Simanjiro Conservation Easement
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| Simanjiro Conservation Easement | |
|---|---|
  Location in Tanzania | |
| Location | Simanjiro District |
| Nearest city | Terrat |
| Coordinates | 3°52′S 36°36′E / 3.867°S 36.600°E |
| Established | 2005 |
The Simanjiro Conservation Easement is a novel payment for ecosystem services scheme in the Simanjiro Plains of Tanzania, an important wet-season grazing area between Tarangire National Park and Mount Kilimanjaro. This contractual agreement between individual villages and a consortium of tourism vendors obligates local residents to forgo agricultural activities in some areas in return for annual cash payments of 5 million Tanzanian shillings (US$3000 or €2300 as of January 2013) per village.[1]
It is significant because it is among the first payment for ecosystem services (PES) projects to exclude the involvement of government conservation agencies.[2]
Expanding crop production had come in conflict with wildlife for some time, leading the regional government to try to restrict cultivation in the plains.[3]
The scheme started with Terrat in 2004 and 2005.[4] The village of Sukuro joined later.[1]
