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Conavi Buys 24,000 Trees to Mitigate Environmental Impact on Cañas-Liberia Route

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Any construction always leaves an environmental impact, and the roadway between Liberia and Cañas was no exception. That is why the Guanacaste Conservation Area (ACG- Área de Conservación Guanacaste) took the initiative to seek assistance from the National Roadway Council (CONAVI- Consejo Nacional de Vialidad) to finance a ¢71 million ($134,000) tree planting project.

The idea involves planting 24,000 native fruit trees and evergreens like yellow mombim (also called Spanish plum), breadnut (also called Maya nut), medlar, paradise tree (also called bitterwood) and cabbagebark tree, among others, with the goal of restoring the tropical dry forest and creating a high-quality forest cluster to support the animals going through the place.

What we want is to enrich these forests surrounding the roadway, to improve the circulation of animals from that area,” explained the head of the Restoration and Forestry Program, Milena Gutierrez.

The Cañas-Liberia project cut down a significant number of trees in the right of way area. Due to the environmental compensation plan, the most viable solution was to make an agreement with the National Parks Foundation and the ACG,” reported Abraham Perez, project manager for the Conavi unit.

Planting will take place on land near the 12 kilometers of the northern Interamerican Highway, between Guanacaste National Park and Santa Rosa National Park.

During the road construction, 3,000 trees were removed, and for each one of those trees, eight will be planted. Gutierrez said that the trees will not be watered since they have to adapt to the ecosystem. They are currently improving the soil substrate so there will be better water retention.

The ACG is preparing to plant 8,000 trees on October 1st to replace the ones that die in the first few months.

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