EVALUATION OF THE CREATION OF PRIVATE NATURAL HERITAGE RESERVES (RPPN) IN THE STATE OF PARANÁ

Abstract

Private Reserves of Natural Heritage (RPPN) are considered an effective and low-cost way for the government to create protected areas, depending mainly on the will of their owners. This article aims to present an evaluation of the creation of RPPN in Paraná, demonstrating the main deficiencies and potentialities of these areas. A qualitative-quantitative questionnaire was applied to 132 RPPN owners, from 2014 to 2016. The main result is the deficiency in the process of creating these areas by the environmental agency, at the beginning of the creation process, and the participation of the municipalities, promoting the creation based on the economic interest in the Tax on the Circulation of Ecological Goods and Services (ICMS). This scenario generated owners who did not receive any support in the management of these areas (71.2%) and who feel dissatisfied (37.9%) and, potentially, it can be seen that the vast majority (91.7%) of the areas visited in the application of the questionnaire contribute to the formation of ecological corridors, which justifies their creation and allows, from this perspective, to fulfill their main objective, the conservation of biodiversity. Coordination processes between owners and public authorities are necessary to improve this scenario.