Boshumi Regional Conservation Area Protects Nearly 500,000 Acres of Critical Habitat in North-Central Peru
12/17/2018
Nature and Culture International plays leading role in protecting a vital source of water for more than 69,000 Peruvians
Following six years of collaboration with the Peruvian government and local communities, Nature and Culture celebrates the declaration of a new Regional Conservation Area in the Peruvian region of San Martín. The Bosques de Shunte y Mishollo – also known as Boshumi – will permanently protect 472,973 acres in a region previously devastated by deforestation, safeguarding wildlife and clean water for downstream communities.
Located in North-Central Peru, Boshumi Regional Conservation Area lies in the transitional zone between Peru’s puna grasslands and montane forest. It adds to a critical conservation corridor between adjacent parks and protected areas, including the 6.2-million-acre Gran Pajatén Biosphere Reserve. Increased connectivity in the area will both mitigate the effects of climate change – on average, tropical intact forest landscapes store triple the amount of non-intact tropical forests – and also provide habitat for the long-term survival of such far-ranging species as the threatened spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) and lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris).
Boshumi adds 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, as more than 69,000 people rely on water that flows through the area for drinking, agriculture and other activities. Protecting the area will safeguard water supplies from outside threats as well as prevent droughts and floods, both of which are becoming more common with climate change.
Rich in biodiversity, Boshumi protects almost 2,000 species including the critically endangered Peruvian yellow-tailed woolly monkey (Oreonax flavicauda) and the Andean cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola peruvianus). The area has great potential to boost local economies through tourism, in particular through hiking and birdwatching. An increase in tourism will benefit local communities by creating jobs, encouraging sustainable development and providing additional economic opportunities.
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“Boshumi is an important result of the long and fruitful collaboration between the Regional Government of San Mártin, local communities and Nature and Culture,” said Alex More, Director of Nature and Culture Peru. “It is the largest subnational protected area that has been created in the last three years in Peru, protecting unique biodiversity and clean water for tens of thousands of community members. Conserving Boshumi is critical for both people and nature.”
The Regional Government of San Martín led this conservation effort with support from Nature and Culture, Asociación Amazónicos por la Amazonia (AMPA) and Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental (SPDA). Boshumi was created with the generous financial support of the Andes Amazon Fund and Robert Wilson Charitable Trust.
Click here to read the press release.
