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In Chile , for example , The Nature Conservancy and our in- country partner intend to purchase a 127 - acre tract located in the area of Punta Curinaco — a dramatic meeting of land and sea along Chile ' s coast that provides a home to the endangered marine otter, sea lions , and the coastal ollkvillo forest . This exceptionally beautiful and still - pristine site is threatened by development . What ' s more , if it can be bought and saved , Punta Curinaco will advance additional protection efforts in Chile by drawing attention to the urgent need for coastal conservation . In the Central American nation of Guatemala , The Nature Conservancy is helping Defensores de la Naturaleza complete the purchase of the 22 , 500 - acre Centro Campesino tract within the Sierra de Lacandon National Park — part of the Maya Biosphere Reserve , which includes ecologically sensitive lands in three nations : Guatemala, Mexico , and Belize . The Centro Campesino property is part of what ' s called the Peten moist forest , one of the most endangered ecoregions in all of Latin America . The tract ' s dense stands of trees provide a wilderness home for five notable cats — puma, jaguar, margay, ocelot, and jaguarundi — 424 bird species , more than 200 plant species , 97 reptile species , and 32 types of amphibians . Time is of the essence in safeguarding the Centro Campesino tract . If the land is not bought and fully protected , it , as so many millions of acres of forest land before it , could fall prey to slash- and -burn agriculture, water contamination , and other unsustainable practices . COMMUNITY- BASED CONSERVATION Our conservation efforts cannot succeed without the support of local residents . Consequently, The Nature Conservancy and our partners strive to include local communes in conservation acti iti ons by introducing them to environmentally sound ways to make a living, involving them in planning activities , and undertaking conservation projects for their benefit . Take our work on the Fishing Branch River in Canada ' s Yukon Territory , for example . Here, we are forming a unique partnership with the government of the Yukon, The Nature Conservancy of Canada, and the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation to conserve 1 . 3 million acres of the Fishing Branch River watershed as a protected area — but one that would also provide for subsistence hunting and fishing by the Gwitchin people . The Yukon government has agreed to set the 1 . 3 million- acre watershed aside as a protected area if the Vuntut Gwitchin can retire the 38 outstanding mining claims on watershed lands . Thanks to the dedicated efforts of The Nature Conservancy of Canada, the owners of 32 of the mg inin claims have agreed to donate their interests to the Vuntut Gwitchin people . The Nature Conservancy of Canada also has negotiated the purchase of the other six claims . Now, money must be raised to buylthose claims . Plus , additional funding must be raised to create the protected area and establish a comprehensive management plan for it . In the Pacific, The Nature Conservancy has played a pivotal role in establishing the Arnavon Islands Community Marine Conservation Area in the Solomon Islands — the first such area ever ' designated in the South Pacific . In the weeks and months immediately ahead , our goal is to build on the project ' s success and broaden its scope . - 3 -