The new Regional Conservation Area of Bosques de Shunte y Mishollo (known also as “Boshumi”) will conserve a key landscape in the region of San Martín spanning 472,973 acres (191,406 hectares). This area lies in the transitional zone between Peru’s puna grasslands and montane forest, adding to a conservation corridor that includes Río Abiseo National Park, Los Chilcos Private Conservation Area, and more than 6 conservation concessions.
The Regional Government of San Martín identified Boshumi as a social and environmental priority due its fundamental role in the collection and regulation of water. Its páramos feed into the upper Huallaga basin, which supplies more than 69,000 people with water for drinking, agriculture, and other activities. The protection of these páramos is particularly critical in the face of climate change, as they can help prevent both droughts and floods— both of which have become increasingly common in Peru due to rising global temperatures.
“Boshumi is a spectacular landscape that is vital to tens of thousands of people because it supplies them with clean water. The protection of Boshumi by the Government of Peru and the Regional Government of San Martín is a wise and important act for people and for nature,” said Dr. Adrian Forsyth, Executive Director of Andes Amazon Fund.
Boshumi was also created to protect the area’s unique biodiversity, which includes a number of endangered and emblematic species. The yellow-tailed woolly monkey (Oreonax flavicauda), the Andean cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola peruvianus), and the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) can all be found within the area. More than 1,500 species of plants have been identified within Boshumi as well, including 43% of the known palm tree species in Peru.
The declaration of Boshumi is timely, as the area faced a number of outside threats, including illegal mining, illegal logging, and road construction. To ensure the area’s continued protection, local communities will work in partnership with the Regional Government to help manage and monitor Boshumi.
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“Boshumi Regional Conservation Area adds to the Gran Pajatén Biosphere Reserve that protects more than 6.2 million acres of land with enormous conservation value and great tourism potential. We applaud San Martín for setting an example of leadership and for its commitment to a green and sustainable Peru,” said Enrique Ortiz, Andes Amazon Fund Program Director.
The Regional Government of San Martín led this conservation effort with the help of Andes Amazon Fund (AAF) grantees Asociación Amazónicos por la Amazonia (AMPA), Naturaleza y Cultura Internacional (NCI), and Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental (SPDA), with support from the national government. Congratulations to the Regional Government of San Martín, Minister of the Environment Fabiola Muñoz, the Peruvian Protected Area Service (SERNANP), AMPA, NCI, SPDA, and local partners for all of their hard work in establishing this new protected area.
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More information:
Wyss Campaign for Nature: “Nearly 500,000 acres permanently protected in Peru as the Boshumi Regional Conservation Area”
AMPA: “Los Bosques de Shunté y Mishollo se convierten en Área de Conservación Regional”
SPDA Actualidad Ambiental: “Declaran a los Bosques de Shunté y Mishollo en San Martín como nueva área de conservación regional”
Mongabay Latam: “Perú: bosque nuboso de San Martín se convierte en área protegida”
El Comercio: “Conoce la nueva área de conservación regional en San Martín”
Photos: SPDA
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