St. Croix 360

River stories to inspire stewardship.

  • Share News
  • Event Calendar
  • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Support

Sister Park Agreement Announced Between Costa Rica and U.S. Parks

Rotary International helps establish a partnership between Costa Rica and upper Midwest parks.

By Greg Seitz | June 24, 2013 | 3 minute read

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Print
  • More
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Pocket
  • Telegram

Via the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway:

Costa Rica SINAC Executive Director Rafael Guitiérrez and Christopher Stein, superintendent of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, sign a "sister park arrangement" between parks and protected areas of the Osa Conservation Area and Upper Midwest (NPS photo)

Costa Rica SINAC Executive Director Rafael Guitiérrez and Christopher Stein, superintendent of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, sign a “sister park arrangement” between parks and protected areas of the Osa Conservation Area and Upper Midwest (NPS photo)

With the help of a grant from Rotary International’s District 5960, the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, along with 12 other National Park System units in the Upper Midwest, have established a “sister park” partnership with several national parks and protected areas of the Osa Region of Costa Rica.

With the help of this grant, three Rotarians from the St. Croix Valley – Judy Freund (Past District Governor 2011/2012) of Hudson, Wisconsin, Craig Leiser (Past District Governor 2010/2011) of Stillwater, Minnesota, and Fred Treiber (Team Leader) of White Bear Lake, Minnesota — and Chris Stein, Riverway superintendent, spent nine days in Costa Rica. They met with government officials, community leaders, and others to identify potential sister park partnership projects that Rotary may want to help fund in the future.  Any projects supported by Rotary must accomplish one of the organization’s six areas of focus: peace and conflict resolution, education, water resources, maternal and child health, disease prevention, and/or economic development.

On June 4, in Costa Rica’s capital city of San Jose, Stein and Director Rafael Gutierrez of Costa Rica’s national parks signed an agreement between the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) and Costa Rica’s SINAC (system of parks and protected areas).

“The main reason why we have a signed agreement today is because Rotary supports this sister park effort,” said Stein. “We visited Costa Rica primarily to scope out Rotary-fundable community projects that will ultimately lead to better protection of the country’s park resources, such as rural tourism, environmental education, and watershed protection.”

Some of the reasons to have a “sister park” agreement include:  1) shared resources, such as the Neotropical migratory bird species that travel between the Americas, 2) habitat protection and restoration, 3) professional development of park staff both here and in Costa Rica, 4) public relations, 5) adult and youth education about park issues, and 6) partnerships that enhance relationships between non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and park organizations.

While in Costa Rica, the Rotary/NPS team participated in 17+ meetings over nine days. The team discovered that Costa Rica is rich in opportunity for Rotary-type community projects. Over the next several weeks, team members will process the information and recommendations gathered at these meetings and then decide what community projects to potentially move forward.

This summer, staff from the U.S. national parks involved in the new “sister park” partnership also plan to discuss mutual efforts to help achieve the goals of the project. These parks are: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Effigy Mounds National Monument, Grand Portage National Monument, Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Isle Royale National Park, Keweenaw National Historical Park, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Pipestone National Monument, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, and Voyageurs National Park

The Costa Rican national parks and protected areas that are signatories are:  Corcovado National Park, Marino Ballena National Park, Piedras Blancas National Park, Terraba Sierpe National Wetlands, Golfito Wildlife Refuge, Isla del Cano Biological Reserve, and the Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve.

See earlier: St. Croix Riverway Signs Costa Rica Sister Park Agreement

Related

Follow

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

St. Croix 360 is 100% supported by readers.

Click here to contribute →

 

Latest stories

  • No wakes allowed on lower St. Croix due to high water
  • Snake River Canoe Race sees fast times and smooth paddling
  • Developer proposes 12 new ‘cabins’ on St. Croix River

More news

  • Residents resist St. Croix Falls riverside development proposal
  • Birds, Bugs, and Blooms: A St. Croix 360 spring Saturday
  • Tribal officials applaud plan to change derogatory names for places
  • Stillwater teen drowns in St. Croix River while helping save friend
  • Afton State Park phenology May 13 to 19, 2022
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

About

St. Croix 360 builds support for river stewardship, and connects people and organizations. It is an independent news source produced by Greg Seitz, with past support from the St. Croix River Association.

Donate to St. Croix 360 today »

Story of 360

One of the biggest challenges facing the St. Croix River is harmful blooms of algae in in the lower river, due to excess nutrients in runoff. The goal is to restore the river by reducing phosphorus levels to 360 tons/year. Learn more »

Share Your News

St. Croix 360 is powered by a broad community of St. Croix River-loving people. Please visit our submission page to send tips, press releases, and other news.

Submit an Event

Lower St. Croix: St. Croix 360 partners with online calendar St. Croix Splash.

  • Submit your events to Splash.
  • Share it with St. Croix 360 for promotion.

For events elsewhere in the watershed, contact St. Croix 360 directly.

St. Croix 360 Syndication

To help increase awareness of the St. Croix River, news organizations and other outlets are free to share St. Croix 360 content, as long as you follow a few simple rules.

Republish St. Croix 360 stories »

Partners

  • St. Croix River Association
  • St. Croix Watershed Research Station
  • ArtReach St. Croix
  • You and all St. Croix 360's readers!
Handcrafted in May Township, Minnesota. Please contribute today »
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
 

Loading Comments...