7788, published in La Gaceta No. 101 on May 27, 1998, establishes the National System of Conservation Areas (Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación), as a decentralized and participatory institutional management and coordination system that shall integrate the competencies in forestry, wildlife, protected areas, and the protection and conservation of the use of hydrographic basins and water systems, of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía, MINAE), in order to issue policies, plan and execute processes aimed at achieving sustainability in the management of Costa Rica's natural resources.
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