1. Reforestation Projects: Areas without forest in sites that have high productive potential for the development of forest plantations are established as priorities for the execution of reforestation projects.
- a)For reforestation projects with species contained in the logging ban decrees and threatened or endangered species (Decreto Nº 25663-MINAE and Decreto Nº 25700-MINAE), the entire country is established as a priority.
- b)For reforestation projects established in protection areas according to Article 33 of the Ley Forestal N° 7575, the entire country shall be considered a priority.
- c)Sites where there is high potential for plantation blocks, giving special priority to projects that use improved genetic material and projects that use seeds certified by the Oficina Nacional de Semillas.
- d)Areas where reforestation projects financed through incentives were executed and that have completed the approved management plans and the effective period may be included.
2. Forest Protection and Forest Protection in Conservation Gaps Projects: Areas with the following criteria are established as priorities for the execution of forest protection projects:
- a)Private lands located within the conservation gaps identified by the Propuesta de Ordenamiento Territorial para la Conservación de la Biodiversidad en Costa Rica (GRUAS II) will be priorities:
- As priority 1, conservation gaps on private lands within Protected Wild Areas (Áreas Silvestres Protegidas, ASP).
- As priority 2, conservation gaps on private lands within Biological Corridors.
- As priority 3, conservation gaps on private lands outside ASP and Biological Corridors.
- Private lands within ASP and outside conservation gaps.
- b)Private lands within Biological Corridors and outside conservation gaps.
- c)Lands located within the country's Indigenous Territories.
- d)Protection projects on properties that have previously signed payment for environmental services contracts, on the condition that they comply with the provisions of the Manual de Procedimientos Administrativos for the Payment of Environmental Services published in Resolución 01-2009 in La Gaceta No. 46 of Friday, March 6, 2009. The validity of the new contracts shall begin on the day after the expiration date of the previous contract.
- e)Properties that have approved forest management plans with a closure report approved by SINAC and that submit a pre-application to enter the forest protection modality, provided they meet the other requirements established in the aforementioned Manual.
- f)Privately owned properties located within National Parks or Biological Reserves that have not yet been purchased or expropriated by the State.
- g)Forested sites located in districts with a Social Development Index (Índice de Desarrollo Social, IDS) lower than 40% according to the determination made by MIDEPLAN (2007).
3. Water Resource Protection Projects: Areas with the following criteria are established as priorities for the execution of forest protection projects:
- a)Private forested lands within the watershed where the environmental service of water protection is generated and which are located in areas of importance for the proven sustainability of the water regime, in accordance with the criteria defined in the National Plans and Programs on this matter, as established in Article 14 of Decreto Ejecutivo No. 32868-MINAE, published in La Gaceta No. 21, of January 30, 2006 (Canon por Concepto de Aprovechamiento de Aguas).
- b)Private forested lands located in areas of hydrological importance identified by the Water Directorate and FONAFIFO, or other MINAET bodies.
- c)Forest areas whose main function is water resource protection, considered of interest for rural aqueducts, Acueductos y Alcantarillado projects, and public service companies, which must be supported by a certification issued by the administrator of the respective aqueduct.
4. Projects for the Establishment of Forest Trees in Agroforestry Systems (SAF): Areas without forest with the following criteria are established as priorities for the execution of tree establishment projects in SAF:
- a)Lands with land use (uso) capability I, II, III, IV, V, VI, according to the Methodology for Determining Land Use Capability in Costa Rica, Decreto Ejecutivo No. 23214-MAG-MIRENEM.
- b)Areas under specific agreements with FONAFIFO.
- c)Priority will be given to projects processed by organizations that have a current agreement with FONAFIFO.
5. Natural Regeneration Projects: Areas without forest with the following criteria are established as priorities for the execution of natural regeneration projects:
- a)Natural regeneration projects in pastures and pasturelands, as established in subsections b and c, in areas defined as Kyoto lands or others for which an additional payment is recognized for the carbon credits that FONAFIFO may commercialize, which were deforested before December 31, 1989.
- b)Natural regeneration projects in pastures and pasturelands, which may be carried out outside areas defined as Kyoto lands, with at least one year of abandonment and free of grazing.
- c)Natural regeneration projects with productive potential in sites with at least one year of abandonment and free of grazing.
- d)For natural regeneration in protection areas according to Article 33 of the Ley Forestal No. 7575, the entire country shall be considered a priority.
6. Forest Management Projects: Areas with the following criterion are established as priorities for forest management projects:
- a)Properties that have management plans approved by the State Forest Administration, in which harvesting was carried out in accordance with the Sustainability Standards for Natural Forest Management: Principles, Criteria and Indicators, Code of Practices and Procedures Manual, Decretos Ejecutivos No. 27388-MINAE published on November 2, 1998, Decreto No. 30763-MINAE published on October 9, 2002, and Decreto Ejecutivo No. 34559-MINAE, published in La Gaceta No. 115 of June 16, 2008; SINAC will certify compliance with the provisions of the Management Plan.
In each of the SINAC Subregional Offices and FONAFIFO Regional Offices, an updated map shall be maintained showing the priority areas for locating farms that apply to the Payment for Environmental Services Program in the forest protection modality.