Anam awards grants to help park

The Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente (Anam) has awarded $24,700 in grants to a number of communities located near the Parque Internacional La Amistad (Pila). Residents of the community of Santa Clara, in the province of Chiriquí, will receive $4,759 to reforest two kilometers of land near the Río Chevo. The community of Caldera, in Boquete, received $9,000 to develop a plan for the establishment of an tourist-related venture for the park.

Other communities have received money for projects such as establishing nurseries to grow native trees and for other reforestation projects. The money is part of a $100,000 fund administered by Anam to promote conservation efforts in and around the park, which has come under threat from development.

Recently, the Panamanian government was asked by UNESCO to submit a report on the park's status. That report was requested after UNESCO received numerous complaints regarding development there. of hydroelectric projects and the expansion of agricultural activities in the area. The government has until next February to complete the report.