New Chone Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area Protects Over a Quarter Million Acres of Tropical Forests and Wetlands in Coastal Ecuador

On June 11, 2025, the Municipal Government of Chone established the Chone Conservation and Sustainable Use Area (Área de Conservación y Uso Sustentable) in Manabí, Ecuador. The new area in total spans 588,110 acres (238,000 hectares), with 257,817 acres (104,345 hectares) designated as a strategic conservation area. The strategic conservation area includes intact forest and water sources that supply the Chone municipality and support essential ecosystem functions. Chone’s ecosystems include: tropical humid forests, inland wetlands, coastal mangroves, and dry tropical forest, all of which are part of Ecuador’s coastal ecoregion.

A Birder’s Paradise

The Chone Conservation Area helps protect ecosystems such as the La Segua wetland, one of the most important on the Ecuadorian coast. This wetland is home to more than 167 bird species, including endemic, migratory, and shorebird species, making it a key site for birdwatching. Chone hosts emblematic species such as the golden plover (Pluvialis squatarola), the lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes), and short-billed dowitcher (Limnodromus hudsonicus), all migratory species that find refuge in the area’s seasonal wetlands.

Teresa Mendoza, president of the wildlife guide association of La Segua, highlights the wetland’s ecotourism value: “We constantly monitor the migratory birds. We have a well-constructed trail and a space designed to welcome visitors. The best part is that you can always see birds here; no matter where you look, there’s always winged life around you.”

The “Pescadillo” region of the Conservation and Sustainable Use Area is home to populations of the mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) and the brown-headed spider monkey (Ateles fusciceps), the latter of which is a critically endangered species that requires connected forests for its survival. The presence of these species reinforces the ecological value of the territory and the urgency of preserving biological corridors.

Long-Term Management

With the establishment of the Chone Conservation and Sustainable Use Area, next steps will focus on the development and implementation of the area’s Management Plan, an instrument that will guide conservation actions. This plan, constructed with the participation of the local communities and authorities, will include measures to strengthen local governance and promote community capacity building with a focus on ecological restoration and community water supply protection. By establishing the Chone Conservation Area, the Chone municipality is moving toward a more resilient and socially just model of development in the face of a changing climate, where water, forests, and people share a common future.

Acknowledgements:

This achievement was possible thanks to the Municipal Government of Chone with the technical support of Nature and Culture International in partnership with the Bomaco Foundation and with financial support from the Andes Amazon Fund. The Andes Amazon Fund’s financial support for this project was generously provided by the Wyss Foundation.