The National Park Service has enjoyed years of cooperative activities with many Latin American and Caribbean park agencies. Here in brief are some of the more recent activities that are currently being undertaken.

ARGENTINA

Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina, rangers spent several weeks at Grand Teton National Park for training in trail design, trail building and maintenance.  The two parks are developing a sister park partnership focused on shared management issues and challenges.  Grand Teton staff will travel to Argentina in 2010 to continue to develop this mutually beneficial relationship. 

Rangers from Los Glaciares National Park and
Grand Teton National Park.

COSTA RICA

Rocky Mountain National Park staff were invited to provide technical assistance to protected areas in Costa Rica as part of the sister city relationship between Estes Park, Colorado and the Municipality of Monteverde, Costa Rica.  The protected areas include Monte Verde Cloud Forest Reserve, Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, Children’s Eternal Rainforest and Arenal National Park, all units of the Agua y Paz Biosphere Reserve.  

NPS  evaluated and made recommendations in: trail construction and maintenance; inventory and monitoring of natural resources; interpretive programs and methods including interpretive media and exhibits; and the effectiveness of sales outlets as adjuncts to interpretive programs.  Rocky Mountain Nature Association also provided support to this sister city initiative to promote the sustainable management of protected areas in concert with their gateway communities.

HAITI

Responding to a request by the Haitian Prime Minister and the Senate Resources Committee Chairman for technical assistance on both natural and cultural resource management, the NPS worked with the USAID Mission to send an assessment team to Haiti’s lone World Heritage Site – Citadelle/Ramiers/San Souci – in northern Haiti, as well as to two natural national park sites in southern and central Haiti to meet with a variety of stakeholders and government officials.  NPS staff shared their observations with the USAID Mission and the Haitian Prime Minister, along with practical recommendations for management of these sites.  This is believed to be the beginning of a long-term effort to help improve visitor and site management at Haitian national heritage venues. 

CHILE

Last fall, the U.S. State Department hosted a two-day U.S.-Chile workshop on parks management issues.  Senior leadership and staff from NPS, Chile's CONAF (National Forest Commission, which oversees national parks), the State Department,  the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with representatives from the National Park Foundation and the National Parks and Conservation Association all participated.  A list of potential future bilateral activities in the park management field is currently being developed.

During their stay in Washington, D.C., the Chileans visited nearby Rock Creek Park to learn about the management issues in an urban park.

Check back again soon to learn about new NPS activities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

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