, which permits the titling of forested areas, or the Ley Forestal in its Articles 13, 14, and 15, and Article 11 of the Ley de Tierras y Colonización, which declares them public domain (demanio público) as part of the national reserves (reservas nacionales) that make up the Natural Heritage of the State (Patrimonio Natural del Estado). A supervening unconstitutionality (inconstitucionalidad sobrevenida) could eventually arise given the State's obligation in the protection of the forest resource and the environment, as provided for in Article 50, contemplated within third-generation human rights, therefore it is sent to the Constitutional Chamber (Sala Constitucional) so that it may determine the constitutionality of the norms set forth. The parties must be summoned for a period of three days, after which the suspension of this proceeding and the remittance of the case file to the Chamber is ordered, for it to resolve as it deems appropriate. The parties must indicate a means for receiving notifications, under warning that in case of non-compliance, automatic notification shall be applied.-

THEREFORE:

Judicial consultation on constitutionality is ordered before the Constitutional Chamber (Sala Constitucional), regarding the second paragraph of Article 7 of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, which permits the titling of areas covered by forests, or the Ley Forestal in its Articles 13, 14, and 15, and Article 11 of the Ley de Tierras y Colonización, which declares them public domain (demanio público) as part of the national reserves (reservas nacionales) that make up the Natural Heritage of the State (Patrimonio Natural del Estado). A supervening unconstitutionality (inconstitucionalidad sobrevenida) could eventually arise given the State's obligation in the protection of the forest resource and the environment, as provided for in Article 50, contemplated within third-generation human rights, therefore it is sent to the Constitutional Chamber (Sala Constitucional) so that it may determine the constitutionality of the norms set forth. The parties must be summoned for a period of three days, after which the suspension of this proceeding and the remittance of the case file to the Chamber is ordered, for it to resolve as it deems appropriate. The parties must indicate a means for receiving notifications, under warning that in case of non-compliance, automatic notification shall be applied.- ANTONIO DARCIA CARRANZA ENRIQUE ULATE CHACÓN JOSÉ FRANCISCO CHACÓN ACUÑA N° EXPN1 POSSESSORY INFORMATION TIT: [Nombre1] C.B.M VOTO N° 0469-F-09 AGRARIAN TRIBUNAL OF THE SECOND JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OF SAN JOSÉ. Goicoechea, at fourteen hours thirty minutes on the twenty-sixth of June, two thousand nine.- Judicial Consultation on Constitutionality raised by this Tribunal before the Constitutional Chamber (Sala Constitucional), within the Possessory Information Proceeding filed by [Nombre1], with known particulars in the case record, processed in the Agrarian Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of Alajuela. Acting as Special Judicial Attorney-in-Fact for the title applicant is Attorney Jorge López Chaves. The Agrarian Development Institute (Instituto de Desarrollo Agrario), represented by [Nombre2], and the State, represented by the Deputy Procurator Attorney Víctor Bulgarelli Céspedes, were included as parties in the proceeding.- Drafted by Judge Darcia Carranza; and,

CONSIDERING:

I.- This proceeding concerns the titling, through the procedure established in the Law of Possessory Information, of a piece of land located at [Dirección1] (Los Angeles), [Dirección2] (San Ramón) in the Province of Alajuela, with an area of twenty hectares, eight thousand nine hundred ninety-six point ten square meters, which was indicated, when the proceeding began in the year two thousand one, to be covered with virgin forest and according to certifications in the case record from the User Service Office of the National System of Protected Wild Areas (Sistema Nacional de Areas Silvestres Protegidas) of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (Ministerio del Ambiente y Energía), currently the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications, it is located entirely OUTSIDE ANY PROTECTED WILD AREA. The judge of first instance rejected the titling based on the same criteria established by this Tribunal in vote Nº 1021- F-05 of 16:15 hours on December 7, 2005, which will be transcribed below, considering that it concerns a primary forest and deeming this type of property as forest and natural heritage of the State, which is not susceptible to private appropriation as they are demanial (demaniales) goods, relying on Article 11 of the Law of Lands and Colonization, 32 and 33 of Forest Law (Ley Forestal) 4465 of November 25, 1969, Forest Law (Ley Forestal) Nº 7032 of April 7, 1986, Forest Law (Ley Forestal) Nº 7174 of June 28, 1990, and Articles 13 and 14 of Forest Law (Ley Forestal) Nº 7575 of February 5, 1996. In accordance with the provisions of Article 102 of the Law of Constitutional Jurisdiction, this Tribunal considers, before resolving the Appeal (Folio 198) filed by the title applicants against the first-instance judgment Nº 23-2008, issued at nine hours sixteen minutes on June sixteenth, two thousand eight (Folio 186), that the Constitutional Chamber must be consulted regarding the constitutionality of Article 7 of the Law of Possessory Information, insofar as it allows the titling of assets affected to the public demanio (demanio público), such as the "Forests of the National Reserves," which undermines Article 50 of the Political Constitution regarding the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment.

II.- It is important to bring up what is stipulated by the Law of Lands and Colonization, number 2825 of October fourteenth, 1961, which in its Article 11, regarding what interests us, stipulates: "...Unless proven otherwise, they belong to the State in the character of national reserves: a) All lands comprised within the limits of the Republic that are not registered as private property, property of the Municipalities, or of the Autonomous Institutions; b) Those that are not protected by decennial possession (posesión decenal);...". In reinforcement of the above, it is necessary to analyze what was stated by the first Forest Law (Ley Forestal), number 4465 of November 25, 1969, regarding forest property. This law established in its Articles 32 and 33 the following: "Article 32.- The forest heritage of the State is constituted by all the forests and forest lands of the national reserves, of the areas declared inalienable, of the properties registered in its name, and of those belonging to the municipalities, the autonomous institutions, and the other bodies of the Public Administration…." "Article 33.- The forest lands and forests that constitute the forest heritage of the State, detailed in the previous article, shall be unseizable and inalienable; their possession by private individuals shall not cause any right in their favor and the State's action for recovery (acción reivindicatoria) over these lands is imprescriptible. Consequently, they are not susceptible to registration in the Public Registry by means of possessory information; their invasion and occupation shall be sanctioned in accordance with the provisions of this law." (the highlighting is by the drafter). Starting from the transcribed text, the first forest law classified forested areas and lands of forest aptitude within the National Reserves as demanial goods, qualifying them as unseizable, inalienable, and imprescriptible, not subject to private appropriation, this since nineteen sixty-nine. This aspect is confirmed by Article 8 of the regulation to that law which says: "The National lands comprised within the areas declared Forest Reserves are inalienable, that is, they may not leave the State's domain, and their possession shall not cause any right of any kind in accordance with the provisions of Articles 25, 49, and 57 of the Forest Law." Article 80 of the cited repealed Forest Law (Ley Forestal) indicated: "The invasion and occupation of lands in National Parks, Forest Reserves, and Protective Zones is prohibited. This prohibition extends to the National Reserves, until their classification and transfer have been determined..." Article 6 of this same law provided: " A person shall be sanctioned with imprisonment of six months to two years or with a fine of fifteen to one hundred days, who: a-) Exploits a forest of the forest heritage without the corresponding legal authorization... b-) Invades a National Park, Biological Reserve, Protective Zone, or Forest Reserve... If the invasion is in National Reserves, it shall be subject to the provisions of Article 227 of the Criminal Code.-" As can be observed, possessory acts carried out in a State heritage forest are illegitimate and therefore cannot confer any right of possession.- The aforementioned Law 4465, it can be noted, regulated in its entire content, in addition to what was stated above, the utilization and use of all the country's forests, both private and state, so that the forest heritage of the State includes the entire national territory (Articles 4, 32 to 42), which in turn can be subdivided into three areas: A) That comprised by the forest regime (Articles 1, 2, 7, 47 to 54, 66 to 81) B) Forest utilizations on private property lands (Articles 43 to 46, 60 to 65, 82 to 91); and C) the national reserves (Articles 32 and following). For its part, the forest regime - constituted by the set of provisions of a legal, economic, and technical nature, responsible for giving content to the conservation, protection, and rational utilization of forests and forest lands (Article 7) - also has three sub-areas: A) protective zones, B) national parks, forest and biological reserves, and C) forests and forest lands. It granted [this function] to the Lands and Colonies Section of the Department of Rural Credit, Lands and Colonies of the Bank of Costa Rica, it later passed to the Institute of Lands and Colonization, and upon the entry into force of Forest Law (Ley Forestal) Nº 4465, the administration of the forest heritage of the State was granted to the General Forestry Directorate created within the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. Today the General Forestry Directorate is part of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mines (Articles 9 to 16). All lands considered as national reserves are immediately subject to the purposes of the forestry regulations (Article 32). Over them, the State may create - by Law or by Executive Decree - forest reserves, protective zones, national parks, wildlife refuges, and biological reserves, thus forming the forest heritage (Article 35). To be colonized or alienated, legislative authorization is required (Article 40), and even if they are possessed by third parties, these acquire no right, the State's right to recover being imprescriptible (Article 33). The national reserves have a detailed regulation within the Chapter "On the utilization of the forest resource on lands of the State and other bodies of the public administration". These utilizations in the national reserves may only be carried out by concession granted by the General Forestry Directorate (Articles 55 and 56). The bidding processes shall be processed according to technical forest management plans, subject to the tender documents prepared by the Directorate (Article 55, subsection a), with the concessionaires providing sufficient guarantee (Article 56). No person may obtain concessions from the forest heritage in quantities exceeding the raw material needs they demonstrate they require. Authorizations obtained directly or through intermediaries, contrary to what is indicated, are null (Article 59). In a diametrically opposite position to that of the national reserves is that of private property, denominated in the law as "On the utilization of the forest resource on private property lands". These lands, for reasons of social interest, form part of the forest heritage of the State. This is so because private individuals - operating under any system (agricultural or livestock enterprise, for parceling or colonization, whether nationals or foreigners) - if their work plans include forest exploitation or the elimination of the forest, in any form, must necessarily obtain express approval from the General Forestry Directorate, under the terms of the Forest Law (Ley Forestal) and its regulation (Article 60). Therefore, the forest heritage of the State is applicable to all national assets where natural forest resources exist. To be able to exploit their own timber resources, private individuals must prepare technical forest plans, and the directorate shall grant them long-term concessions (Article 61). The foregoing implies a voluntary submission to the forest regime. This is a legal presumption since it results in the only alternative for the private individual who is prevented from cutting down trees, utilizing, or exploiting forest products, within their own property, if there is no prior authorization from the General Forestry Directorate (Articles 63 and 65). For these purposes, the State grants a series of incentives for the management and regulation of forests and forest lands of private domain, especially through Forest Payment Certificates (Certificados de Abono Forestal) (Articles 82 to 86) and other fiscal incentives (Article 87). As the General Forestry Directorate must have trained personnel, forest rangers, and maintains relations with the authorities, it shall provide the owners with all necessary collaboration to keep them free from invasions and occupants (Article 67). There also exist forests and lands of forest aptitude. Whether state-owned or reduced to private domain, they are subject to the purposes of the Law. They are of public utility and therefore susceptible to expropriation, except those voluntarily submitted to the forest regime, in which forestation, reforestation, and natural forest management projects are efficiently developed (Articles 1 and 4). Forests are "all plant associations composed predominantly of trees and other woody vegetation" (Article 6). The lands of forest aptitude shall be those declared as such by the General Forestry Directorate according to the official methodology for land classification (Article 5). Within this framework, the forest management plan establishes the technical standards to regulate the actions executed in a forest or on lands of forest aptitude, with the purpose of conserving, developing, and improving the tree vegetation that exists there or is intended to be established. It is based on the principle of rational use of renewable natural resources (Article 8). The forests and lands of forest aptitude that constitute both the public and private forest areas are subject to the respective management plan. It seeks to allow their conservation and promotion, in accordance with economic and silvicultural principles (Articles 47 and 48).

Subsequently, the next Forest Law (Ley Forestal), number 7032 of April 7, 1986, contained regulations regarding the forest heritage of the State and established the same as the previously transcribed one in the same articles. This latter regulation was declared unconstitutional, restoring the validity of Law 4465, already mentioned. By the year nineteen ninety, a new Forest Law (Ley Forestal) was enacted, under number 7174 of June 28, 1990, which once again enshrined the demaniality of lands with forests and forest lands of the National Reserves. The aforementioned law was in force until February fifth, nineteen ninety-six, the date of enactment of the current Forest Law (Ley Forestal), number 7575. This rule again contemplates the demaniality of the forested areas and lands of forest aptitude of the national reserves by stating, in what interests us, in its Article 13: "... The natural heritage of the State shall be constituted by the forests and forest lands of the national reserves ...". Likewise, Article 14 of said regulatory body indicates: "...The forest lands and forests that constitute the natural heritage of the State, detailed in the previous article, shall be unseizable and inalienable; their possession by private individuals shall not cause any right in their favor and the State's action for recovery over these lands is imprescriptible. Consequently, they cannot be registered in the Public Registry by means of possessory information and both the invasion and the occupation of them shall be sanctioned in accordance with the provisions of this law...". On the other hand, Article 58 of the current Forest Law (Ley Forestal) also regulates as a crime the invasion of areas of forests or lands subject to the forest regime, whatever the occupied area. Such subjection is made by the same rule when classifying the areas of the national reserves as part of the Natural Heritage of the State, as indicated above.

III.- Consequently, with the previous regulatory analysis, it is clear that a special regime exists, applicable to forest resources, the genesis of forest property, with the law's validity. From what has been stated, there is no doubt that the national reserves are legally subject to this forest property regime, as they belong to the State, and according to what has been analyzed, the forested lands and lands of forest aptitude have not left the classification of public domain assets (bienes de dominio público), given through the different forestry laws that have been in force over time up to the present. When possession over a demanial good is disputed, such discussion will only be admissible when the right was acquired before the good was declared as public domain. Likewise, the right of ownership in such cases may only be obtained when the holder has demonstrated decennial possession, exercised at least ten years prior to the effective date of the law declaring the object as Natural Heritage of the State. It is important to mention that the Constitutional Chamber has been emphatic regarding the need for judges to analyze from when a good becomes affected to the public demanio.- In that sense, the Constitutional Chamber in Voto N° 4587 of 15:45 hours on August 5, 1997, in which it analyzed the constitutionality of the cited Article 7, held that in order to title lands located in the protected zones indicated therein, the interested party had to demonstrate possession ten years before the validity of the respective Decree. Basically, the Chamber stated on that occasion: "... given the nature of the good sought to be titled (public thing), the period of possession suitable for usucapion (usucapión) must elapse before the classification of the good as public domain occurs. That is, the declaration of a protected wild area prevents possession subsequent to the classification from counting, and prevents the requirements for usucapion from being met if the right has not been acquired by that moment, that is, the ten years of possession suitable for usucapion under the conditions established by law have not elapsed... it is important to synthesize the basic elements handled at the doctrinal and jurisprudential level on these topics, and which obligate the judge - in relation to the challenged rule - to determine in each case the specific type of possessory act that has been exercised on the land – which becomes part of the protected wild area – that is sought to be titled. The foregoing is so that the judge has a broader criterion – not limited to the effective date of the law or executive decree defining the limits of a specific wild area – to establish with greater precision the moment when said goods became inalienable and imprescriptible, for the purposes of determining whether ad usucapionem possession was exercised over them for ten years prior to them acquiring that condition. This broader perspective favors the protection of the Nation's environmental heritage, determines that when titling is sought – through the possessory information procedure – of a land located within a protected wild area, the discussion is not reduced to the simple calculation of the time of entry onto a property in relation to the date on which the declaration of the protected wild area was made, since - on one hand, the elements contemplated by each specific type of possession must be considered for the purpose of accrediting ad usucapionem possession during the period established in Article 7 of the Law of Possessory Information, and – on the other hand- the possible existence of norms that long ago declared those lands inalienable, even before their specific classification as public domain...".

IV.- On the other hand, we have the provisions of Article 7 of the Law of Possessory Information, which provides in what is relevant: "Article 7°.- When the property to which the information refers is comprised within a protected wild area, whatever its management category, the title applicant must demonstrate being the holder of the legal rights over decennial possession, exercised at least ten years prior to the effective date of the law or decree in which that wild area was created.

Properties located outside those areas that have forests may only be titled if the petitioner proves they are the holder of the legal rights of ten-year possession (posesión decenal), exercised for at least ten years, and that they have protected that natural resource, on the understanding that the property must be duly demarcated and with fences or clear lanes...". </span><span style="line-height:150%; font-family:Arial; font-size:12pt; color:#010101">The foregoing rule permits the titling of forested areas outside of protected wilderness areas (áreas silvestres protegidas), which contravenes the provisions of the regulations cited above. That is to say, there exist contradictory rules: on the one hand, the Ley Forestal, which declares the State Natural Heritage (Patrimonio Natural del Estado) as public domain (demanio público), including forests and lands of forest aptitude (terrenos de aptitud forestal) within National Reserves (Reservas Nacionales); and on the other hand, the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, which would be permitting the titling of assets that continue to be subject to the public domain. It is worth noting that the regulation governing the "Forest" resource is the Ley Forestal and not the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, which becomes a law of a general nature that regulates the titling of unregistered properties. From this perspective, the principle of specialty of norms also comes into play.</span><span style="line-height:150%; font-size:12pt"> </span> <span> </span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">V.-</span><span> </span><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#010101">The recognition of the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment marks a milestone in the country's ecological history. It contains guidelines of the highest axiological content whose development is not exclusively national. On the contrary, it is a movement of a universal nature, the result of which has been to place the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment as a true human right. It is situated within so-called third-generation rights: a step forward from classic, civil, or political human rights (first generation) and from economic, social, and cultural rights (second generation). This has provided a basis for formulating a new legal classification: that of Ecological Law. Today it has a very defined object in natural resources, and its complex of sources is characterized by organicity and completeness. To mention just two fundamental documents promoted by the United Nations, in which Costa Rica has participated, one must highlight the "Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment", held in Stockholm in June 1972, and the "Declaration on the Right to Development", approved by the General Assembly in its resolution 41-128 of December 4, 1986. The first, based on the premise that "man is both creature and moulder of his environment, which gives him physical sustenance and affords him the opportunity for intellectual, moral, social and spiritual growth," establishes as fundamental principles—among others—the following: "The natural resources of the earth, including the air, water, land, flora and fauna and especially representative samples of natural ecosystems, must be safeguarded for the benefit of present and future generations through careful planning or management... . The capacity of the earth to produce vital renewable resources must be maintained and, wherever practicable, restored or improved... . Man has a special responsibility to safeguard and wisely manage the heritage of wildlife and its habitat, which are now gravely imperilled by a combination of adverse factors. Accordingly, in planning for economic development, importance must be attached to the conservation of nature, including wildlife... . The non-renewable resources of the earth must be employed in such a way as to guard against the danger of their future exhaustion and to ensure that benefits from such employment are shared by all mankind... . Resources should be directed to the conservation and improvement of the environment, taking into account the circumstances... . In order to achieve a more rational management of resources and thus to improve the environment, States should adopt an integrated and coordinated approach to their development planning so as to ensure that development is compatible with the need to protect and improve the human environment for the benefit of their population... . All countries, large or small, must address with a spirit of cooperation and on an equal footing the international issues relating to the protection and improvement of the environment ...". For its part, the "Declaration on the Right to Development" proclaims: "The human right to development also implies the full realization of the right of peoples to self-determination, which includes, subject to the relevant provisions of both International Covenants on Human Rights, the exercise of their inalienable right to full sovereignty over all their natural wealth and resources ...". </span> <span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">VI.</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic; color:#010101">-</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-style:italic; color:#010101"> </span><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#010101">It is important to mention Voto Nº 16975-2008 of 14:53 hours on November 12, 2008, issued by the Constitutional Chamber (Sala Constitucional), which refers to the State Natural Heritage and its attachment to the public domain: "... </span><span style="font-weight:bold; color:#010101">IV.- </span><span style="color:#010101">The Chamber considers that the challenged decree is unconstitutional in its entirety, for violating Article 50 of the Political Constitution, which recognizes the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment. In effect, as highlighted by the report of the Procuraduría General de la República, the State Natural Heritage is a public domain asset whose conservation and administration are entrusted, by law, to the Ministry of Environment and Energy (Ministerio del Ambiente y Energía), through the National System of Conservation Areas (Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación) (Ley Forestal, arts. 6 inc. a and 13 pfo.2°, and 14; Ley Orgánica del Ambiente, article 32, pfo. 2°). It is composed of two important components: </span><span style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic; color:#010101">a)</span><span style="color:#010101"> </span><span style="font-style:italic; color:#010101">Protected Wilderness Areas (Áreas Silvestres Protegidas)</span><span style="color:#010101">, whatever their management category, declared by Law or Executive Decree: forest reserves (reservas forestales), protective zones (zonas protectoras), national parks (parques nacionales), biological reserves (reservas biológicas), national wildlife refuges (refugios nacionales de vida silvestre), wetlands (humedales), and natural monuments (monumentos naturales) (Ley Forestal 7575, arts. 1°, pfo. 2°, 3° inciso i; Ley Orgánica del Ambiente 7554, article 32; Ley de Biodiversidad N° 7788, arts. 22 and sigts. and 58; Ley del Servicio de Parques Nacionales N° 6084, article 3° incs. d and f, in relation to the Ley Orgánica del MINAE N° 7152 and its Reglamento; Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre N° 7317, article 82, inciso a). </span><span style="font-weight:bold; font-style:italic; color:#010101">b) </span><span style="font-weight:bold; color:#010101">The other forests and forest lands or lands of forest aptitude of the State and public institutions (Article 13 of the Ley Forestal), which have an immediate legal attachment.</span><span style="color:#010101"> For the maritime terrestrial zone (zona marítimo terrestre), the same Ley 6043 (Article 73) excludes Protected Wilderness Areas from its scope and subjects them to their own legislation. The rest of the forested areas and lands of forest aptitude of the coastlines are also under the administration of the Ministry of Environment and are governed by its specific regulations (Ley Forestal, Article 13 and concordant). </span><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#010101">In this ruling, the Constitutional Chamber recognizes the public domain character of forests, as these belong to the State Natural Heritage.</span><span> </span> <span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">VII.-</span><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#010101"> Consequently, forest regulations establish, for all cases and throughout the national territory—and not only for some—a special regime applicable to all forest resources, from which forest ownership arises. National reserves are legally subject to the regime, since they belong to the State and the legislative will requires no other requirement, and expropriation only proceeds when private assets are affected to form national parks, forest or biological reserves, forests, or forest lands. Based on all the foregoing, the Tribunal is faced with the dilemma in this particular case of applying section 7 of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, which allows the titling of forested areas, or the Ley Forestal in its sections 13, 14, and 15, and section 11 of the Ley de Tierras y Colonización, which declares them public domain as part of the national reserves that make up the State Natural Heritage. A supervening unconstitutionality could eventually arise given the State's obligation to protect the forest resource and the environment as provided for in Article 50, embodied in third-generation human rights, for which reason the matter is referred to the Constitutional Chamber so that it may determine</span><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#010101"> the constitutionality of the stated norms. The parties must be summoned for a period of three days, after which the suspension of this process and the referral of the case file to the Chamber are ordered for whatever it deems appropriate to resolve. The parties must indicate a means</span><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#010101"> for receiving notifications, under warning that failure to comply will result in the application of automatic notification.-</span><span> </span> <span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">POR TANTO:</span><span> </span> <span style="font-family:Arial; color:#010101">The </span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">judicial consultation of constitutionality (consulta judicial de constitucionalidad)</span><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#010101"> is ordered before the Constitutional Chamber, regarding the second paragraph of Article 7 of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias that allows the titling of areas covered by forests, or the Ley Forestal in its sections 13, 14, and 15, and section 11 of the Ley de Tierras y Colonización that declares them public domain as part of the national reserves that make up the State Natural Heritage. A supervening unconstitutionality could eventually arise given the State's obligation to protect the forest resource and the environment as provided for in Article 50, embodied in third-generation human rights, for which reason the matter is referred to the Constitutional Chamber so that it may determine the constitutionality of the stated norms. The parties must be summoned for a period of three days, after which the suspension of this process and the referral of the case file to the Chamber are ordered for whatever it deems appropriate to resolve. The parties must indicate a means</span><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#010101"> for receiving notifications, under warning that failure to comply will result in the application of automatic notification.-</span><span> </span> <span>&#xa0;</span> <span>&#xa0;</span> <span>&#xa0;</span> <span>&#xa0;</span> <span>&#xa0;</span> <span>&#xa0;</span> <span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">ANTONIO DARCIA CARRANZA</span><span> </span> <span>&#xa0;</span> <span>&#xa0;</span> <span>&#xa0;</span> <span>&#xa0;</span> <span>&#xa0;</span> <span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">ENRIQUE ULATE CHACÓN</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">&#xa0;</span><span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101"> JOSÉ FRANCISCO CHACÓN ACUÑA</span><span> </span> <span style="font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#010101">EXP.

N° EXPN1 POSSESSORY INFORMATION TIT: [Name1] C.B.M I.- This proceeding concerns the titling, through the procedure established in the Law of Possessory Informations, of a property located at [Dirección1] (Los Angeles), [Dirección2] (San Ramón) in the Province of Alajuela, with an area of twenty hectares, eight thousand nine hundred ninety-six and ten square meters, which, when the proceeding began in 2001, was indicated to be covered by virgin forest and, according to certifications appearing in the case file from the User Service Office of the National System of Protected Wild Areas of the Ministry of Environment and Energy, currently the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications, is entirely OUTSIDE ANY PROTECTED WILD AREA.

The trial judge rejected the titling based on the same criteria established by this Court in vote No. 1021-F-05 at 4:15 p.m. on December 7, 2005, which will be transcribed below, finding that the property is a primary forest and considering this type of property as forest and natural heritage of the State, which is not susceptible to private appropriation as it constitutes public domain property, based on Article 11 of the Land and Colonization Law, 32 and 33 of the Forestry Law 4465 of November 25, 1969, Forestry Law No. 7032 of April 7, 1986, Forestry Law No. 7174 of June 28, 1990, and Articles 13 and 14 of Forestry Law No. 7575 of February 5, 1996. In accordance with the provisions of Article 102 of the Constitutional Jurisdiction Law, this Court considers, prior to resolving the Appeal (Folio 198) filed by the title applicants against the first-instance judgment No. 23-2008, issued at nine hours and sixteen minutes on June 16, two thousand eight (Folio 186), that the constitutionality of Article 7 of the Possessory Information Law must be consulted with the Constitutional Chamber, insofar as it permits the titling of property subject to public domain such as the "Forests of the National Reserves," which violates Article 50 of the Political Constitution regarding the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment.

**II.-** It is important to bring up what is stipulated by the Land and Colonization Law, number 2825 of October 14, 1961, which in its **Article 11**, in what concerns us, stipulates: "...While the contrary is not proven, **the following belong to the State as national reserves**: **a)** All lands within the limits of the Republic that are not registered as private property, property of Municipalities, or Autonomous Institutions; **b)** **Those not covered by ten-year possession**;...". In reinforcement of the above, it is necessary to analyze what was stated by the first Forestry Law, number 4465 of November 25, 1969, regarding forest ownership. It established in Articles 32 and 33 the following: **Article 32.- The forest heritage of the State is constituted by all forests and forest lands of the national reserves**, of the areas declared inalienable, of the farms registered in its name and of those belonging to municipalities, autonomous institutions, and other Public Administration bodies...." "**Article 33.- The forest lands and forests that constitute the forest heritage of the State, detailed in the previous article, shall be unseizable and inalienable; their possession by private parties shall not give rise to any right in their favor, and the State's right to reclaim these lands is imprescriptible. Consequently, they are not susceptible to registration in the Public Registry through possessory information; their invasion and occupation shall be sanctioned in accordance with the provisions of this law.**" (emphasis added by the editor). Based on what was transcribed, the first forestry law classified forested areas and lands of forest aptitude within the National Reserves as public domain property, qualifying them as unseizable, inalienable, and imprescriptible, not subject to private appropriation, this since nineteen sixty-nine. This aspect is confirmed by Article 8 of the regulation to that law, which states: "The National lands comprised within the areas declared Forest Reserves are inalienable, that is, they cannot leave the domain of the State, and their possession shall not give rise to any kind of right in accordance with the provisions of Articles 25, 49, and 57 of the Forestry Law."- Article 80 of the cited repealed Forestry Law indicated: "The invasion and occupation of lands in National Parks, Forest Reserves, and Protective Zones is prohibited. This prohibition extends to National Reserves, as long as their classification and transfer have not been determined..." Article 6 of this same law provided: "A person shall be sanctioned with imprisonment of six months to two years or a fine of fifteen to one hundred days who: a-) Exploits a forest of the forest heritage without the corresponding legal authorization... b-) Invades a National Park, Biological Reserve, Protective Zone, or Forest Reserve... If the invasion is in National Reserves, it shall be subject to the provisions of Article 227 of the Penal Code.-" As can be observed, possessory acts carried out in a State heritage forest are illegitimate and therefore cannot confer any possessory right.- The aforementioned law 4465, it can be noted, regulated in all its content, in addition to the aforementioned, the use and utilization of all forests in the country, both private and state, so the forest heritage of the State includes the entire national territory (Articles 4, 32 to 42), which in turn can be subdivided into three areas: A) That encompassed by the forest regime (Articles 1, 2, 7, 47 to 54, 66 to 81) B) Forest use on privately owned lands (Articles 43 to 46, 60 to 65, 82 to 91); and C) the national reserves (Articles 32 and following). For its part, the forest regime—constituted by the set of provisions of a legal, economic, and technical nature, responsible for giving content to the conservation, protection, and rational use of forests and forest lands (Article 7)—also has three sub-areas: A) protective zones, B) national parks, forest and biological reserves, and C) forests and forest lands. The Land and Colony Section of the Department of Rural Credit, Lands and Colonies of the Bank of Costa Rica was given responsibility, later passed to the Institute of Lands and Colonization, and upon the entry into force of Forestry Law No. 4465, the administration of the State's forest heritage was granted to the General Forestry Directorate created within the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. Today, the General Forestry Directorate is part of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mines (Articles 9 to 16). All lands considered national reserves are immediately subject to the purposes of the forestry regulations (Article 32). Over these lands, the State may create—by Law or by Executive Decree—forest reserves, protective zones, national parks, wildlife refuges, and biological reserves, thus forming the forest heritage (Article 35). In order to be colonized or alienated, legislative authorization is required (Article 40), and even if possessed by third parties, they acquire no right, the State's right to reclaim being imprescriptible (Article 33). The national reserves have detailed regulation within the Chapter "On the use of the forest resource on lands of the State and other public administration bodies." These uses in the national reserves may only be carried out through concessions granted by the General Forestry Directorate (Articles 55 and 56). Tenders shall be processed according to technical forest management plans, subject to the terms prepared by the Directorate (Article 55 subsection a), with the concessionaires providing sufficient guarantee (Article 56). No person may obtain concessions from the forest heritage in quantities exceeding the raw material needs they demonstrate they require. Authorizations obtained directly or through intermediary persons, contrary to the above, are null (Article 59). In a diametrically opposed position to that of the national reserves is that of private property, referred to in the law as "On the use of the forest resource on privately owned lands." These lands, for reasons of social interest, form part of the State's forest heritage. This is so because private parties—operating under any system (agricultural or livestock enterprise, for parceling or colonization, whether nationals or foreigners)—if their work plans include forest exploitation or the elimination of the forest, in any form, must necessarily obtain express approval from the General Forestry Directorate, under the terms of the Forestry Law and its regulation (Article 60). Therefore, the State's forest heritage applies to all national property where natural forest resources exist. To exploit their own timber resources, private parties must prepare technical forest plans, and the directorate shall grant them long-term concessions (Article 61). The foregoing implies a voluntary submission to the forest regime. This is a legal presumption as it is the only alternative for the private party who is prevented from felling trees, using, or exploiting forest products, within their own property, without prior authorization from the General Forestry Directorate (Articles 63 and 65). For these purposes, the State grants a series of incentives for the management and regulation of forests and forest lands under private domain, especially through Forest Advance Certificates (Articles 82 to 86) and other fiscal incentives (Article 87). As the General Forestry Directorate must have trained personnel and forest rangers, and maintains relations with the authorities, it shall provide the owners with all necessary collaboration to keep them free from invasions and occupants (Article 67). Forests and lands of forest aptitude also exist. Whether state-owned or under private domain, they are subject to the purposes of the Law. They are of public utility and therefore susceptible to expropriation, except those voluntarily submitted to the forest regime, in which forestation, reforestation, and natural forest management projects are efficiently developed (Articles 1 and 4). Forests are "all plant associations composed predominantly of trees and other woody vegetation" (Article 6). Lands of forest aptitude shall be those declared so by the General Forestry Directorate according to the official methodology for land classification (Article 5). Within this framework, the forest management plan establishes the technical standards to regulate the actions executed in a forest or on lands of forest aptitude, in order to conserve, develop, and improve the tree vegetation existing there or intended to be established. It is based on the principle of rational use of renewable natural resources (Article 8). The forests and lands of forest aptitude that constitute both public and private forest areas are subject to the respective management plan. It aims to permit their conservation and promotion, in accordance with economic and silvicultural principles (Articles 47 and 48).

Subsequently, the following Forestry Law, number 7032 of April 7, 1986, contained regulations regarding the State's forest heritage and established the same as the previously transcribed one in the same articles. This latter regulation was declared unconstitutional, restoring the validity of Law 4465, already mentioned. In the year nineteen ninety, a new Forestry Law was enacted, under number 7174 of June 28, 1990, which once again enshrined the public domain status of forested lands and forest lands of the National Reserves. The law mentioned was in force until February 5, 1996, the date of enactment of the current Forestry Law number 7575. This regulation once again contemplates the public domain status of forested areas and lands of forest aptitude in the national reserves, stating in what concerns us in its Article 13: "... The natural heritage of the State shall be constituted by the forests and forest lands of the national reserves ...". Likewise, Article 14 of that regulatory body indicates: "...The forest lands and forests that constitute the natural heritage of the State, detailed in the previous article, shall be unseizable and inalienable; their possession by private parties shall not give rise to any right in their favor, and the State's action to reclaim these lands is imprescriptible. Consequently, they cannot be registered in the Public Registry through possessory information, and both their invasion and occupation shall be sanctioned in accordance with the provisions of this law...". Furthermore, Article 58 of the current Forestry Law also regulates as a crime the invasion of forest areas or lands subject to the forest regime, whatever the area occupied. Such subjection is established by the regulation itself when classifying the areas of the national reserves as part of the Natural Heritage of the State, as indicated previously.

**III.-** Consequently, with the preceding regulatory analysis, it is clear that a special regime exists applicable to forest resources, the genesis of forest ownership, with the validity of the law. From the foregoing, there is no doubt that the national reserves are legally subject to this forest ownership regime, as they belong to the State, and according to the analysis, the forested lands and lands of forest aptitude have not left the classification of public domain property established through the different forestry laws that have been in force over time up to the present. When discussing possession of a public domain property, such discussion is only possible when the right was acquired before the property was declared public domain. Likewise, the right of ownership in such cases may only be obtained when the holder has demonstrated ten-year possession, exercised at least ten years prior to the date the law declaring the object as Natural Heritage of the State came into force. It is important to mention that the Constitutional Chamber has been emphatic that judges must analyze from when a property became subject to public domain.- In that sense, the Constitutional Chamber in Vote No. 4587 at 3:45 p.m. on August 5, 1997, in which it analyzed the constitutionality of the cited Article 7, ruled that to title lands located in the protected areas indicated therein, the interested party had to demonstrate possession ten years before the validity of the respective Decree. Basically, the Chamber stated on that occasion: *"... given the nature of the property intended to be titled (public thing), the period of possession suitable for usucapion must elapse before the property's classification as public domain occurs. That is, the declaration of a protected wildlife area prevents possession subsequent to the classification from counting, and prevents the requirements for usucapion from being met if the right has not been acquired by that moment, that is, the ten years of possession suitable for usucapion under the conditions established by law have not elapsed... it is important to synthesize the basic elements that, at the doctrinal and jurisprudential level, are handled with these topics, and that oblige the judge – in relation to the challenged rule – to determine in each case the specific type of possessory act that has been exercised on the property – that becomes part of the protected wildlife area – that is intended to be titled. The foregoing so that the judge has a broader criterion – not limited to the date of entry into force of the law or executive decree defining the limits of a specific wildlife area – to establish with greater precision the moment when said properties became inalienable and imprescriptible, for the purpose of determining whether ad usucapionem possession was exercised over them during ten years prior to their acquiring that condition. This broader perspective favors the protection of the Nation's environmental heritage, determines that when an attempt is made to title – through the possessory information procedure – land located within a protected wildlife area, the discussion should not be reduced to the simple calculation of the time since entry onto a property in relation to the date on which the declaration of a protected wildlife area was made, since - on one hand, the elements that each specific type of possession contemplates must be considered for the purpose of accrediting ad usucapionem possession during the period established in Article 7 of the Possessory Information Law, and –* ***on the other hand- the possible existence of norms that long ago declared these lands inalienable, even before their specific classification as public domain...*** *"*.

**IV.-** On the other hand, we have the provisions of Article 7 of the Possessory Information Law, which provides in what concerns us: " **Artículo 7°.-** When the property to which the information refers is comprised within a protected wildlife area, whatever its management category, the title claimant must demonstrate being the holder of the legal rights over ten-year possession, exercised at least ten years prior to the date of validity of the law or decree in which that wildlife area was created. Farms located outside those areas and having forests may only be titled if the petitioner demonstrates being the holder of the legal rights of ten-year possession, exercised for at least ten years, and having protected that natural resource, on the understanding that the property must be duly demarcated and with fences or clean firebreaks...". The preceding norm permits the titling of forested areas outside protected wildlife areas, which contravenes the provisions of the previously cited regulations. That is, there are contradictory norms between each other: on one hand, the Forestry Law declares the Natural Heritage of the State as public domain, including the forests and forest lands of the National Reserves, and on the other hand, the Possessory Information Law would be permitting the titling of properties that continue to be subject to public domain. It is worth noting that the regulation governing the resource "Forest" is the Forestry Law and not the Possessory Information Law, which becomes a general law that regulates the titling of unregistered properties. From this perspective, the principle of regulatory specialty also comes into play.

**V.-** The recognition of the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment marks a milestone in the ecological history of the country. It contains guidelines of the highest axiological content, whose development is not exclusively national. On the contrary, it is a universal movement whose result has been to place the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment as a true human right. It is located within the so-called third-generation rights: a step forward from classic human rights, civil or political (first generation) and economic, social, and cultural rights (second generation). This has provided the basis for formulating a new legal classification: that of Ecological Law. Today it has a very defined object in natural resources, and its complex of sources characterized by organicity and completeness. To mention just two fundamental documents promoted by the United Nations, in which Costa Rica has participated, the "Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment", held in Stockholm in June 1972, and the "Declaration on the Right to Development", approved by the General Assembly in its resolution 41-128 of December 4, 1986, should be highlighted. The first, starting from the premise that "man is both creature and moulder of his environment, which gives him physical sustenance and affords him the opportunity for intellectual, moral, social and spiritual growth," establishes as fundamental principles -among others- the following: "The natural resources of the Earth, including the air, water, land, flora and fauna and especially representative samples of natural ecosystems, must be safeguarded for the benefit of present and future generations through careful planning or management... . The capacity of the Earth to produce vital renewable resources must be maintained and, wherever practicable, restored or improved... . Man has a special responsibility to safeguard and wisely manage the heritage of wildlife and its habitat, which are now gravely imperilled by a combination of adverse factors. Consequently, in planning economic development, importance must be attached to the conservation of nature, including wildlife... . The non-renewable resources of the Earth must be employed in such a way as to guard against the danger of their future exhaustion and to ensure that all mankind shares in the benefits of such employment... . Resources should be made available to preserve and improve the environment, taking into account the circumstances... . In order to achieve a more rational management of resources and thus to improve the environment, States should adopt an integrated and co-ordinated approach to their development planning so as to ensure that development is compatible with the need to protect and improve the human environment for the benefit of their population... . All countries, big or small, must concern themselves with a spirit of co-operation and on an equal footing with international matters concerning the protection and improvement of the environment ...". For its part, the "Declaration on the Right to Development" proclaims: "The human right to development also implies the full realization of the right of peoples to self-determination, which includes, subject to the relevant provisions of both International Covenants on Human Rights, the exercise of their inalienable right to full sovereignty over all their natural wealth and resources ...".

**VI.-** It is important to mention Vote No. 16975-2008 at 2:53 p.m. on November 12, 2008, issued by the Constitutional Chamber, which refers to the Natural Heritage of the State and its classification as public domain: "... **IV.-** The Chamber considers that the challenged decree is unconstitutional in its entirety, for violating Article 50 of the Political Constitution, which recognizes the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment. Indeed, as highlighted by the report of the Attorney General's Office, the Natural Heritage of the State is a public domain property whose conservation and administration are entrusted, by law, to the Ministry of Environment and Energy, through the National System of Conservation Areas (Forestry Law, arts. 6 subs. a and 13 para. 2°, and 14; Organic Environmental Law, Article 32, para. 2°). It is composed of two important components: ***a)*** *The Protected Wild Areas*, whatever their management category, declared by Law or Executive Decree: forest reserves, protective zones, national parks, biological reserves, national wildlife refuges, wetlands, and natural monuments (Forestry Law 7575, arts. 1°, para. 2°, 3° subsection i; Organic Environmental Law 7554, Article 32; Biodiversity Law No. 7788, arts. 22 et seq. and 58; National Parks Service Law No. 6084, Article 3° subs. d and f, in relation to the Organic Law of MINAE No. 7152 and its Regulations; Wildlife Conservation Law No. 7317, Article 82, subsection a). ***b)*** **The other forests and forest lands or lands of forest aptitude of the State and public institutions (Article 13 of the Forestry Law), which have an immediate legal classification.** For the maritime-terrestrial zone, the same Law 6043 (Article 73) excludes Protected Wild Areas from its scope and subjects them to their own legislation.

The remaining forested areas and lands of forestry suitability (terrenos de aptitud forestal) along the coastlines are also under the administration of the Ministry of Environment and are governed by their specific regulations (Forestry Law (Ley Forestal), Article 13 and concordant articles). In this vote, the Constitutional Chamber recognizes the public domain status (demanialidad) of forests, as these belong to the State's Natural Heritage (Patrimonio Natural del Estado).

**VII.-** Consequently, forestry regulations establish, for all cases and throughout the entire national territory—and not just for some—a special regime applicable to all forest resources, from which forest property is born. The national reserves are subject by law to the regime, since they belong to the State, the legislative will does not require any other requirement, and expropriation only proceeds when private property is affected to form national parks, forest or biological reserves, forests, or forestry lands. Based on all the foregoing, the Tribunal finds itself facing a dilemma in this particular case of applying Article 7 of the Law of Possessory Information (Ley de Informaciones Posesorias), which allows the titling of forested areas, or the Forestry Law in its Articles 13, 14, and 15, and Article 11 of the Land and Colonization Law (Ley de Tierras y Colonización), which declares them public domain (demanio público) as part of the national reserves that make up the State's Natural Heritage. An unconstitutionality could eventually arise due to the State's obligation to protect the forest resource and the environment, as provided in Article 50, contemplated in third-generation human rights, for which reason the matter is sent to the Constitutional Chamber so that it may determine the constitutionality of the presented norms. The parties must be summoned for a period of three days, after which this process is suspended and the case file is sent to the Chamber for whatever it deems appropriate to resolve. The parties must indicate a means for receiving notifications, under penalty of automatic notification being applied in case of non-compliance.- " The above is so that the judge has a broader criterion – not limited to the date of entry into force of the law or the executive decree defining the boundaries of a given wilderness area – in order to establish with greater precision the moment at which said properties became inalienable and imprescriptible, for the purpose of determining whether possession ad usucapionem was exercised over them for ten years prior to acquiring that condition. This broader perspective favors the protection of the Nation's environmental heritage, ensuring that when one seeks to title – through the possessory information proceeding – a piece of land located within a protected wilderness area, the discussion is not reduced to a simple calculation of the time of entry onto a property in relation to the date on which the protected wilderness area declaration was made, since – on one hand, in order to prove possession ad usucapionem during the term established in Article 7 of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, the elements contemplated by each specific type of possession must be considered, and – on the other hand – the possible existence of regulations that long ago declared these lands inalienable, even before their specific designation as public domain…" **IV.-** On the other hand, we have the provisions of Article 7 of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, which states, in pertinent part: "**Article 7.-** When the property to which the information refers is included within a protected wilderness area, whatever its management category, the applicant must demonstrate being the holder of the legal rights over the ten-year possession, exercised at least ten years prior to the effective date of the law or decree creating that wilderness area. Farms located outside those areas and having forests may only be titled if the petitioner demonstrates being the holder of the legal rights of ten-year possession, exercised for at least ten years, and having protected that natural resource, on the understanding that the property must be duly surveyed and have fences or cleared lanes...". The preceding regulation allows the titling of forested areas outside of protected wilderness areas, which contravenes the provisions cited above. That is, there exist contradictory regulations: on one hand, the Ley Forestal, which declares the Natural Heritage of the State as public domain, among which are the forests and forest-suitable lands of the National Reserves, and on the other, the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, which would be permitting the titling of properties that continue to be affected by the public domain. It is worth noting that the regulation governing the "Forest" resource is the Ley Forestal and not the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, the latter being a general law regulating the titling of unregistered properties. From this perspective, the principle of specialty of norms also comes into play.

**V.-** The recognition of the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment marks a milestone in the country's ecological history. It contains guidelines of the highest axiological content whose development is not exclusively national. On the contrary, it is a movement of a universal character, the result of which has been to place the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment as a true human right. It is located within the so-called third-generation rights: a step beyond classic, civil, or political human rights (first generation) and economic, social, and cultural rights (second generation). This has provided the basis for formulating a new legal classification: that of Ecological Law. Today, it has a very defined object in natural resources, and its complex set of sources is characterized by organicity and completeness. To mention just two fundamental documents promoted by the United Nations, in which Costa Rica has participated, the "Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment," held in Stockholm in June 1972, and the "Declaration on the Right to Development," approved by the General Assembly in its resolution 41-128 of December 4, 1986, must be emphasized. The former, starting from the premise that "man is both creature and moulder of his environment, which gives him physical sustenance and affords him the opportunity for intellectual, moral, social and spiritual growth," establishes as fundamental principles – among others – the following: "The natural resources of the earth, including the air, water, land, flora and fauna and especially representative samples of natural ecosystems, must be safeguarded for the benefit of present and future generations through careful planning or management... . The capacity of the earth to produce vital renewable resources must be maintained and, wherever practicable, restored or improved... . Man has a special responsibility to safeguard and wisely manage the heritage of wildlife and its habitat, which are now gravely imperilled by a combination of adverse factors. Accordingly, in planning for economic development, importance must be attached to the conservation of nature, including wildlife... . The non-renewable resources of the earth must be employed in such a way as to guard against the danger of their future exhaustion and to ensure that all mankind shares in the benefits of such employment... . Resources should be made available to preserve and improve the environment, taking into account the circumstances... . In order to achieve a more rational management of resources and thus to improve the environment, States should adopt an integrated and co-ordinated approach to their development planning so as to ensure that development is compatible with the need to protect and improve the human environment for the benefit of their population... . All countries, big or small, must address international matters concerning the protection and improvement of the environment with a spirit of co-operation and on an equal footing...". For its part, the "Declaration on the Right to Development" proclaims: "The human right to development also implies the full realization of the right of peoples to self-determination, which includes, subject to the relevant provisions of both International Covenants on Human Rights, the exercise of their inalienable right to full sovereignty over all their wealth and natural resources...".

**VI.**- It is important to mention Voto Nº 16975-2008 of 14:53 hours on November 12, 2008, issued by the Constitutional Chamber (Sala Constitucional), which refers to the Natural Heritage of the State and its designation as public domain: "... **IV.-** This Chamber considers that the challenged decree is unconstitutional in its entirety, for violating Article 50 of the Political Constitution, which recognizes the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment. In effect, as highlighted by the report of the Attorney General's Office (Procuraduría General de la República), the Natural Heritage of the State (Patrimonio Natural del Estado) is a public domain asset whose conservation and administration are entrusted, by law, to the Ministry of Environment and Energy (Ministerio del Ambiente y Energía), through the National System of Conservation Areas (Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación) (Ley Forestal, arts. 6 subsection a and 13 paragraph 2°, and 14; Ley Orgánica del Ambiente, article 32, paragraph 2°). It consists of two important components: **a)** The Protected Wilderness Areas (Áreas Silvestres Protegidas), whatever their management category, declared by Law or Executive Decree: forest reserves, protective zones, national parks, biological reserves, national wildlife refuges, wetlands, and natural monuments (Ley Forestal 7575, arts. 1°, paragraph 2°, 3° subsection i; Ley Orgánica del Ambiente 7554, article 32; Ley de Biodiversidad N° 7788, arts. 22 et seq. and 58; Ley del Servicio de Parques Nacionales N° 6084, article 3° subsections d and f, in relation to the Ley Orgánica del MINAE N° 7152 and its Regulations; Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre N° 7317, article 82, subsection a). **b)** The other forests and forest lands or lands of forest aptitude of the State and public institutions (article 13 of the Ley Forestal), which have an immediate legal designation (afectación). For the maritime-terrestrial zone, the same Law 6043 (article 73) excludes Protected Wilderness Areas from its scope and subjects them to their own legislation. The remaining forested areas and lands of forest aptitude on the coasts are also under the administration of the Ministry of Environment and are governed by their specific regulations (Ley Forestal, article 13 and concordant provisions). In this vote, the Constitutional Chamber recognizes the public domain character of forests, as they belong to the Natural Heritage of the State.

**VII.-** Consequently, forest regulations establish, for all cases and throughout the national territory – and not only for some – a special regime applicable to all forest resources, from which forest ownership arises. National reserves are subject by right to the regime, since, belonging to the State, the legislative will does not require any other requirement, and expropriation only proceeds when, in the case of private property, they are designated to form national parks, forest or biological reserves, forests, or forest lands. Based on all of the foregoing, the Court is faced with the dilemma in this particular case of applying section 7 of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, which permits the titling of forested areas, or the Ley Forestal in its sections 13, 14, and 15, and section 11 of the Ley de Tierras y Colonización, which declares them public domain as part of the national reserves that make up the Natural Heritage of the State. A supervening unconstitutionality could eventually arise given the State's obligation to protect the forest resource and the environment, as provided by Article 50, enshrined in third-generation human rights; therefore, the matter is sent to the Constitutional Chamber so that it may determine the constitutionality of the cited regulations. The parties must be summoned for a period of three days, after which term the suspension of this proceeding and the referral of the case file to the Chamber shall be ordered for whatever it deems appropriate to resolve. The parties must indicate a means for receiving notifications, with the warning that in case of non-compliance, automatic notification will apply.- BY ORDER:

The judicial review of constitutionality (consulta judicial de constitucionalidad) is ordered before the Constitutional Chamber, regarding the second paragraph of Article 7 of the Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, which permits the titling of areas covered by forests, or the Ley Forestal in its sections 13, 14, and 15, and section 11 of the Ley de Tierras y Colonización, which declares them public domain as part of the national reserves that make up the Natural Heritage of the State. A supervening unconstitutionality could eventually arise given the State's obligation to protect the forest resource and the environment, as provided by Article 50, enshrined in third-generation human rights; therefore, the matter is sent to the Constitutional Chamber so that it may determine the constitutionality of the cited regulations. The parties must be summoned for a period of three days, after which term the suspension of this proceeding and the referral of the case file to the Chamber shall be ordered for whatever it deems appropriate to resolve. The parties must indicate a means for receiving notifications, with the warning that in case of non-compliance, automatic notification will apply.- ANTONIO DARCIA CARRANZA ENRIQUE ULATE CHACÓN JOSÉ FRANCISCO CHACÓN ACUÑA INFORMACION POSESORIA TIT: [Nombre1] C.B.M

VOTO N° 0469-F-09 VOTO N° 0469-F-09 TRIBUNAL AGRARIO DEL SEGUNDO CIRCUITO JUDICIAL DE SAN JOSÉ. Goicoechea, a las catorce horas treinta minutos del veintiséis de junio del dos mil nueve.- Consulta Judicial de Constitucionalidad planteada por este Tribunal ante la Sala Constitucional, dentro del Proceso de Información Posesoria planteada por [Nombre1] , de calidades conocidas en autos, tramitado en el Juzgado Agrario del Segundo Circuito Judicial de Alajuela. Actúan como Apoderada Especial Judicial del titulante, el licenciado Jorge López Chaves. En el proceso se tuvo como parte al Instituto de Desarrollo Agrario, representado por [Nombre2] y al Estado representado por el Procurador Adjunto Licenciado Víctor Bulgarelli Céspedes.- Redacta el juez Darcia Carranza; y,

CONSIDERANDO:

I.- Este proceso trata de la titulación mediante el trámite establecido en la Ley de Informaciones Posesorias de un terreno localizado en [Dirección1] (Los Angeles), [Dirección2] (San Ramón) de la Provincia de Alajuela, con una extensión de veinte hectáreas ocho mil novecientos noventa y seis metros con diez cuadrados, el cual se indicó, cuando inicia el trámite en el año dos mil uno, se encontraba cubierto de montaña virgen y según certificaciones constantes en autos de la Oficina de Atención al Usuario del Sistema de Nacional de Areas Silvestres Protegidas del Ministerio del Ambiente y Energía, actual Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía y Telecomunicaciones, se encuentra en su totalidad FUERA DE CUALQUIER AREA SILVESTRE PROTEGIDA. La juzgadora de instancia rechazó la titulación con base en los mismos criterios establecidos por este Tribunal en el voto Nº 1021- F-05 de las 16:15 horas del 7 de diciembre de 2005, que en adelante se transcribirá, al estimar, tratarse de un bosque primario y considerarse este tipo de inmuebles, como patrimonio forestal y natural del Estado, que no es susceptible de apropiación particular al ser bienes demaniales, basándose en el artículo 11 de la Ley de Tierras y Colonización, 32 y 33 de la Ley Forestal 4465 de 25 de noviembre de 1969, Ley Forestal Nº 7032 de 7 de abril de 1986, Ley Forestal Nº 7174 del 28 de junio de 1990 y artículos 13 y 14 de la Ley Forestal Nº 7575 del 5 de febrero de 1996 . De conformidad con lo dispuesto por el artículo 102 de la Ley de Jurisdicción Constitucional, considera este Tribunal, previo a resolver el Recurso de Apelación (Folio 198) interpuesto por los titulantes contra la sentencia de primera instancia Nº 23-2008, dictada a las nueve horas con dieciséis minutos del dieciséis de junio del dos mil ocho (Folio 186), ha de consultarse a la Sala Constitucional la constitucionalidad del artículo 7 de la Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, en cuanto permite la titulación de bienes afectos al demanio público como lo son los "Bosques de las Reservas Nacionales", lo cual atenta contra el artículo 50 de la Constitución Política sobre el derecho a un ambiente sano y ecolicamente equilibrado.

II.- Es importante traer a colación lo estipulado por la Ley de Tierras y Colonización, número 2825 de catorce de octubre de 1961, la cual en su artículo 11, en lo que nos interesa estipula “…Mientras no se pruebe lo contrario, pertenecen al Estado en carácter de reservas nacionales: a) Todos los terrenos comprendidos dentro de los límites de la República que no estén inscritos como propiedad particular, de las Municipalidades o de las Instituciones Autónomas; b) Los que no estén amparados por la posesión decenal;…”. En refuerzo de lo anterior se hace necesario analizar lo dicho por la primera Ley Forestal, la número 4465 de 25 de noviembre de 1969, acerca de la propiedad forestal. Ésta establecía en sus artículos 32 y 33 lo siguiente:” Artículo 32.- El patrimonio forestal del Estado está constituido por todos los bosques y terrenos forestales de las reservas nacionales, de las áreas declaradas inalienables, de las fincas inscritas a su nombre y de las pertenecientes a las municipalidades, a las instituciones autónomas y a los demás organismos de la Administración Pública….” “Artículo 33.- Los terrenos forestales y bosques que constituyen el patrimonio forestal del Estado, detallados en el artículo anterior, serán inembargables e inalienables; su posesión por los particulares no causará derecho alguno a su favor y la acción reivindicatoria del Estado por estos terrenos es imprescriptible. En consecuencia, no son susceptibles de inscripción en el Registro Público mediante información posesoria; su invasión y ocupación serán sancionadas conforme con lo dispuesto en esta ley.”(lo resaltado es del redactor). Partiendo de lo transcrito, la primera ley forestal, catalogaba como bienes demaniales las áreas boscosas y terrenos de aptitud forestal dentro de las Reservas Nacionales, al calificarlas de inembargables, inalienables e imprescriptibles, no sujetas a apropiación particular, ésto desde mil novecientos sesenta y nueve.. Este aspecto se ve confirmado con el artículo 8 del reglamento a esa ley que dice: "Los terrenos Nacionales comprendidos dentro de las áreas declaradas Reservas Forestales son inalienables, es decir no podrán salir del dominio del Estado, y su posesión no causará derecho de ninguna especie de conformidad con lo dispuesto por los artículos 25, 49 y 57 de la Ley Forestal".- El artículo 80 de la citada Ley Forestal derogada indicaba: "Queda prohibido la invasión y ocupación de terrenos en los Parques Nacionales, Reservas Forestales y Zonas Protectoras. Esta prohibición se extiende hasta las Reservas Nacionales, hasta tanto no se haya determinado su clasificación y transferencia..." El artículo 6 de esta misma ley disponía: " Será sancionado con prisión de seis meses a dos años o con multa de quince a cien días, la persona que: a-) Explote un bosque de patrimonio forestal sin autorización legal correspondiente... b-) Invada un Parque Nacional, Reserva Biológica, Zona Protectora o Reserva Forestal...Si la invasión es en Reservas Nacionales, estará sujeta a lo estipulado en el artículo 227 del Código Penal.-" Como puede observarse los actos posesorios realizados en un bosque patrimonio Estatal resultan ser ilegítimos por lo que no pueden conferir ningún derecho de posesión.- La ley en mención 4465, se puede señalar regulaba en todo su contenido adeemás de lo dicho anteriormente el aprovechamiento y utilización de todos los bosques del país tanto privados como estatales por lo que el patrimonio forestal del Estado incluye a todo el territorio nacional (artículos 4, 32 al 42), el cual a su vez se puede subdividir en tres áreas: A) La comprendida por el régimen forestal (artículos l, 2, 7, 47 a 54, 66 al 81) B) Los aprovechamientos forestales en terrenos de propiedad privada (artículos 43 al 46, 60 al 65, 82 al 91); y C) las reservas nacionales (artículos 32 y siguientes). Por su parte el régimen forestal -constituido por el conjunto de disposiciones de carácter jurídico, económico y técnico, encargado de darle un contenido a la conservación, protección y racional aprovechamiento de los bosques y terrenos forestales (artículo 7)- tiene también tres subáreas: A) zonas protectoras, B) parques nacionales, reservas forestales y biológicas y C) bosques y terrenos forestales. da a la Sección de Tierras y Colonias, del Departamento de Crédito Rural, Tierras y Colonias del Banco de Costa Rica, luego pasó al Instituto de Tierras y Colonización, y al entrar en vigencia la Ley Forestal Nº 4465 se concedió la administración del patrimonio forestal del Estado a la Dirección General Forestal creada en el Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería. Hoy la Dirección General Forestal forma parte del Ministerio de Recursos Naturales, Energía y Minas (artículos 9 al 16). Todas las tierras consideradas como reservas nacionales quedan afectas en forma inmediata a los fines de la normativa forestal (artículo 32). Sobre ellas puede el Estado crear -por Ley o por Decreto Ejecutivo- reservas forestales, zonas protectoras, parques nacionales, refugios de vida silvestre y reservas biológicas, conformando así el patrimonio forestal (artículo 35). Para poder ser colonizadas o enajenadas se requiere autorización legislativa (artículo 40), y aún cuando fueren poseídas por terceros éstos no adquieren ningún derecho, siendo imprescriptible el derecho del Estado para reivindicar (artículo 33). Tienen las reservas nacionales una detallada regulación dentro del Capítulo "Del aprovechamiento del recurso forestal en terrenos del Estado y demás organismos de la administración pública". Estos aprovechamientos en las reservas nacionales solo podrán practicarse por concesión otorgadas por la Dirección General Forestal (artículo 55 y 56). Las licitaciones se tramitarán de acuerdo a planes técnicos de manejo forestal, sujetos al cartel confeccionado por la Dirección (artículo 55 inciso a), otorgando garantía suficiente los concesionarios (artículo 56). Ninguna persona puede obtener concesiones del patrimonio forestal en cantidades superiores a las necesidades de materia prima que demuestre requerir. Son nulas las autorizaciones que se obtengan directamente o por medio de personas interpuestas, en contra de lo indicado (artículo 59). En una posición diametralmente opuesta a la de las reservas nacionales se encuentra la de la propiedad privada, denominada en la ley como "Del aprovechamiento del recurso forestal en terrenos de propiedad privada". Estas tierras, por intereses de orden social, forman parte del patrimonio forestal del Estado. Esto es así porque los privados - funcionando bajo cualquier sistema (empresa agrícola o ganadera, para parcelación o colonización, tratándose de nacionales o extranjeros)- si dentro de sus planes de trabajo está la explotación forestal o la eliminación del bosque, en cualquier forma, deberán necesariamente obtener aprobación expresa de la Dirección General Forestal, en los términos de la Ley Forestal y del reglamento a la misma (artículo 60). Por ello el patrimonio forestal del Estado es aplicable a todos los bienes nacionales donde existan recursos naturales forestales. Para poder explotar sus propios recursos maderables los privados deben elaborar planes técnicos forestales, y la dirección les otorgará concesiones a largo plazo (artículo 6l). Lo anterior implica un sometimiento voluntario al régimen forestal. Esta es una presunción legal pues resulta ser la única alternativa del privado quien se encuentra impedido para talar árboles, aprovechar o explotar los productos forestales, dentro de su mismo bien, si previamente no hay autorización de la Dirección General Forestal (artículo 63 y 65). Para estos efectos el Estado otorga una serie de incentivos para el manejo y reglamentación de los bosques y terrenos forestales de dominio particular, especialmente a través de los Certificados de Abono Forestal (artículos 82 al 86) y otros incentivos fiscales (artículo 87). Como la Dirección General Forestal debe contar con personal capacitado, guardabosques, y mantiene relaciones con las autoridades, ésta le brindará a los propietarios toda la colaboración necesaria para mantenerlos libres de invasiones y ocupantes (artículo 67).Existen también los bosques y los terrenos de aptitud forestal. Sean estatales o estén reducidos a dominio particular, están sometidos a los fines de la Ley. Son de utilidad pública y por tanto susceptibles de expropiación, salvo aquellos sometidos voluntariamente al régimen forestal, en los cuales se desarrollen eficientemente proyectos de forestación, reforestación y manejo de bosques naturales (artículos 1 y 4). Son bosques "todas las asociaciones vegetales compuestas, predominantemente de árboles y de otra vegetación leñosa" (artículo 6). Los terrenos de aptitud forestal serán los declarados así por la Dirección General Forestal de acuerdo a la metodología oficial para la clasificación de tierras (artículo 5). Dentro de este marco, el plan de manejo forestal establece las normas técnicas para regular las acciones ejecutadas en un bosque o en terrenos de aptitud forestal, con el fin de conservar, desarrollar y mejorar la vegetación arbórea que en él exista o se pretenda establecer. Tiene su fundamento en el principio de uso racional de los recursos naturales renovables (artículo 8). Los bosques y terrenos de aptitud forestal que constituyan tanto las áreas forestales públicas como las privadas, están sometidos al respectivo plan de manejo. Se procura permitir su conservación y fomento, con arreglo a los principios económicos y silvícolas (artículos 47 y 48).

Posteriormente la Ley Forestal siguiente, la número 7032 de 7 de abril de 1986, contemplaba normativa respecto al patrimonio forestal del Estado y establecía lo mismo que la anteriormente transcrita en los mismos numerales. Ésta última normativa fue declarada inconstitucional, volviendo a restablecer la vigencia de la Ley 4465, ya mencionada. Para el año de mil novecientos noventa se promulga una nueva Ley Forestal, bajo el número 7174 del 28 de junio de 1990, la cual vuelve a consagrar la demanialidad de los terrenos con bosques y terrenos forestales de las Reservas Nacionales. La ley en mención estuvo vigente hasta el cinco de febrero de 1996, fecha de promulgación de la actual Ley Forestal número 7575. Esta norma contempla nuevamente la demanialidad de las áreas boscosas y terrenos de aptitud forestal de las reservas nacionales al decir en lo que nos interesa en su artículo 13: “… El Patrimonio natural del Estado estará constituido por los bosques y terrenos forestales de las reservas nacionales …”. Así mismo el numeral 14 de dicho cuerpo normativo indica “…Los terrenos forestales y bosques que constituyen el patrimonio natural del Estado, detallados en el artículo anterior, serán inembargables e inalienables; su posesión por los particulares no causará derecho alguno a su favor y la acción reinvindicatoria del Estado por estos terrenos es imprescriptible. En consecuencia, no pueden inscribirse en el Registro Público mediante información posesoria y tanto la invasión como la ocupación de ellos será sancionada conforme a lo dispuesto en esta ley…”.Por otra parte el numeral 58 de la actual Ley Forestal también regula como delito la invasión de áreas de bosques o terrenos sometidos al régimen forestal cualquiera que sea el área ocupada. Tal sometimiento lo hace la misma norma al catalogar las áreas de la reservas nacionales como parte del Patrimonio Natural del Estado, según se indicó anteriormente.

III.- Consecuentemente con el análisis normativo anterior, es claro, existe un régimen especial aplicable a los recursos forestales, génesis de la propiedad forestal, con la vigencia de la ley. De lo expuesto no queda la menor duda las reservas nacionales están sometidas de derecho a este régimen de propiedad forestal, pues pertenecen al Estado y conforme a lo analizado los terrenos boscosos y terrenos de aptitud forestal no han salido de la afectación de bienes de dominio público dado a través de las diferentes leyes forestales que han estado vigentes a través del tiempo hasta la actualidad. Cuando se discute la posesión sobre un bien demanial, sólo cabrá esa discusión cuando se haya adquirido el derecho antes de que se haya declarado el bien como de dominio público. Así mismo, el derecho de propiedad en tales casos sólo podrá obtenerse cuando el titular haya demostrado una posesión decenal, ejercida por lo menos con diez años de antelación a la fecha de vigencia de la ley que declara el objeto como Patrimonio Natural del Estado. Es importante mencionar la Sala Constitucional ha sido vehemente en cuanto a que se analice por parte de los juzgadores a partir de cuándo se afecta un bien al demanio público.- En ese sentido, la Sala Constitucional en Voto N° 4587 de las 15:45 horas del 5 de agosto de 1997, en el cual analizó la constitucionalidad del artículo 7 citado, dispuso para poder titular los terrenos ubicados en las zonas protegidas que ahí se señalan, debía el interesado demostrar la posesión diez años antes de la vigencia del Decreto respectivo. Básicamente dijo la Sala en esa oportunidad: "… dada la naturaleza del bien que se pretende titular (cosa pública), el plazo de posesión apta para la usucapión debe transcurrir antes de que se produzca la afectación del bien al dominio público. Es decir, la declaratoria de área silvestre protegida evita que cuente la posesión posterior a la afectación, e impide concretar los requisitos de la usucapión si a ese momento no se ha adquirido el derecho, o sea, no han transcurrido los diez años de posesión apta para usucapir con las condiciones que establece la ley… resulta importante sintetizar los elementos básicos que a nivel de doctrina y jurisprudencia se manejan con estos temas, y que obligan al juez – en relación con la norma impugnada- a determinar en cada caso el tipo específico de acto posesorio que se ha ejercido en el fundo – que entra a formar parte del área silvestre protegida- que se pretende titular. Lo anterior con el objeto de que el juez tenga un criterio más amplio – que no se limite a la fecha de entrada en vigencia de la ley o el decreto ejecutivo que defina los límites de un área silvestre determinada- para establecer con mayor precisión el momento en que dichos bienes se convirtieron en inalienables e imprescriptibles, a los efectos de determinar si sobre ellos se ejerció la posesión ad usucapionem durante diez años anteriores a que adquirieron esa condición. Esta perspectiva de mayor amplitud favorece la protección del patrimonio ambiental de la Nación, determina que cuando se pretenda titular – mediante el procedimiento de informaciones posesorias- un terreno ubicado dentro de un área silvestre protegida, la discusión no se reduzca al simple cálculo del tiempo que tiene de haber ingresado a un inmueble en relación con la fecha en que se haya producido la declaratoria de área silvestre protegida, ya que -por un lado deberá contemplarse a los efectos de acreditar la posesión ad usucapionem durante el plazo establecido en el artículo 7 de la Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, los elementos que cada tipo específico de posesión contempla, y –por otro lado- la posible existencia de normas que de antaño declaraban inalienables esos terrenos, aún antes de su afectación específica al dominio público… ".

IV.- Por otra parte tenemos lo dispuesto por el artículo 7 de la Ley de Informaciones Posesorias el cual dispone en lo que interesa: " Artículo 7°.- Cuando el inmueble al que se refiera la información esté comprendido dentro de un área silvestre protegida, cualquiera que sea su categoría de manejo, el titulante deberá demostrar ser el titular de los derechos legales sobre la posesión decenal, ejercida por lo menos con diez años de antelación a la fecha de vigencia de la ley o decreto en que se creó esa área silvestre. Las fincas ubicadas fuera de esas áreas y que tengan bosques, sólo podrán ser tituladas si el promoviente demuestra ser el titular de los derechos legales de posesión decenal, ejercida por lo menos durante diez años y haber protegido ese recurso natural, en el entendido de que el inmueble tendrá que estar debidamente deslindado y con cercas o carriles limpios...". La norma anterior permite la titulación de áreas boscosas, fuera de áreas silvestres protegidas, lo cual contraviene lo dispuesto en la normativa anteriormente citada. Es decir se da la existencia de normas contradictorias entre sí, por un lado la Ley Forestal que declara el Patrimonio Natural del Estado como Demanio Público, entre los que se encuentran los bosques y terrenos de aptitud forestal de las Reservas Nacionales, y por el otro la Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, que estaría permitiendo la titulación de bienes que continúan estando afectos al demanio público. No está demás señalar, la normativa que regula el recurso "Bosque", lo es la Ley Forestal y no la Ley de Informaciones Posesorias, la cual se convierte en una ley de carácter general que viene a regular la titulación de inmuebles sin inscribir. Desde esta perspectiva tenemos también que entra en juego el principio de especialidad de normas.

V.- El reconocimiento del derecho a un ambiente sano y ecológicamente equilibrado marca un hito en la historia ecológica del país. Contiene lineamientos de altísimo contenido axiológico cuyo desarrollo no es exclusivamente nacional. Por el contrario, se trata de un movimiento de carácter universal cuyo resultado ha sido colocar al derecho al ambiente sano y ecológicamente equilibrado como un verdadero derecho humano. Se le ubica dentro de los denominados derechos de la tercera generación: un paso adelante de los derechos humanos clásicos, civiles o políticos (de la primera generación) y de los económicos, sociales y culturales (de la segunda generación). Ello ha dado base para formular una nueva clasificación jurídica: la del Derecho Ecológico. Hoy tiene un objeto muy definido en los recursos naturales, y su complejo de fuentes caracterizados por la organicidad y completez. Solo para mencionar dos documentos fundamentales impulsados por Naciones Unidas, en los cuales Costa Rica ha participado, deben recalcarse la "Declaración de la Conferencia de Naciones Unidas sobre el Medio Ambiente", celebrada en Estocolmo en junio de l972, y la "Declaración sobre el Derecho al Desarrollo", aprobado por la Asamblea General en su resolución 41-128 del 4 de diciembre de l986. La primera, partiendo de que "el hombre es a la vez obra y artífice del medio que lo rodea, el cual se da el sustento material y le brinda la oportunidad de desarrollarse intelectual, moral, social y espiritualmente" establece como principios fundamentales -entre otros- los siguientes: "Los recursos naturales de la Tierra, incluidos el aire, el agua, la tierra, la flora y la fauna y especialmente muestras representativas de los ecosistemas naturales, deben preservarse en beneficio de las generaciones presentes y futuras mediante una cuidadosa planificación y ordenación... . Debe mantenerse y, siempre que sea posible, restaurarse o mejorarse la capacidad de la Tierra para producir recursos vitales renovables... . El hombre tiene la responsabilidad especial de preservar y administrar juiciosamente el patrimonio de la flora y fauna silvestres y su habitad, que se encuentran actualmente en grave peligro por una combinación de factores adversos. En consecuencia, al planificar el desarrollo económico debe atribuirse importancia a la conservación de la naturaleza, incluidas la flora y la fauna silvestres... . Los recursos no renovables de la tierra deben emplearse en forma que se evite el peligro de su futuro agotamiento y se asegure que toda la humanidad comparte los beneficios de tal empleo... . Deberían destinarse recursos a la conservación y mejoramiento del medio, teniendo en cuenta las circunstancias... . A fin de lograr una más racional ordenación de los recursos y mejorar así las condiciones ambientales, los Estados deberían adoptar un enfoque integrado y coordinado de la planificación de su desarrollo con la necesidad de proteger y mejorar el medio humano en beneficio de su población... . Todos los países, grandes o pequeños, deben ocuparse con espíritu de cooperación y en pie de igualdad de las cuestiones internacionales relativas a la protección y mejoramiento del medio ...". Por su parte en la "Declaración sobre el Derecho al Desarrollo" se proclama: "El derecho humano al desarrollo implica también la plena realización del derecho de los pueblos a la libre determinación, que inclusive, con sujeción a las disposiciones pertinentes de ambos pactos internacionales de derechos humanos, el ejercicio de su derecho inalienable a la plena soberanía sobre todas sus riquezas y recursos naturales ...".

VI.- Es importante hacer mención del Voto Nº 16975-2008 de las 14:53 horas del 12 de noviembre de 2008, dictado por la Sala Constitucional el cual hace referencia al Patrimonio Natural del Estado y su afectación al demanio público:"... IV.- La Sala considera que el decreto impugnado es inconstitucional en su totalidad, por vulnerar el artículo 50 de la Constitución Política, que reconoce el derecho a un medio ambiente sano y ecológicamente equilibrado. En efecto, como lo ha puesto de relieve el informe de la Procuraduría General de la República, el Patrimonio Natural del Estado es un bien de dominio público cuya su conservación y administración están encomendadas, por la ley, al Ministerio del Ambiente y Energía, mediante el Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación (Ley Forestal, arts. 6 inc. a y 13 pfo.2°, y 14; Ley Orgánica del Ambiente, artículo 32, pfo. 2°). Lo integran dos importantes componentes: a) Las Áreas Silvestres Protegidas, cualquiera sea su categoría de manejo, declaradas por Ley o Decreto Ejecutivo: reservas forestales, zonas protectoras, parques nacionales, reservas biológicas, refugios nacionales de vida silvestre, humedales y monumentos naturales (Ley Forestal 7575, arts. 1°, pfo. 2°, 3° inciso i; Ley Orgánica del Ambiente 7554, artículo 32; Ley de Biodiversidad N° 7788, arts. 22 y sigts. y 58; Ley del Servicio de Parques Nacionales N° 6084, artículo 3° incs. d y f, en relación con la Ley Orgánica del MINAE N° 7152 y su Reglamento; Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre N° 7317, artículo 82, inciso a). b) Los demás bosques y terrenos forestales o de aptitud forestal del Estado e instituciones públicas (artículo 13 de la Ley Forestal), que tienen una afectación legal inmediata. Para la zona marítimo terrestre, la misma Ley 6043 (artículo 73) excluye de su ámbito las Áreas Silvestres Protegidas y las sujeta a su propia legislación. El resto de áreas boscosas y terrenos de aptitud forestal de los litorales, están también bajo la administración del Ministerio del Ambiente y se rigen por su normativa específica (Ley Forestal, artículo 13 y concordantes). En este voto la Sala Cosntitucional reconoce la demanialidad de los bosques pues estos pertenecen al Patrimonio Natural del Estado .

VII.- En consecuencia, la normativa forestal establece, para todos los casos y en todo el territorio nacional -y no solo para unos-, un régimen especial aplicable a todos los recursos forestales, de donde nace la propiedad forestal. Las reservas nacionales están sometidas de derecho al régimen, pues perteneciendo al Estado la voluntad legislativa no exige ningún otro requisito, y solo procede la expropiación cuando tratándose de bienes privados se afecten para conformar parques nacionales, reservas forestales o biológicas, bosques o terrenos forestales. Partiendo de todo lo anteriormente expuesto, el Tribunal se encuentra ante la disyuntiva en este caso particular de aplicar el ordinal 7 de la Ley de Informaciones Posesorias que permite la titulación de áreas boscosas o la Ley Forestal en sus ordinales 13, 14 y 15, y el ordinal 11 de la Ley de Tierras y Colonización que los declara demanio público al ser parte de las reservas nacionales que integran el Patrimonio Natural del Estado. Eventualmente podría darse una inconstitucionalidad sobrevenida ante la obligación del Estado en la tutela del recurso bosque y ambiente conforme lo prevé el artículo 50, contemplado en los derechos humanos de la tercera generación, por lo que se envía a la Sala Constitucional a fin de que se sirva determinar la constitucionalidad de las normas expuestas. Ha de emplazarse a las partes por el plazo de tres días, vencidos los cuales se dispone la suspensión de este proceso y la remisión del expediente a la Sala para lo que a bien estime resolver. Deberán las partes señalar medio para atender notificaciones, bajo apercibimiento en caso de incumplimiento de aplicar la notificación automática.-

POR TANTO:

Se dispone la consulta judicial de constitucionalidad para ante la Sala Constitucional, sobre el párrafo segundo del artículo 7 de la Ley de Informaciones Posesorias que permite la titulación de áreas cubiertas de bosques o la Ley Forestal en sus ordinales 13, 14 y 15, y el ordinal 11 de la Ley de Tierras y Colonización que los declara demanio público al ser parte de las reservas nacionales que integran el Patrimonio Natural del Estado. Eventualmente podría darse una inconstitucionalidad sobrevenida ante la obligación del Estado en la tutela del recurso bosque y ambiente conforme lo prevé el artículo 50, contemplado en los derechos humanos de la tercera generación, por lo que se envía a la Sala Constitucional a fin de que se sirva determinar la constitucionalidad de las normas expuestas. Ha de emplazarse a las partes por el plazo de tres días, vencidos los cuales se dispone la suspensión de este proceso y la remisión del expediente a la Sala para lo que a bien estime resolver. Deberán las partes señalar medio para atender notificaciones, bajo apercibimiento en caso de incumplimiento de aplicar la notificación automática.- ANTONIO DARCIA CARRANZA ENRIQUE ULATE CHACÓN JOSÉ FRANCISCO CHACÓN ACUÑA INFORMACION POSESORIA TIT: [Nombre1] C.B.M