Summary.
The bill proposes adding Article 13-A to Law 80 of 2012, which concerns incentives for tourism development. The provision assigns the State responsibility for promoting active, ethnic, scientific and rural tourism. To that end, it calls for the rehabilitation of rural ecological roads used for access and research within protected areas that contain human settlements. Under this article, tourism promotion is linked to restoring those rural routes in protected areas with that characteristic.
Through a new Article 13-B of the same law, the bill would require the Ministry of Environment (Ministerio de Ambiente), acting through the Directorate of Protected Areas and Wildlife (Dirección de Áreas Protegidas y Vida Silvestre), to harmonize and adapt its regulations to permit the rehabilitation of rural ecological roads and research routes. The purpose of the regulatory changes is to support the proposed promotion of active, ethnic, scientific and rural tourism. The provision also addresses road access to existing human settlements within protected areas. For that access, it calls for rural roads to be adapted to the minimum width stated in the text as “cinco (5.50) metros lineales” (five (5.50) linear meters). It connects this work with the development of tourist roads and trails that the human settlements could use. The article thus addresses both the rehabilitation of routes for tourism and research and their use to reach communities located in those areas.
Article 3 proposes adding an item to Article 3 of Law 1 of 1994. Among the State’s fundamental objectives concerning forest resources throughout the national territory, it would include promoting ecological, rural, active and research tourism in protected areas and national parks across the country. That promotion would follow the guidelines of the same law. This addition covers protected areas as well as national parks and would form part of the list of State actions in the forestry legislation.
Article 4 lists the proposed additions: Articles 13-A and 13-B to Law 80 of November 8, 2012, and an item to Article 13 of Law 1 of February 3, 1994. Article 5 provides that the proposed law would take effect on the day following its promulgation. Its provisions concern the Ministry of Environment and its Directorate of Protected Areas and Wildlife, human settlements within protected areas, and tourism, research and forestry activities carried out in protected areas and national parks.
What it proposes.
- Promotion of active, ethnic, scientific and rural tourism in protected areas.
- Rehabilitation of rural ecological roads and research routes.
- Road access to human settlements within protected areas.
- Addition of a tourism objective to forestry legislation.
Who it would affect.
- The Ministry of Environment and its Directorate of Protected Areas and Wildlife.
- Existing human settlements within protected areas.
- Tourism and research activities in protected areas and national parks.
Key points.
- The State would promote active, ethnic, scientific and rural tourism by rehabilitating rural ecological roads in protected areas with human settlements.Art. 1
- The Ministry of Environment would adapt its regulations through the Directorate of Protected Areas and Wildlife to permit the rehabilitation of rural roads and research routes.Art. 2
- Rural roads would be adapted to the minimum width stated as “cinco (5.50) metros lineales” to provide road access to human settlements.Art. 2
- The work would allow the development of tourist roads and trails that human settlements could use.Art. 2
- Promotion of ecological, rural, active and research tourism in protected areas and national parks would become a State objective under forestry legislation.Art. 3
- The provision on amendments lists the additions to tourism and forestry legislation.Art. 4
- The proposed law would take effect on the day following its promulgation.Art. 5