Expansion of Paltas Municipal Conservation Area Conserves an Additional 32,392 Acres

The expansion of Paltas Municipal Conservation Area in Ecuador now brings its total size to 41,020 acres. The new area is divided into six “blocks” within the municipality and conserves some of the last remnants of dry forest in Ecuador.

Paltas Municipal Protected Area is dominated by dry forest habitat and is home to special and threatened wildlife like the cougar (Puma concolor) and the grey-cheeked parakeet (Brotogeris pyrrhoptera). The area also contains the tara (Caesalpinia spinosa), a native tree whose pods are sustainably harvested by local farmers.

Thanks to the expansion, Paltas Municipal Protected Area now safeguards water sources for eight parishes within the municipality, or 10,000 people.

This expansion was made possible through the hard work of our grantees Naturaleza y Cultura – Ecuador with support from the Fondo Regional del Agua (FORAGUA) and the Municipality of Paltas.