APPENDIX A: TIMELINE
1502 Spanish arrive to Costa Rica which has a population of approximately 27,000, and forest covers 99 percent of the land
1821 Costa Rica gains independence from Spain
1824 Escazú is given title of "Village"
1840s Costa Rica begins to export coffee to England
1900 Population of Costa Rica is over 300,000 and forest covers 86.5 percent of the land
1920 Escazú is officially declared a "City"
1931 Communist Party is formed in Costa Rica
1945 The United Nations and the Bretton Woods organizations (IMF and World Bank) are created
1948 Costa Rican Civil War and the National Liberation Party (PLN) is created
1950 Forest covers 66.5 percent of Costa Rican territory
1958 The Country Club is established in Escazú
1963 Small farmers with less than one hectare number over 50,000 in Costa Rica
1969 Forestry Law No. 4465 of Costa Rica establishes the creation of National Parks and other protected areas such as Protection Zones
1969 San Antonio de Escazú has population of under 5,500
1970 Massive student protests against Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) in Costa Rica
1971 Romano Sancho helps form the Costa Rican Socialist Party
1972 Publication of "The Limits to Growth" by the Club of Rome, and the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment celebrated in Stockholm
1973 Small farmers with less than one hectare number less than 11,000 in Costa Rica
1976 The Mountains of Escazú are declared a Protection Zone
1978 Romano and others create the Party Movimiento de Trabajadores (MT) 11 de Abril
1979 Victory of Sandinistas in the Nicaraguan Revolution
1980 "World Conservation Strategy" is published by UICN, WWF and UNEP coining the term "Sustainable Development"
1981 A hectare of land in San Antonio de Escazú costs US$ 10,000
1982 Romano goes to live in San Antonio de Escazú
1983 Protection Zone of Mountains of Escazú are expanded by Decree; Paulina comes to live with Romano in San Antonio de Escazú; Romano helps create the Farmers Cooperative COOPASAE in San Antonio de Escazú
1985 55 Protected areas cover 17.4 percent of the land in Costa Rica, and forests cover 33 percent of the national territory
1985-01 Father Revilla begins to bulldoze the mountain La Cruz
1985-02 Romano and others in COOPASAE create CODECE: "Committee for the Defense of the Mountains of Escazú" and stop Revilla
1986 CODECE files its first law suits against environmental infractions
1987 CODECE presents Bill of Law for community participation in the administration of the Protection Zone of the Mountains of Escazú
1987 Publication of "Our Common Future" where sustainable development is defined
1988 CODECE changes its name and is registered officially as the Association for the Defense of Natural Resources
1988-05 COPROALDE is formed
1988-06 CODECE begins reforestation program to recover watershed of the Agres and Londres Rivers
1988-07 CODECE begins Biological inventory of Mountains of Escazú with help from UCR Biology students, one of whom is Javier Sanchez
1989-07 I meet Romano at Seminar on Environment and Community Action
1989-11 Inter-American Foundation (IAF) funds Legal Office for CODECE
1990 65 Protected areas cover 20.31 percent of the land nationally
1990-01 CODECE organizes six month course on environmental law
1991 CODECE organizes workshops with bird catchers, hunters and farmers of San Antonio
1992-01 CODECE begins organic farming project with local farmers
1992-02 CODECE changes its name to Association for the Conservation and Development of the Mountains of Escazú
1992-04 I begin long term field work in Escazú
1992-06 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) or "Earth Summit" is held in Rio de Janeiro, where Agenda 21 is agreed upon by consensus
1992-06 Bilateral Agreement for Sustainable Development (BASD) letter of intent is singed by foreign Ministers of Costa Rica and Holland
1992-08 CODECE joins COPROALDE
1992-08 Gerardo Burro (farmer) begins to make masks
1992-10 CODECE presents Community Forest project to Rotary Club
1992-11 Opus Dei begins project to construct in Protection Zone
1992-12 COPROALDE gets two year financing from German cooperation agency, Bread for the World
1993 Paulina becomes part time Executive Secretary of COPROALDE
1993 Regulation Plan becomes priority work for CODECE
1993 Tourism industry becomes largest earner of foreign currency in Costa Rica
1993-01 First meeting of NGOs to discuss participation in the BASD
1993-02 Romano leaves the presidency of CODECE and Rodolfo León is elected President
1993-03 Second forum of NGOs to discuss participation in BASD
1993-04 NGOs begin process of creating organized base of participation in BASD
1993-06 First National Assembly of NGOs and grassroots organizations is held with participation of 187 organizations and representatives are elected
1993-11 Rodolfo León renounces presidency
1994-01 Second General Assembly of NGOs and grassroots organizations is held with participation of 300 organizations and CONAO is created
1994-03 BASD is ratified
1994-03 CODECE opens restaurant and Romano assumes its administration
1994-03 Javier Sanchez becomes Director of CODECE
1994-12 BASD finances US$ 142,000 project for COPROALDE
1995 A hectare of land in San Antonio costs US$ 100,000
1995 Nixon González begins organic farming in San Antonio de Escazú
1995-02 Amalia León becomes president of CODECE
1995-02 I become coordinator of COPROALDE
1995-03 Fundecooperacion is created
1995-08 Paulina goes to graduate school in the USA
1996 CONAO receives 200 projects and approves 30
1996 CODECE presents agro-eco community tourism project to BASD (through CONAO) and it is approved
1996-05 COPROALDE presents Second Phase of Project to BASD (through CONAO) and it never is approved (or rejected)
1996-06 Legislative Assembly modifies Article 50 of the Constitution to make environmental health a human right
1996-08 Romano goes to the USA with the children to be with Paulina
1996-12 The Directive Junta of CODECE closes down the Association's restaurant
1997 The Municipal government ask CODECE to recommend sociologist to Regulation Plan Commission, and Amalia León is appointed
1997 CONAO agglomerates 700 NGOs and grassroots organizations
1997 Holland grants INBio 14 million dollars reducing funds of the BASD
1997 Population in San Antonio de Escazú is approximately 16,000
1997 Population of Costa Rica is over 3.5 million
1997-01 I become member of the Directive Junta of CODECE
1997-12 COPROALDE names Indigenous and Campesino Production Systems one of its four work areas
1997-12 I leave COPROALDE as Coordinator
1998-04 Publication of the Regulation Plan for Escazú in the Gazette
1999 Doña Estéfana is elected President of CODECE