In Galapagos, the National Park surrounds populated areas, unlike many other places in the world. For this reason, there are areas for human use which maintain a high ecological value, either because of their proximity to the protected area, or because of the low alteration of ecosystems.

These areas, which are a priority for conservation, must meet some basic conditions to be considered areas of high ecological value; they must be representative of the region in which they are located and must also be located far from any dangers that may pose a threat to their integrity.

	INHABITED AREAS AND IMPACT REDUCTION AREAS WITHIN THE PROTECTED AREAS Click here to see the distribution of these zones in the populated islands of the Galapagos.

In the Galapagos, these areas are located in the rural areas of the islands and especially in the highlands.

These relics, organisms which were once abundant, remain ecologically intact, in other words, they have characteristics similar to the protected areas of the Galapagos National Park, with the important incentive that they are located in the upper parts of watersheds, and thus, contain most of the freshwater of the islands in their underground reserves.

On San Cristóbal, there are many such areas that are relative to the presence of freshwater reservoirs, endemic vegetation, native vegetation, and wetland birds and/or the Galapagos petrel (patapegada).

In Santa Cruz during the rainy season, "pools" of water appear in various places, which are visited by Galapagos tortoises, finches, white-cheeked pintails, and migratory birds. On several farms, Galapagos tortoises can be found in large numbers, as well as finches.

"	The conservation of these areas improve the living standards of the owners ."

These areas also gain socio-economic value by allowing the collection of vertical and horizontal rainwater, which later flows into the surface and groundwater bodies that will later be used for human consumption and agricultural activities.

Currently, the agricultural development in Galapagos is undergoing a prolonged crisis due to the degradation of natural resources (soil, water sources, pastures, and vegetation cover), and an increase in pests and invasive species.

The conservation of these areas improve the living standards of the owners of the farms and the development of agricultural areas, lowering the risk of becoming a source of exotic species potentially invasive for the protected area.

The work of the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park

The priority of the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park (DGNP), being responsible for the conservation of the natural areas of the islands, is to work on the study and management of these areas.

It is a priority for the DGNP to perform management activities in these aquifer recharge areas.

	The "El Chato" farm on Santa Cruz, a good place to observe tortoises, is an example of an area of high ecological value.

These activities should include the development and application of techniques for optimizing the use of the atmospheric, superficial, and groundwater resources, so that their use does not pose a risk to biodiversity conservation and the ecological integrity of native ecosystems.

The identification of these areas is being carried out through the preparation of environmental inventories of the resources and activities that are being performed or that are planned to be performed on these premises, in order to obtain diagnoses en some of the farms of the rural areas of the islands, regarding the convenience of declaring protected areas on these private farms.

Becoming an area of high ecological value is the first step that the Galapagos National Park (GNP) should take before entering into a conservation easement agreement which is signed by the owner of the land and the GNP, containing the uses allowed and not allowed under the zoning of the land and it must be respected in perpetuity if both parties agree.

Conservation easements

A conservation easement is a voluntary and private agreement, by which an owner (called the "servient tenement") limits the uses of his or her property, in order to conserve and protect the natural ecosystems and resources of his or her land, under the supervision of the "dominant tenement".

Traditional easements are well-known legal figures, based on the Civil Code. Their application for conservation purposes is novel in Ecuador, but there are already nearly two million hectares protected under conservation easements in the United States and a growing number in Central American countries.

Sometimes this is done in return for financial compensation or by the transfer of a similar right by another party, although they often consist of donations.

Through the conservation easement agreement the possible type and intensity of future use of the property is planned in order to preserve the natural attributes, the scenic beauty, or the historic, architectural, archaeological, or cultural aspects.

	Park Rangers are evaluating a farm on San Cristóbal to determine its ecological value, and the possibility of reaching a conservation agreement.

One of the advantages of conservation easements is that they allow the performance of zoning, therefore, the private owner can dedicate certain portions of his or her land to conservation, and continue with other productive activities on the rest of his or her land. Being a voluntary self-limitation that does not require government intervention, it instills confidence, credibility, and flexibility regarding the paperwork. The application is very broad, especially for ecotourism, for the establishment of biological corridors, or to preserve green areas in urban areas. It is a flexible figure, it offers the possibility of conserving natural resources in perpetuity or for as long as the person so desires.

This contract, once registered in the land registry, is binding on subsequent owners, unless the parties otherwise agree, and the dominant tenement would be in charge of monitoring and overseeing that the contract is fulfilled. In some cases a payment is stipulated and in others it is not, and its duration depends on the agreements reached, and it can be perpetuated.

The main features of these conservation easements are: 

• Their constitution is voluntary, that is, they are constituted when the owner of the property is willing to do so because it is a private contract in which the owner enters on his or her free will.
  
• They have great flexibility, as they allow various goals pursued by the property owner to be reached (banning the felling of trees, allowing the construction of a cabin, opening a path, etc.). They are also flexible in order to be designed based on the physical characteristics of each property; as each property is different and every owner has different interests, each conservation easement is different.
  
• They are generally constituted in perpetuity but can also be made for a specified time. The creation in perpetuity makes them very attractive for many homeowners because it gives them confidence that the current protection effort (for example a forest) will be continued.

INHABITED AREAS AND IMPACT REDUCTION AREAS

Source:GALAPAGOS ZONING SYSTEM

This program has counted on the support of:

Araucaria XXI is the Program for the environmental sustainability of human development in Latin America of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation Development (SAICD).