PRIVATE NATURAL HERITAGE RESERVE (RPPN)
An RPPN is a level of protection which can be applied to private land and voluntarily applied for by the owner, whose objective is the environmental preservation of ecosystems, natural landscapes and local scenic beauty. It is provided for in the Law of the National System of Nature Conservation Units - SNUC (Federal Law No. 9985, of July 18, 2000), where it falls under the category of Sustainable Use. When registered in the state of Rio de Janeiro, as in the case of REGUA, RPPNs fall under the category of Integral Protection, according to State Decree No. 40.909/2007. REGUA had its first RPPN endorsed in 2013, and was recognized by Ordinance INEA/RJ/PRES Nº477. The Management Plan was approved in 2021, encompassing activities such as scientific research, monitoring, bird watching, fauna reintroduction and visitation for educational, interpretive, recreational and tourist purposes.
Currently, REGUA has 5 registered RPPNs, totaling 730 hectares of areas intended for nature conservation and maintenance of biodiversity. The main REGUA RPPN is located in the area of its headquarters, where we can find one of the most beautiful restored landscapes in the region, the famous “Wetlands”, which are an iconic heart of the reserve.
LAND PURCHASE
REGUA's mission is the protection and conservation of forest remnants of the Atlantic Forest in the Guapiaçu river catchment. Our objective being restoration and protection of local fauna and flora, which helps contribute to the preservation of the whole Guapiaçu watershed area, which is an important water supply for the eastern Metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro.
One of the main activities to achieve this is the acquisition of areas of land which have been offered to us by neighbouring landowners when they are no longer of any agricultural or commercial value to them.
This then allows us to reforest land and connect the fragments of forests still present. This has resulted in an expansion of the total area of the Reserve.
The original area of REGUA land in 2005, is represented by the top left map and was approximately 2900 hectares. REGUA currently owns or has management agreements over an area of approximately 8000 hectares, as can be seen in the lower map on the left.
Once land is purchased we are able to start restoration of the forest. This programme began in 2004, and is focused on the recovery of forest ecosystems in degraded areas of slopes and lowlands, also including original lentic ecosystems in Permanent Preservation Areas - APP, such as springs, river banks and wetlands. For this, REGUA has important partners such as Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest Trust, World Land Trust, Saving Nature, Petrobras, SOS Mata Atlântica, Iniciativa Verde, WWF-Brasil, Ecosia, INEA and CEDAE.