From the 6 – 7 of May the Ibero-American Model Forest Network (IAMFN) Board of Directors met in Santiago de Chile where they held successful discussions and shared information on a range of subjects. Management of the IAMFN was among the key issues debated during the meeting, including financial sustainability, governance and rural development.

Board members agreed that in 2009: 1) a financial sustainability strategy and resource person would be required to ensure the longevity of the regional network management team; 2) the consolidation of existing sites, including an assessment of older sites against the principles and attributes for model forests, should take priority over the recruitment of new sites, and; 3) model forests in Latin America should be promoted as platforms for rural development (in the areas of rural leadership, land-use planning, microcredit, rural research and corporate social responsibility). For more information, please contact IAMFN General Manager Fernando Carrera (fcarrera@catie.ac.cr).