Kayakers and rafters looking for a new place to paddle in Chilean Patagonia can revel in knowing that 133,000 hectares have recently been preserved thanks to local fundraising efforts.
An alliance of local and international conservation organizations recently finsihed raising funds to acquire and protect Hacienda Puchegüín – a vast, private property of immense natural and cultural value known for its Yosemitesque granite walls, ancient alerce trees, glaciers, rivers, and endangered species.
Hacienda Puchegüín is a 133,000-hectare private property in Chilean Patagonia’s Cochamó (Los Lagos Region) that’s been “for sale” since 2022. The area has earned a nickname of the ‘Yosemite of South America’ for its massive granite walls and pristine nature.
The largest holding in Cochamó, Puchegüín boasts a rich variety of ecosystems – from ancient alerce forests to pristine lakes and vibrant wetlands. Local communities have called Puchegüín and the greater Cochamó Valley home for generations, with their way of life deeply intertwined with the land. The property’s 2022 sale listing sparked concern amongst the local community and organizations that have been working for years for the region’s conservation. Many feared that the huge property would be purchased by someone without conservation plans, knowledge, or respect for the territory and its population.
This sparked the formation of Conserva Puchegüín, an alliance dedicated to securing permanent protection of Hacienda Puchegüín, led by the local NGO Puelo Patagonia in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, Freyja Foundation, Patagonia Inc., and Wyss Foundation. With no national park protections, this grassroots movement developed its own conservation model — from visitor education and waste management to establishing a protected sanctuary. And now, its preservation.
The region also has the capacity to fight against climate change: Puchegüín has more than 58,000 hectares of primary forest, in alarming decline worldwide. This includes almost 18,000 hectares – or 10% of the Chilean population – of alerce trees, the longest-lived species on the planet, as well as 1,463 hectares of mountain cypress. These ecosystems are part of Patagonia’s temperate forests – which are not only the largest in South America, but also one of the last remaining on the planet. These forests play an essential role in the fight against climate change, given Patagonia is the second largest carbon sink on the continent, following the Amazon.
The region is also a vital freshwater reserve, which is also important for carbon storage. The area has an extensive hydrographic network that includes 507 hectares of glaciers, 41 kilometers of lake and lagoon shores, 372 kilometers of river banks, and 150 hectares of wetlands and peatlands. Puchegüín provides critical habitat for a wide variety of flora, fauna, and funga. And its forests are home to a number of endemic and endangered species, including alerce, huemul deer, Patagonian viscacha, Darwin’s frog, and monito del monte – one of South America’s only marsupials.
As a conservation corridor, the area is surrounded by a nearly 1,640,000-hectare contiguous landscape of parks across Chile and Argentina, making the Puchegüín property a key piece in Patagonia’s conservation puzzle. Securing its protection has created one of Latin America’s largest biological corridors, connecting fragmented habitats and allowing for the free movement of wildlife across protected landscapes. Puchegüín raised $78 million over the last three years as part of the effort, allowing the alliance to purchase the property from its current owners – a critical first step in safeguarding this Patagonian treasure – as well as implement a conservation and community development plan for the region over a seven-year period.
The development of sustainable nature tourism in Puchegüín, including trekking, paddling, climbing, and more, has the potential to boost the immediate economy as well as that of the entire Los Lagos region.
According to the organization, “Driven by local community leadership and in collaboration with global partners, the project promises to leave a legacy for future generations and to provide a model for resilient, nature-positive communities throughout Chile and the world.”
https://conservapucheguin.org/en/category/news-en/
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