In compliance with Law No. 21,600, which creates the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service and the National System of Protected Areas, known as the “SBAP Law,” the Ministry of the Environment (hereinafter, the “MMA”) is currently carrying out a procedure to prepare a list of priority sites to be considered within the regulatory scope of said law (Eighth Transitory Article of Law No. 21,600).
The draft list of priority sites under review is currently subject to public consultation, allowing individuals or legal entities to submit comments on its content within 30 business days from the publication of the resolution ordering it for each macro-zone. The key aspects to consider are:
Deadlines for submitting comments::
- Northern Macro-zone: October 17, 2025.
- Central Macro-zone: October 20, 2025.
- Southern Macro-zone: October 21, 2025..
Objective: to determine the priority sites identified in the National Biodiversity Strategy and in the Regional Biodiversity Strategies that will be governed by the provisions of the SBAP Law.
Implications: Regarding the declaration of priority sites under the SBAP Law, the following points are highlighted:
- Special sanctioning regime: certain actions carried out within priority sites (e.g., removal of native flora, peat extraction, hunting or capture of wildlife) that cause significant changes to the site’s ecological characteristics constitute specific infractions when conducted within areas holding such designation (Art. 116 of the SBAP Law).
- Protección de humedales declarados como sitios prioritarios: si un humedal es declarado como sitio prioritario, se aplicará la prohibición de su alteración física (art. 41 de la Ley SBAP).
- Subject of conservation instruments: priority sites may be subject to one or more biodiversity conservation instruments established under the SBAP Law.: los sitios prioritarios podrán ser objeto de uno o más instrumentos de conservación de la biodiversidad que contempla la Ley SBAP.
- Incorporación a la planificación ecológica: los sitios prioritarios se incorporan a la planificación ecológica, por lo que deberán considerarse en el ordenamiento territorial y en la elaboración y/o actualización de los instrumentos de ordenamiento territorial.
- Prohibition of hunting in priority conservation sites, except where authorizations are granted for specific cases (Art. 7 of the Hunting Law).
- Effects on the Environmental Impact Assessment System (hereinafter, “SEIA”): the designation of a priority site must be taken into account in project evaluations.
En caso de que requiera información adicional sobre esta materia, pueden contactar a: Javier Naranjo, jnaranjo@jdf.cl; Andrea Gallyas, agallyas@jdf.cl; Martín Esser, messer@jdf.cl; María Paz Valenzuela, mpvalenzuela@jdf.cl; y, Javiera Rodríguez, jrodriguez@jdf.cl
