Conducing a feasibility study for Patagonia Sur Foundation: Should Patagonia Sur pursue a REDD Project in Southern Chile?

Founded in 2008, Fundación SNP Patgonia Sur is a Chilean-based nonprofit.  The Foundation encourages conservation and promotes social and economic development in Chile’s Patagonia Sur region through the protection, conservation and enhancement of ecologically-fragile and unique areas; and the facilitation of local community engagement in sustainable development in the region and long-term regional planning. Patagonia Sur Foundation would like to research the possibility of diversifying Patagonia Sur Carbon Offsets business, currently focused on reforestation, into REDD projects – Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation. Chile has nearly one-third of the enduring expanses of relatively intact temperate, or “frontier”, forests in the world.  Region X has the greatest percentage of frontier forests in Chile.  This region almost exclusively houses the extremely unique and vulnerable coastal mountain range forests.  The Workshop Team is being asked to conduct a feasibility study focused on the issue of whether there is a viable REDD project within Patagonia Sur’s current boundaries.