LIMA, PERU � In the heart of the Peruvian Amazon region, located in Loreto and Ucayali, on the border with Brazil, there is a new protected area: Sierra del Divisor. Thanks to the Peruvian government�s declaration, Peru now has 60 natural protected areas, covering more than 19 thousand hectares; almost 15% of its national territory.

This announcement will protect indigenous groups and the biological and cultural biodiversity of the region. Due to the region�s geographic position, located hundreds of kilometers east of the Andes in the lowland rain forest, it is rich of endemic species and has the highest number of primates in the Neotropics.

The Sierra del Divisor Reserve Zone�s declaration is the result of the collaboration of several associations and non-governmental organizations including The Nature Conservancy, ProNaturaleza, the Center for Data Conservation, La Molina Agrarian University, the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law and the Well Being Institute. It is also the result of the foresight of the National Institute for Natural Resources, the local government, non-governmental organizations, the indigenous population and scientists who recognized the importance of protecting the biological diversity of the region.

The realization of this new protected area completes a project that had already begun in Brazil and now comprises eight million hectares, making it one of the most significant trans-border protected areas in the world.

The Commission for the Promotion of Peru (PromPeru), founded in 1993, leads the promotion of the Peruvian tourism product and the country�s image both domestically and internationally. PromPeru evaluates, develops and executes policies and strategies to promote internal and receptive tourism. It also markets Peru as a tourism destination through advertising, public relations and promotional activities. For information about planning a trip to Peru, call 1-866-661-PERU (in the U.S.) or visit www.peru.info.

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Media Contact: Monica Glukstad Monica.Glukstad@edelman.com +1 305-358-5291