Watershed-based soil management with objective liability for soil degradation. Coordinates with municipal land-use planning.
Gestión del suelo con enfoque de cuenca y responsabilidad objetiva por degradación. Se coordina con planificación municipal del uso del suelo.
31 documents in this topic.
Decreto 447102024
Reglamento para la incorporación de la variable ambiental en planes de ordenamiento territorial
Executive Decree No. 44710-MINAE establishes the technical and procedural framework for integrating the environmental variable into cantonal and coastal regulatory plans and other land-use planning instruments, in compliance with Article 50 of the Political Constitution. It repeals Decrees 32967 and 42696 and offers two methodological alternatives detailed…
Decreto 419602019
Metodología para la Determinación de la Capacidad de Uso de las Tierras Agroecológicas de Costa Rica
This decree officially establishes the updated methodology for classifying land-use capacity in Costa Rica for agricultural, livestock, forestry, and conservation purposes. It defines eight capacity classes (I to VIII) based on increasing limitations from erosion, soil, drainage, and climate. Classes I-III allow virtually unrestricted agricultural,…
Decreto 404922017
Articulación intersectorial para la incorporación de los principios de neutralidad de la degradación de tierras en la lucha contra la desertificación, la degradación de la tierra y la sequía
This executive decree mandates all institutions of the Environment, Energy, Seas and Territorial Planning Sector and the Agricultural and Rural Development Sector to integrate the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) principles approved by the United Nations at Rio+20 and included in the National Action Program to Combat Land Degradation (PAN) into their…
Decreto 377572013
Reglamento sobre valores guía en suelos para descontaminación de sitios afectados por emergencias ambientales y derrames
This executive decree establishes lists of chemical substances and guideline values (prevention and intervention levels) that, when exceeded in soil, signal risk to human health and ecosystems. It defines administrative procedures for risk management due to soil contamination, compelling natural and legal persons engaged in industrial, commercial, service,…
Decreto 370172012
Autorización de purines bovinos como mejorador de suelo
Executive Decree No. 37017-MAG authorizes the use of bovine cattle slurry as an improver of the physical, chemical, and microbiological characteristics of soil, aimed at fertilizing pastures and forages. It establishes key definitions such as slurry, Slurry Application Plan as Fertilizer (PAPF), and risk areas. It details criteria for slurry application,…
Decreto 339572007
Reforma a la Metodología de Determinación de Capacidad de Uso de Tierras de Costa Rica
This executive decree, issued jointly by the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), adds a paragraph to the official methodology for determining land use capacity (Decree 23214). The amendment clarifies that civil infrastructure works may be carried out on various land use classes, provided they…
Decreto 329672006
Introducción de la variable ambiental en Planes Reguladores y planificación del uso del suelo
Executive Decree 32967 establishes the technical procedure for integrating the environmental variable into Regulatory Plans and all other land-use planning in Costa Rica, through the Environmental Fragility Index (IFA) methodology. It defines the steps to produce geoaptitude, bioaptitude, edaphoaptitude and anthropoaptitude maps, generating an integrated…
Decreto 306362002
Registro de Certificadores de Uso Conforme del Suelo
This decree creates the Official Registry of Soil Conformity Certifiers and the Applicants Evaluation Committee, pursuant to the Soil Use, Management and Conservation Law No. 7779. It establishes that MAG-INTA will maintain the registry and accredit professionals authorized to issue soil conformity certificates. It sets inscription requirements: membership…
Decreto 293752000
Reglamento a la Ley de Uso, Manejo y Conservación de Suelos
This executive decree regulates the Soil Use, Management and Conservation Law (Law 7779) to protect, conserve and improve soils nationwide. It establishes the institutional framework led by the Ministry of Agriculture (MAG), a National Technical Commission and Area Committees to develop and implement conservation plans by watershed. It details management…
Decreto 232141994
Metodología para la Determinación de la Capacidad de Uso de las Tierras
This executive decree establishes the official methodology to be applied in Costa Rica for evaluating, classifying, and planning land use according to its capacity. It defines eight classes (I through VIII) based on limitations of slope, erosion, soil, drainage, and climate, ranked from highest to lowest suitability for agricultural, livestock, and…
Res. 19041-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de inconstitucionalidad sobre quemas agrícolas
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses on the merits an unconstitutionality action filed by the Costa Rican Federation for Environmental Conservation against Article 24 of the Soil Use, Management and Conservation Law (Law 7779), Article 5 of the Dividing Fences and Burning Law (Law 121), and various regulatory provisions authorizing controlled agricultural…
Res. 92125-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Se admite acción de inconstitucionalidad por omisión de EIA en quemas agrícolas
The Constitutional Chamber admits for study an action of unconstitutionality filed by the Costa Rican Federation for Environmental Conservation against several provisions regulating controlled agricultural burns. The plaintiffs argue that there is an unconstitutional legislative and regulatory omission because these norms do not require a prior…
Res. 09040-2009 Sala Constitucional2009 · Sala Constitucional
Contaminación del agua con Bromacil por plantación de piña en Siquirres
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo filed by residents of Cairo, La Francia and Luisiana in Siquirres, who claimed that the pineapple plantation of Hacienda Ojo de Agua S.A. contaminated the water sources feeding their aqueducts with agrochemicals — primarily the herbicide Bromacil. The Chamber found it proven that the plantation sits atop the…
Res. 01523-2025 Sala Primera de la Corte2025 · Sala Primera de la Corte
Ingenieros forestales pueden certificar uso conforme del suelo
The First Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice upheld the partial annulment of Decree 30636-MAG and an INTA order that restricted forest engineers to issuing soil use conformity certificates only for forestry projects. The Chamber held that the regulatory restriction exceeded the provisions of the Soil Use, Management and Conservation Law (No. 7779) and…
Res. 00140-2025 Tribunal Agrario2025 · Tribunal Agrario
Competencia agraria por cultivos en lindero y daño al suelo
The Agrarian Tribunal resolves a jurisdictional challenge based on subject matter filed by the defendant in an ordinary proceeding. The plaintiff claimed damages from crops planted along the boundary and obstruction of a ditch, which harmed his plantations and sterilized the soil. The defendant argued her land is a lot for construction acquired through a…
Res. 07535-2024 Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo2024 · Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo
Deber municipal de corregir inmuebles privados contaminantes
The Administrative Contentious Court annulled the Curridabat Mayor's Office resolution that had dismissed an administrative complaint by the Vía Cipreses Condominium regarding wastewater pollution. The court found that the Municipality had been inconsistent, first claiming it had referred the matter to the Ministry of Health and later stating no such…
Res. 00889-2023 Tribunal Agrario2023 · Tribunal Agrario
Competencia agraria en conflictos sobre el recurso suelo y la Ley 7779
The Agrarian Tribunal resolves a jurisdictional conflict arising from the San Carlos Agrarian Court's recusal in an ordinary proceeding concerning a contract for river material extraction. The tribunal holds that, pursuant to Article 56 of the Soil Use, Management and Conservation Law (Law 7779), the agrarian jurisdiction is competent to hear all disputes…
Res. 00437-2022 Sala Tercera de la Corte2022 · Sala Tercera de la Corte
Responsabilidad civil objetiva en daño ambiental: aplicación del principio 'quien contamina paga'
The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice of Costa Rica, upon resolving a cassation appeal, partially annuls the judgment of the Criminal Appeal Court of Cartago that had upheld the criminal and civil acquittal of a defendant for forestry offenses. The Chamber concludes that environmental law is governed by an objective (strict) civil liability…
Res. 00972-2022 Tribunal Agrario2022 · Tribunal Agrario
Responsabilidad objetiva por daños con agroquímicos entre colindantes
The Agrarian Tribunal hears an appeal in a possessory interdict (amparo de posesión) filed by a farmer against his neighbor, whom he accuses of applying a chemical from his property that damaged plants and a living fence in the boundary area. The lower court upheld the claim, ordering the defendant to refrain from burning, to pay damages, and to bear…
Res. 00625-2021 Tribunal Agrario2021 · Tribunal Agrario
Competencia agraria para la explotación minera de cantera de piedra caliza
The Agrarian Tribunal of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José resolves an appeal and jurisdictional objections in an ordinary agrarian proceeding where the plaintiff claims breach of a private contract for quarry extraction. The dispute concerns whether the controversy—arising from an agreement to exploit a state-granted limestone mining concession in…
Res. 01189-2020 Tribunal Agrario2020 · Tribunal Agrario
Responsabilidad objetiva por daños causados por deriva de herbicida
The Agrarian Court partially overturns the first-instance judgment and partially grants the ordinary agrarian claim filed by the owner of a sweet pepper plantation against a neighboring cattle farm corporation. The court finds that the defendant applied the herbicide Pastar (key ingredient 2,4-D) on its property during the first week of October 2018, and…
Res. 00032-2014 Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago2014 · Tribunal de Apelación de Sentencia Penal de Cartago
Restitución del bosque procede de oficio aun con absolución penal
The Criminal Sentencing Appeals Court of Cartago partially annuls an acquittal from the Trial Court of Pérez Zeledón concerning illegal logging and land-use change in a protected area near a water source, where avocado trees were planted. The Appeals Court holds that, despite the defendants' acquittal based on reasonable doubt, the principle of forest…
Res. 00532-2004 Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo Sección II2004 · Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo Sección II
Suspensión de multa ambiental por terraceo y erosión hídrica
The Administrative Appeals Court upheld the denial of the suspension of a fine of one hundred thousand colones and the order to conduct soil studies imposed by the Environmental Administrative Tribunal. The landowner alleged he had not carried out the terracing, earthmoving, and tree-cutting works, and lacked resources to comply with the measures. The…
Acuerdo 312006
Integración del Comité de Área de la Subcuenca del Río Negro
This Executive Agreement, issued by the President of the Republic and the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, formally integrates the Rio Negro Sub-Basin Area Committee in the canton of Coto Brus, province of Puntarenas. It is based on the Law on Use, Management and Conservation of Soils (Law No. 7779) and its regulation, which provide for the creation…
Acuerdo 0012005
Comité de Área de la Cuenca del Río Mancarrón
This executive agreement formally establishes the Area Committee for the Mancarrón River Basin, located in the province of Heredia, in compliance with the Soil Use, Management and Conservation Law (Law No. 7779) and its regulations. The document appoints representatives from various public institutions and organizations that will make up this committee,…
Acuerdo 0342005
Integración del Comité de Área de la Sub Cuenca del río Peñas Blancas
This executive agreement, issued by the President of the Republic and the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock under the Soil Use, Management and Conservation Law (Law No. 7779) and its regulations, formally establishes the Area Committee of the Peñas Blancas River Sub-Basin, located in Pérez Zeledón canton, San José province. The committee is composed of…