Touristic Project - Advantages and disadvantages of the project

P e r u v i a n  I n i t i a t i v e s   f o r   S u s t a i n a b l e   T o u r i s m 

*Smiling at the Future*

FOREST AND SANDS OF CAÑONCILLO

The interior of this uncommon territory is home to carob tree forests that grow and thrive in the middle of the most arid desert on the planet. In the pampas of San Pedro de Lloc along the coast of the Department of La Libertad, the inhabitants of Santonte, Pueblo Nuevo, Tecapa, Santa Maria, and Portada de la Sierra decided to organize themselves and to form the Tecapa Users Farming Cooperative, Ltd., whose main mission consisted in improving the management of dry forest resources and beginning to look to the future with different eyes. It was on 2003, and the example of the farmers from Santa Catalina de Chongoyape started to flower and to reproduce itself in these areas far away from the rain and economic well being.

The forest of Cañoncillo is home to a unique species of Peruvian desert plant life. It is located east of San Pedro de Lloc and Pacasmayo, two places with the most history on the coast of La Libertad. In their hot sands and under the shadow of the carob trees (and acacias, sapote trees, bichayo trees, and cuncuno trees), coastal foxes, squirrels, lizards, and dozens of birds of uncommon plumage live. It is a sort of Garden of Eden in between the desert and the ocean and the stage where the wildlife began to bring attention to itself in the discussions of those who love adventure tourism and nature... rightly so, the once immense dry forests of Peru have been plundered by uncontrollable urban growth and because of the little respect that we have for the treasures that the land guards.

The Cañoncillo Private Preservation Area, located on 1,310.9 hectares and just 10 kilometers away from the PanAmerican Highway North, represents an impressive testimony to what must have once been dream forests and their biotic communities. The owners (the coop members) themselves jealously guard the area, and it is becoming one more of the many resources that the San Pedro de Lloc – Pacasmayo – Trujillo axis has to offer to those who decide to visit a corner of our country overflowing with nature and archeology. An example of shared will, future vision, and environmental care

* PROJECT DETAILS AND RESULTS

The project is orientated to improve the conditions of conservation, protection and defense of Cañoncillo Forest, This  means  the designation of the area of Private Conservation, the reforest ,the  ecotourism development, people training and  the organization of voluntary foresters of the zone that increase  incomesand the Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods and decrease the negative impact.