According to a study by FONAFIFO (National Forest Financing Fund) and the University of Alberta, Canada, Costa Rica has reforested an area equal to 10% of its territory in the last 20 years.

In 1960 the country was 70% forest, however by 1986 only 40% was covered.  This cutting was due to agricultural policies and techniques, when the only way to own a farm that had no owner was to “improve” it, by cutting down the forest and putting livestock on i, according to Arturo Sánchez, director of the University of Alberta’s Earth Sciences  Observation Center.

A large region of Guanacaste was deforested in this way, as well as the Southern Zone and the Caribbean. HOwever in the 1990s the trend was reversed. According to FONAFIFO, in 1997 forest coverage was 42%, in 2000 it increased to  47% and last year to 51%. (26,000 km2 of 51,100 km2)

FONAFIFO conserves 300,000 hectáreas (3.000 km) through its reforestation payment program and stated that the largest areas of recuperation are in Guanacaste, the north Caribbean and the Southern Zone.