Subdividing the Country into Provinces…

• 7 provinces They include:– Alajuela– Cartago– Heredia– Limon – Guanacaste– San Jose* – Puntarenas**

– *San Jose contains the capital city. – **Contains Monteverde community and the Cloud Forest

Reserve

Further breakdown.

• 81 counties• There are 11 Counties with Puntarenas Province• Esparza• Buenos Aires• Montes de Oro• Osa• Aguirre• Golfito• Coto Brus• Parrita• Corredores• Garabito

• 421 Districts• Monteverde is in the 10th district of Puntarenas.

Monteverde Residents to Vote for New Government

Tico TimesNovember 22, 2002

• “Communities should be able to maintain their resources. The decentralization of power is an important thing”- Reinaldo Vargas, mayor of Puntarenas

• Fight for the district municipal council to control finances.

– Plans for financial resources

The ‘Re-Greening’ of Graywater in MonteverdeTico Times

January 24, 2003

Graywater. What is it?

Actions taken towards treating it.

Organic VegetablesTico Times

Buisness News- Weekly EditionMay 6th-12th, 2005

• “If small farmers don’t work together, they could disappear. Their only option for dynamic production, to understand what the demand is and how to place their products on the mass market, is to become organized in a commercial group. Oro Verde is the answer”

• – Mayra Lopez, Oro Verde General Manager• Organic produce is growing in popularity, therefore they

are more widely available.• Products claim to be healthier, but are more costly than

produce grown non-organically. • Frequently increasing variety of organics sold.

Pesticide Use– Poorly MonitoredTico Times

February 6, 2004• “I didn’t know it was prohibited… if its illegal, why is it

available in every store around here?”- Marco Ramirez, Squash Farmer

• “There's no control; they sell Tamaron to anybody.”- Response of Alfonso Castillo, Paraiso farmer, to the Ministry of Agriculture’s pesticide registry program.

• Pesticides are toxic chemicals that can be health hazards when used incorrectly.

• Regulation of these toxic substances is far too loose in Costa Rica.

• In order to protect lives Costa Rica must create and enforce more stringent policies.

Tico Coffee Strives for Geographic LabelTico Times

February 27, 2004

• “The goal is to give the product a value-added that stays with the producer, if quality is controlled and guaranteed, the consumer will be willing to pay extra for a product.” Angel de Jamie Baru, President of the Council of Certified Origin.

• 7 regions, 7 coffees

Coffee Future StudiedTico Times

November 21, 2003

• “We must reestablish a balance in the market that guarantees the sustainability of the coffee industry.”- Nestor Osorio, President of International Coffee Organization.

• 2003 International Coffee Week

• Goals and Promoting

Organic Farms in Costa Rica Produce Mainly For Foreign

Markets• “To produce environmentally friendly food isn't just a fad,

it’s a necessity and it’s shaped in national politics. We need consumers to join us, for people to notice what they are eating and for them to know that if they choose organic lettuce its not just any lettuce but a vegetable that did not harm the environment and will not affect their health.”- Felicia Escheverria, manager of the PNAO program.

• Alternative to produce grown with pesticides that can endanger health.

• Ingenious methods for naturally controlling pests

Residents Oppose More Dam Projects

Tico TimesFebruary 20, 2004

• Provides a source of electricity for the country- not without enormous economic impacts.

• Controversial issue that most Costa Ricans feel strongly against.

Environmental Service Payments: Doubts Aired

Tico TimesAugust 4th, 2000

• “Wheres the improvement? Where’s the increase? Lets not fool ourselves. In reality there is none”- Cespedes, director of Costa Rican Forestry Chamber.