The PES Program rewards small, private landowners for protecting their forests without being forced to sell or divest lands in their possession. The program is voluntary and may be terminated at will. PES recognizes the sovereign domain of natural law governing all living systems on earth from an economic, environmental, and social perspective.

The following talk was given by Pax Natura representatives at a press conference in Costa Rica announcing the historic agreement between Pax Natura Foundation and the Costa Rican Government.

Casa Presidencial, Costa Rica

September 19th, 2007

Pax Natura/FONAFIFO Initiative

Randall Tolpinrud, President Pax Natura Foundation

It is a very great honor to be here in the presence of President Oscar Arias, Minister Roberto Dobles, and many other dignitaries and friends.

We are all here today to celebrate the accomplishment of the Costa Rican government and her people. Your vision and leadership are an example to the world. Mr. President, decades ago your country declared peace among peoples by abolishing it’s military and redirecting those badly needed resources into education and infrastructure. That powerful demonstration of international leadership has given this beautiful country of peace an extraordinarily enlightened citizenry. One result of your commitment to peace among nations is that you have now been able to declare peace with nature by implementing the most effective rain forest conservation program ever conceived on this planet.

The program I speak of is the Payment for Environmental Services (PES) program administered by the Fondo Nacional Fininciamento Forrestal or FONAFIFO. This brilliant initiative is credited with stopping the destruction of the Costa Rican rain forest and re-capturing 26% of the country’s land-mass to forest cover from 1987 to 2000. The program rewards private land owners for the environmental services their property provides for watershed protection, scenic beauty, biodiversity conservation, and carbon sequestration. In essence, the program recognizes the sovereign domain of natural law administering and nourishing all living systems throughout nature. Natural law is the government of nature…governing the universe without problems. She gives us the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, but her administration has been under assault by the human family for generations.

Not only have we forgotten our mother, but in our naive innocence, we have in effect declared war on our natural world. From the battlefields on the front lines, ecologists and scientists report daily of rising global temperatures, deforestation, loss of top soils, degraded oceans, disappearing biodiversity and indigenous cultures….the assault goes on and on. Our greatest challenge in this century, as the human family, is to learn to live in accordance within the sovereign domain of natural law. We must either live according to the laws of nature or we will surely not survive. Nature has given us a magnificent brain and nervous system capable of self-knowledge and powers of observation to learn from her magnificent administration. We are her children and deserve to thrive in abundance within her realm but only in harmony with her laws. Thus it seems arrogant, short-sighted, and dangerous to think that we could genetically reconfigure the biosphere within a generation or continue to harvest natural resources unwisely and unsustainably with impunity. Nature is already perfect and does not require our meddling…only our acquiescence to her wisdom, beauty, and organizing power. Her gifts are bounteous and freely given but when her laws are violated, Her family, our family, all living systems suffer the consequences.

The PES program represents a declaration of peace with nature. But it is more than that. It is an act of patriotism for the perpetuation of life on earth. Other nations take pride in the narrow confines of political boundaries, but Costa Rica shows us what true patriotism really means….a celebration of life.

We are therefore very happy today to honor the genius and courage of Costa  Rica under the enlightened leadership of President Arias and Minister Dobles, by being the first to recognize the value both economic and spiritual of a tree standing versus a tree converted to timber. The inspiration for Pax Natura or Paz con Naturaleza (peace with nature) Foundation was born twelve years ago from a small forest we acquired near Guapiles, the Bosque Lluvioso Rio Costa Rica. From that small forest and from this small country with very big ideas and a very big heart, peace with nature has been declared.

We are beginning to awaken to our international obligations on climate change issues and the world is beginning to understand the importance of avoided deforestation in the tropics as a key component in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the principle driver of climate change. Even though 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the last 20-years have resulted from deforestation primarily in the tropics, the clean development mechanisms (CDMs) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, specifically the Marrakesh Accords under LULUCF of the Kyoto Protocols, have ignored the value of standing forests within the cap and trade system. In spite of this insult to tropical countries trying to preserve their forests, Costa Rica has nevertheless moved forward successfully with over a decade of verification and administration of this innovative and ethically sound avoided deforestation program. While primarily funded by a carbon tax within Costa Rica, the Pax Natura Foundation has now demonstrated that funding for the program can be derived from the voluntary carbon markets in the U.S. and beyond. It is far more economical, for example, to preserve a CO2 molecule in tropical rainforests than to invest in carbon capture and storage or avoided deforestation in North America according to the PewCenter on Climate Change at HarvardUniversity. No other country has such a proven track record of successful management of it’s forests, including carbon sequestration, as Costa Rica.

Pax Natura is entering into a contract today with FONAFIFO to acquire approximately $10,000,000 worth of avoided deforestation carbon credits over a ten-year period. Today we present to you, Mr. President, a check in the amount of $1,000,000 as the first installment on this contract. It is our honor and privilege to be part of this extraordinary program. We wish to acknowledge the genius of Costa Rica by expressing our most sincere appreciation and admiration to the following individuals who have made this presentation possible:

Dr. Rodrigo Gamez Lobo, Director General of INBio, for his inspiration and guidance not only on this initiative, but for his tireless efforts on behalf of biodiversity conservation worldwide. His wisdom and leadership are an example to us all. Mr. Franz Tattenbach of FUNDECOR for taking our small project and making it grand and for his efforts on behalf of forest preservation internationally…. Vice-minister of Environment and Energy Sr. Jorge Rodriguez Quiros, who kindly moved our initiative forward within FONAFIFO. Sr. Jorge Mario Rodriguez Zuniga, Executive Director of FONAFIFO… and Sra. Alexandra Saenz Faerron.. without whose cooperation this agreement would not have been possible. Mr. Jim Holtcamp and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Lawrence J. Wolfe of our law firm Holland & Hart for their excellent legal work, dedication and leadership on climate change issues in the United States. Sra. Ana Baez of Conservation Consultores and Dr. Julio Sanchez for their loving kindness, generous support, indigenous wisdom and international leadership on the environment….Sr. Federico Munoz, for his vast knowledge of the rain forest that has been our inspiration from the beginning. Ms. Susan Sowatski, Mr. Steve Estes, and Mr. Jeff Middleton, as Trustee supporters and the official media voices of Pax Natura Foundation. Mr. Carlos Jimenez Freer for his wisdom and spiritual guidance…he is truly the heart and soul of Pax Natura Foundation and has been a rock of support from the beginning. The international Executive Director of the Pax Natura Foundation Sr. Federico Gutierrez for reminding us to think grand and for demonstrating the highest ideals of human civilization….you have made Pax Natura what it is today and without you, we would not be here ….….And mostly to you, Mr. President. Thank you for the confidence you expressed in us years ago and for your decades of integrity, leadership, and vision for what is possible on earth. Peace among peoples, Peace with nature, Heaven on earth….

Thank you.

Randall Tolpinrud

The PES Program rewards small, private landowners for protecting their forests without being forced to sell or divest lands in their possession. The program is voluntary and may be terminated at will. PES recognizes the sovereign domain of natural law governing all living systems on earth from an economic, environmental, and social perspective.

The following talk was given by Pax Natura representatives at a press conference in Costa Rica announcing the historic agreement between Pax Natura Foundation and the Costa Rican Government.

Casa Presidencial, Costa Rica

September 19th, 2007

Pax Natura/FONAFIFO Initiative

Randall Tolpinrud, President Pax Natura Foundation

It is a very great honor to be here in the presence of President Oscar Arias, Minister Roberto Dobles, and many other dignitaries and friends.

We are all here today to celebrate the accomplishment of the Costa Rican government and her people. Your vision and leadership are an example to the world. Mr. President, decades ago your country declared peace among peoples by abolishing it’s military and redirecting those badly needed resources into education and infrastructure. That powerful demonstration of international leadership has given this beautiful country of peace an extraordinarily enlightened citizenry. One result of your commitment to peace among nations is that you have now been able to declare peace with nature by implementing the most effective rain forest conservation program ever conceived on this planet.

The program I speak of is the Payment for Environmental Services (PES) program administered by the Fondo Nacional Fininciamento Forrestal or FONAFIFO. This brilliant initiative is credited with stopping the destruction of the Costa Rican rain forest and re-capturing 26% of the country’s land-mass to forest cover from 1987 to 2000. The program rewards private land owners for the environmental services their property provides for watershed protection, scenic beauty, biodiversity conservation, and carbon sequestration. In essence, the program recognizes the sovereign domain of natural law administering and nourishing all living systems throughout nature. Natural law is the government of nature…governing the universe without problems. She gives us the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, but her administration has been under assault by the human family for generations.

Not only have we forgotten our mother, but in our naive innocence, we have in effect declared war on our natural world. From the battlefields on the front lines, ecologists and scientists report daily of rising global temperatures, deforestation, loss of top soils, degraded oceans, disappearing biodiversity and indigenous cultures….the assault goes on and on. Our greatest challenge in this century, as the human family, is to learn to live in accordance within the sovereign domain of natural law. We must either live according to the laws of nature or we will surely not survive. Nature has given us a magnificent brain and nervous system capable of self-knowledge and powers of observation to learn from her magnificent administration. We are her children and deserve to thrive in abundance within her realm but only in harmony with her laws. Thus it seems arrogant, short-sighted, and dangerous to think that we could genetically reconfigure the biosphere within a generation or continue to harvest natural resources unwisely and unsustainably with impunity. Nature is already perfect and does not require our meddling…only our acquiescence to her wisdom, beauty, and organizing power. Her gifts are bounteous and freely given but when her laws are violated, Her family, our family, all living systems suffer the consequences.

The PES program represents a declaration of peace with nature. But it is more than that. It is an act of patriotism for the perpetuation of life on earth. Other nations take pride in the narrow confines of political boundaries, but Costa Rica shows us what true patriotism really means….a celebration of life.

We are therefore very happy today to honor the genius and courage of Costa  Rica under the enlightened leadership of President Arias and Minister Dobles, by being the first to recognize the value both economic and spiritual of a tree standing versus a tree converted to timber. The inspiration for Pax Natura or Paz con Naturaleza (peace with nature) Foundation was born twelve years ago from a small forest we acquired near Guapiles, the Bosque Lluvioso Rio Costa Rica. From that small forest and from this small country with very big ideas and a very big heart, peace with nature has been declared.

We are beginning to awaken to our international obligations on climate change issues and the world is beginning to understand the importance of avoided deforestation in the tropics as a key component in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the principle driver of climate change. Even though 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the last 20-years have resulted from deforestation primarily in the tropics, the clean development mechanisms (CDMs) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, specifically the Marrakesh Accords under LULUCF of the Kyoto Protocols, have ignored the value of standing forests within the cap and trade system. In spite of this insult to tropical countries trying to preserve their forests, Costa Rica has nevertheless moved forward successfully with over a decade of verification and administration of this innovative and ethically sound avoided deforestation program. While primarily funded by a carbon tax within Costa Rica, the Pax Natura Foundation has now demonstrated that funding for the program can be derived from the voluntary carbon markets in the U.S. and beyond. It is far more economical, for example, to preserve a CO2 molecule in tropical rainforests than to invest in carbon capture and storage or avoided deforestation in North America according to the PewCenter on Climate Change at HarvardUniversity. No other country has such a proven track record of successful management of it’s forests, including carbon sequestration, as Costa Rica.

Pax Natura is entering into a contract today with FONAFIFO to acquire approximately $10,000,000 worth of avoided deforestation carbon credits over a ten-year period. Today we present to you, Mr. President, a check in the amount of $1,000,000 as the first installment on this contract. It is our honor and privilege to be part of this extraordinary program. We wish to acknowledge the genius of Costa Rica by expressing our most sincere appreciation and admiration to the following individuals who have made this presentation possible:

Dr. Rodrigo Gamez Lobo, Director General of INBio, for his inspiration and guidance not only on this initiative, but for his tireless efforts on behalf of biodiversity conservation worldwide. His wisdom and leadership are an example to us all. Mr. Franz Tattenbach of FUNDECOR for taking our small project and making it grand and for his efforts on behalf of forest preservation internationally…. Vice-minister of Environment and Energy Sr. Jorge Rodriguez Quiros, who kindly moved our initiative forward within FONAFIFO. Sr. Jorge Mario Rodriguez Zuniga, Executive Director of FONAFIFO… and Sra. Alexandra Saenz Faerron.. without whose cooperation this agreement would not have been possible. Mr. Jim Holtcamp and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Lawrence J. Wolfe of our law firm Holland & Hart for their excellent legal work, dedication and leadership on climate change issues in the United States. Sra. Ana Baez of Conservation Consultores and Dr. Julio Sanchez for their loving kindness, generous support, indigenous wisdom and international leadership on the environment….Sr. Federico Munoz, for his vast knowledge of the rain forest that has been our inspiration from the beginning. Ms. Susan Sowatski, Mr. Steve Estes, and Mr. Jeff Middleton, as Trustee supporters and the official media voices of Pax Natura Foundation. Mr. Carlos Jimenez Freer for his wisdom and spiritual guidance…he is truly the heart and soul of Pax Natura Foundation and has been a rock of support from the beginning. The international Executive Director of the Pax Natura Foundation Sr. Federico Gutierrez for reminding us to think grand and for demonstrating the highest ideals of human civilization….you have made Pax Natura what it is today and without you, we would not be here ….….And mostly to you, Mr. President. Thank you for the confidence you expressed in us years ago and for your decades of integrity, leadership, and vision for what is possible on earth. Peace among peoples, Peace with nature, Heaven on earth….

Thank you.

Randall Tolpinrud