ORDINANCE DECLARING COTACACHI AN "ECOLOGICAL COUNTY"

WHEREAS:

The Political Constitution of Ecuador, the second section of Article 86 in Chapter V regarding Collective Rights, in reference to the environment, declares that: "The state will protect the right of the population to live in a healthy and ecologically balanced environment which guarantees sustainable development. The state will assure that this right is not affected and will guarantee the preservation of the natural world.

The Political Constitution of Ecuador, Chapter V on Collective Rights, the second section on the Environment, Article 89, states that: "The state will take measures designed to achieve the following objectives: 1. Promote in the public and private sectors the use of environmentally clean technologies and non-contaminating alternative energy sources. 2. Establish tax incentives for those who undertake environmentally sound activities. 3. Under strict norms for biosecurity, regulate the propagation, experimentation, use, sale and importation of genetically modified organisms.

The Special Decentralization and Social Participation Law, Title II, on the Transfer and Strengthening of Autonomous Local Government, Article 9 on Municipalities, clause y, establishes the responsibility to "control, preserve and defend the environment."

The International Pact on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Title III, Article 12, clause 2, part b, states the need for "Improvement of all aspects of workplace hygiene and the environment.

The Convention for Worldwide Cultural and Natural Protection, Article 4, states that "Each of the signers of this accord will recognize the obligation to identify, protect, conserve, rehabilitate, and transmit to future generations the cultural and natural patrimony situated within the territory over which the state has primary responsibility."

The Convention on Biological Diversity, in Article 6 on general measures with effects for conservation and the sustainable use of resources, states the need to "Create strategies, plans, or programs at the national level for the conservation and the sustainable use of biological diversity or adapt existing strategies, plans, or programs to achieve this end."

Convention 169 of the ILO, Article 15, Numeral 1, states: "The rights of peoples interested in existing natural resources in their lands must be given special protection. These rights include the right of said peoples to participate in the use, administration, and conservation of said resources." Numeral 2 states: "In the event the State maintains possession of minerals or other resources existing in these lands, governments must establish or maintain procedures which facilitate consultation with the interested peoples, in order to determine if the interests of said peoples will be affected and to what extent, prior to undertaking or authorizing any prospect ion or exploitation of resources existing in their lands. Those interested peoples must participate as far as possible in the benefits resulting from said activities and receive equitable compensation for any damage suffered as a result of these activities.

Article 4, Numeral 1 of the same Convention requires that states "Must adopt special measures intended to safeguard persons, institutions, goods, labor, cultures, and the

environment of interested peoples."

The Municipal Government Law, Chapter I of the Law on Municipal Government Functions, paragraph IV on Hygiene and Social Welfare, Article 164, clause j, states that government authorities will "Safeguard full compliance with legal norms related to environmental health, and especially those related to noises, noxious odors, smoke, toxic gases, atmospheric dust, emanations and other factors that could affect the health and well being of the population."

The Political Constitution of the Republic, in Title XI, Chapter III on Autonomous Local Governments, Article 228, states that "Provincial and county governments will enjoy full autonomy and, making use of their right to legislate, will create Ordinances, and levy, modify, and suppress taxes and special contributions for improvements."

The Law of Municipal Government, in Title II, On Municipal Government, Chapter II, Article 53, Numeral 49 states that municipal governments "will exercise all other attributes provided for in the law and create Ordinances, agreements, resolutions, and other legislative acts necessary for good municipal government."

The MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF COTACACHI issues the following ordinance which DECLARES COTACACHI AN ECOLOGICAL COUNTY.

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CHAPTER I

GENERAL CONCEPTS

Environmental deterioration at the national, provincial, and county levels that affects Cotacachi has begun to create social and economic impacts which, in turn, become obstacles to development and affect the health of residents.

The native forests of Cotacachi County are remarkably rich in biological and hydrological resources, providing spectacular landscapes and tremendous potential for tourism, both in the Andean and the Subtropical zones. However, these forests, and their biodiversity, are seriously threatened by mining, agro industrial, leather and timber activities, as well as by general poor management of natural resources. Thus, said forests are in need of support that will guarantee that they fulfill their ecological and social functions in the future.

The conservation and sustainable management of the County's natural resources is very important in assuring the health, and ecological and social equilibrium of current and future generations.

It is the responsibility of the Municipal Council to comply with the will of the people, expressed at the Second Assembly for County Unity in September of 1997, and ratified at the Third (1998) and Fourth (1999) Assemblies, by declaring Cotacachi an Ecological County.

The County will be characterized by citizens who will act in a responsible and committed manner in the application of the various environmental policies that guarantee a biologically diverse and healthy environment.

The Local Government of the Municipality of Cotacachi declares that the conservation and sustainable management of the county's native forests and biodiversity is of the highest priority. The native forests of Cotacachi produce basic goods and services for a wide range of the county's citizens. Thus, they may not be felled or degraded in order to make way for industrial activities such as forestry, flower, or African palm plantations, timber and mining projects, or any other activity of this kind. County authorities will assure that the owners of native forests who conserve and sustainably manage these resources receive financial incentives in order to support conservation activities.

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CHAPTER II

ON CONSERVATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Art. 1. Full compliance with this Ordinance will be the responsibility of the County's Environmental Authorities (Municipal Department of Sanitation and the Environment and the Committee for Conservation of the Environment and Natural Resource Management).

Art. 2. The creation of the Committee for Conservation of the Environment and Natural Resource Management, resolved by the Municipal Council during its January 31, 2000 meeting, as an integral part of the Assembly for County Unity, is hereby ratified.

Art. 3. Regarding the Committee for Conservation of the Environment and Natural Resource Management.
The Committee on Conservation of the Environment and Natural Resource Management is the organism dedicated to citizen participation in the discussion and proposal of alternatives to solve environmental and ecological problems; the control of activities, which could cause environmental or ecological damage or problems; and social training in the matters described. The Committee on Conservation of the Environment and Natural Resource Management is part of the Assembly for County Unity.

Art. 4. Regarding Membership of the Committee on Conservation of the Environment and Natural Resource Management.
Members are as follows:
a. The Mayor or his/her representative.
b. The President of the Assembly for County Unity or his/her representative.
c. One representative of the City Commission on Tourism and Conservation of the Environment.
d. One representative of UNORCAC.
e. One representative of the Neighborhood Federation.
f. One representative of the rural Andean parishes.
g. One representative of the Council of Parish Boards of Intag.
h. One representative of the local government committees on health, education, tourism and production, and municipal organization and modernization.
i. One representative of the chambers of production or professional organizations related to production.
j. One representative of the Ministry of the Environment.
k. Two representatives of local environmental NGOs: one from the Andean and one from the Subtropical (Intag) zones.
l. Any other person specifically selected by the Assembly for County Unity.

Art. 5. Representatives will be nominated by their respective organization, institution, or committee. In the case of the Andean Parish Boards, Local Environmental NGOs, and organizations related to production, the members of these must select a single representative from among their ranks.

Art. 6. The Board of Directors will be made up of: one President, one Vice-president, one Secretary, one Treasurer, and at large representatives. These officers will be elected from among committee members; the secretariat will be assumed by the chief of the Municipal Department of Sanitation and the Environment. The committee will create a set of regulations for its functioning.

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CHAPTER III

OBJECTIVES

General Objective:

Operationalize and foment the application of environmental policies at the county and national levels, and implement projects and programs in order to achieve the development of harmony between human beings and the natural environment, in a responsible fashion based on solidarity among all sectors of society.

Specific Objectives:

a. Promote environmental education and training, taking into account cultural, ethnic, and environmental diversity.
b. Create in a participatory fashion Natural Resource Management Plans, and coordinate the implementation of projects identified with said plans.
c. Promote economically sustainable activities (for example, organic agriculture and ecological tourism).
d. Develop environmental policies for the county and contribute to the development of national policies.
e. Promote citizen participation in the protection and sustainable management of the county's natural resources.
f. Become familiar with and support initiatives and projects emanating from different social actors and the state, and in accord with the County Development Plan.

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CHAPTER IV

ATTRIBUTES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE ON CONSERVATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Art. 7. The Committee on Conservation of the Environment and Natural Resource Management, based on its faculties, and in conjunction with the Municipality of Cotacachi, will have attributes related to natural resources, as well as the supervision of sanctions levied and compliance with management plans.

Art. 8. The Committee's attributes and functions will be as follows:

a. Draw up inter-sectoral environmental development plans with citizen participation, based on the principles and policies found in the Development Plan for Cotacachi County.
b. Carry out follow-up activities as regards the Development Plan for Cotacachi County, in the area under its responsibility.
c. Maintain efficient intersectoral coordination as regards the administrative autonomy of each Committee, observing the integral policies of the County Assembly.
d. Comply with and assure compliance with resolutions formulated by the County Assembly and the Development Council.
e. Seek technical, human, and financial resources for the implementation of programs and projects, in coordination with the Development Council. In addition, create mechanisms for independent financing.
f. Provide the Development Council with opportune information on the progress of actions and activities undertaken by the Committee for Environmental Conservation and Natural Resource Management.
g. Propose and oversee the application of laws, ordinances, and international environmental agreements.
h. Propose the creation of additional environmental norms as necessary at the local, provincial, and national levels.
i. Take all necessary measures to implement sustainable development at the County level, with emphasis on the use of clean energy, the dissemination of environmental education, and the promotion of economic and social incentives for the adoption of technologies and activities that are environmentally sound.
j. Promote research and/or cooperation with universities and institutions specializing in the environment and sustainable development on the national and international levels.
k. Present and promote legal and administrative activities in favor of the County's natural wealth and the environment with national and international authorities.
l. In the city of Cotacachi, initiate the creation and maintenance of its environmental attractions: green areas for recreation, trees and gardens along avenues and streets reserved for pedestrian traffic, landscapes and wildlife.
m. Coordinate with the Municipal Government the creation of a zoning plan, with an emphasis on farming and livestock, tourist, forestry, and conservation activities over all others.
n. Together with the Municipal Department of Sanitation and Conservation, the Committee will be directly responsible for those projects within its area of influence.
o. Channel all demands from communities and populated centers whose residents have suffered water shortages or contamination, overseeing the conservation and sustainable management of natural resources.
p. Promote any other administrative or financial mechanism that will aid in achieving these ends.

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CHAPTER V

ON THE CITY DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Art. 9. The Department of Sanitation and the Environment is the technical entity of the Municipality of Cotacachi - Local Government.

The Municipality of Cotacachi, through its Department of Sanitation and the Environment, will have as its attributes the promotion, authorization, and execution activities in the following areas: renewable natural resources, especially biodiversity and genetic resources, native forests, reforestation and natural recovery of forests; major and minor watersheds; wetlands; protected areas; and any other area determined by the Municipal Council.

Art. 10. The functions of this Department are as follows:

a. Apply legal and administrative norms which tend to prevent contamination, protect the environment, conserve and recover ecosystems, biodiversity and the genetic patrimony of the county; protect public spaces and areas used by the public; and all other related activities.
b. Verify that public and private activities comply with the environmental requirements specified in laws and other legal norms.
c. Assure that businesses engaged in productive activities comply with environmental dispositions and national and international norms regarding security, health and hygiene in the workplace.
d. Define violations and determine corresponding penalties; for this purpose, the Department will rely on the legal report provided by the City Attorney.
e. Declare as a priority interest for conservation and sustainable development the native forests and biodiversity of the County.
f. Establish control points for the transport of lumber, together with the Ministry of the Environment.
g. Seek and assign funds for the conservation of forests and protected vegetation and, in general, the natural forests of the County.
h. Together with the Committee on the Environment and Natural Resource Management, work with national and international organisms for the creation of mechanisms for the collection of fees for environmental services provided by County Forests and Ecological Reserves and other ecosystems under the jurisdiction of Municipal government in order to channel these funds into conservation, reforestation, and sustainable development activities in communities.
i. Promote and implement reforestation programs, with emphasis on native species.
j. Together with the Committee for the Environment and Natural Resource Management, create policies that will protect and regulate the use of the environment and the natural resources of Cotacachi County.

Art. 11. Municipal Government, through its Department of Sanitation and the Environment, together with Environmental Authorities, will take precautionary measures to protect the environment of Cotacachi County in order to avoid:

a. Exhausting non-renewal resources
b. Contamination
c. Damage to environmental services

In addition, said authorities will take all measures necessary so that only sustainable industries and businesses will be established within the County; this is understood to mean those industries and businesses that use natural renewable resources at the same rate that nature regenerates these, and in such a way that the level of contamination generated is no greater than that which can be absorbed and neutralized by nature without causing health problems or degrading the environment.

Art. 12. In all that does not affect public right, the Municipal Department of Sanitation and the Environment will act in coordination with the Committee on the Environment and Natural Resource Management.

Art. 13. Municipal Government, together with the Committee on the Environment and Natural Resource Management, will formulate indicators for sustainable development in order to measure the quality of the environment and provide solid bases for the decision-making process at all levels, as well as contribute to self-regulating sustainability of the environment and development systems.

Art. 14. Municipal Environmental Authorities (the Municipal Department of Sanitation and the Environment and the Committee for the Environment and Natural Resource Management) will review programs for the construction of public works and the works of other entities, and determine which will require Environmental Impact Studies; this will in no way affect the obligation to comply with this requirement as stipulated by other laws and regulations. The Municipality will suspend those works or activities that, according to Environmental Authorities, are causing substantial environmental impacts, until an Environmental Impact and Management Plan is created and approved, or until adequate measures are taken to avoid the environmental impacts identified.

Art. 15. The Municipal Department of Sanitation and the Environment, together with the Committee for the Environment and Natural Resource Management, will emphasize the promotion of sustainable industries and businesses, creating economic incentives for this purpose. Priority will be given to community and ecological tourism, among other activities, which tend to benefit local communities.

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CHAPTER VI

CONTROL, MITIGATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT MEASURES

Art. 16. The Committee for the Environment and Natural Resource Management, in coordination with the Municipal Department of Sanitation and the Environment, will promote the implementation of sustainable agricultural techniques, such as agro-forestry, organic agriculture, and modern and traditional practices that aid in using the land in a sustainable fashion.

Art. 17. All governmental and non-governmental entities that work in the County will prioritize the dissemination and implementation of organic agriculture and agro-forestry in their agricultural production development programs.

Art. 18. All concessions of natural resources and land awards must be accompanied by the approval of the Department of Sanitation and Natural Resources. Vacant lands in the County will only be awarded to farmer organizations that have initiated formal procedures for this purpose prior to the date of approval of this Ordinance. For purposes of this Ordinance, all other vacant lands will become County Ecological Reserves and/or Community Reserves in perpetuity, and they will be managed within the parameters established by the National System of Protected Areas. In addition, the attributes and functions described in the previous chapter will apply.

Art. 19. The Committee for the Environment and Natural Resource Management, in coordination with the Municipal Department of Sanitation and the Environment, will develop proposals for the creation of ecological reserves and protected areas (biological, tourist, hydrological, special, community), as determined by Article 32 of the Constitution of the Republic; these will be presented to the Municipal Council in order to protect fragile ecosystems, areas rich in biological diversity, areas in which species in danger of extinction are found, areas with touristic potential, areas rich in hydrological resources, or in response to a community request.

When these areas are established in community or public territory, they must be managed by the communities in a sustainable fashion. In the event that the communities do not wish to assume this activity, or that there is no firm guarantee to assure the wise management of the areas in question, these will be managed by other actors in civil society, with preference going to county organizations, assuming that these entities assure the sustainable management of the area and that they have the approval of surrounding communities.

Art. 20. All new production activities that threaten to contaminate natural resources, especially the water resource, will require special authorization from the Municipality and the majority of residents in communities potentially affected, prior to initiating operations.

Art. 21. All water that is contaminated in the course of productive activities, must be treated prior to being returned to natural waterways or irrigation ditches, in order to guarantee that it will not be a source of contamination.

Art. 22. Municipal Government will develop a broad program for the treatment of sewage from the various populated centers, beginning with the city of Cotacachi.

Art. 23. The Municipal Council will create an additional 10% levy on potable water and that delivered via hoses in order to finance reforestation and watershed protection projects. Industries and businesses that do not consume water provided by the city system will establish a tax on water that comes from private and public watersheds.

Art. 24. The Municipal Council will declare watershed areas that provide water for human consumption, areas of public interest; and, at the request of residents, it will issue declarations of public interest in order to assure the protection of these areas and guarantee the availability of water for human consumption.

Art. 25. After passage of this Ordinance, the Municipal Council will permit only those flower and other agricultural production businesses that use clean technology and in-puts that are not toxic to human health or the environment, in order to assure the health of inhabitants and an environment free of contamination.

Art. 26. The Municipal government will provide authorizations to flower growers and other agricultural activities if and only if they comply with the following requirements:

a. That they be located at least 2000 meters from the boundaries of populated centers.
b. That flower plantations issued a green seal by the Municipal Department of Sanitation and the Environment be located at least 500 meters from river banks, ravines, lagoons and other permanent or temporary water sources; disputes in regard to distance will be resolved by the Municipal Council in coordination with the Committee for the Environment and Natural Resource Management.

Art. 27. The Committee for the Environment and Natural Resource Management, in colaboration with the Municipal Department of Sanitation and the Environment, will evaluate all businesses engaged in production activities operating within the County and, during an 18 month period beginning with the passage of this Ordinance, said businesses will be required to implement a program for the recovery of the environment, said plan to be approved by the Department, in order to substantially reduce the use of noxious substances and their impacts, as well as noxious inorganic wastes which could have negative impacts on human health and the environment.

Art. 28. Flower and agricultural businesses, as well as the leather and other industries, are required to reveal to the Environmental Authorities of the County, and to all employees in those businesses and industries, a list, brought up to date every three months, of all the inputs and substances used in said productive activities, and to inform all employees of the intention to use new substances that do not carry a green seal and are not less toxic than those that carry such a seal; this information is to be provided twenty-four hours prior to the use of this type of substance. The only exception will be a product, which has no ecological substitute that has been duly certified.

Art. 29. One year after the passage of this Ordinance and the implementation of an adequate awareness program, a differential fee will be charged for garbage collection, in order to classify garbage as organic and inorganic.

Art. 30. Any industry or manufacturer that contaminate or threatens to contaminate the air with substances noxious to human health, may not operate within a radius of at least 3000 meters, in a straight line, from populated areas, and will be obliged to respect all environmental norms in force regarding environmental quality.

Art. 31. Industries or individuals who are currently exploiting non-renewable natural resources (gravel, sand, lime, and other non-metallic minerals) used in construction, or who intend to do so within County limits in the future, must present an Environmental Impact Study to the Municipality of Cotacachi, or a technical report prepared by an expert and presented to the Municipal Department of Sanitation and the Environment. In the event this is not done, permission will be suspended and no new permission will be provided. Prior to the onset of operations, the project must have the approval of residents of communities potentially affected by said project, and of the County's Environmental Authorities.

Art. 32. All industries, research projects, and activities, which require Environmental Impact Studies or Evaluations, will provide communities potentially affected by the project with copies of said document prior to the onset of activities, and will require the approval of said communities.

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CHAPTER VII

INCENTIVES

Art. 33. During the formal session every July 6, civic, social, moral, and economic incentives will be awarded to natural and legal persons who have replaced toxic products with ecological inputs in their production activities (that is, products that are not harmful to health or the environment). In addition, these persons will receive a certificate from the Municipality and the County Assembly. The same benefits will be extended to natural and legal persons who, in a significant manner, contribute to improving environmental quality. The natural and legal owners of vehicles will receive the same awards for reducing emissions noxious to human health.

Art. 34. The Municipality will implement a variety of dissemination and promotion programs in order to publicize those natural and legal persons who have made noteworthy efforts at the County level to use ecological production techniques, in order to help create contacts with markets at the national and international levels.

Art. 35. Owners of properties with forested areas covering 40% or more of the surface area of said properties will be awarded social, moral, and economic incentives.

A tax for cubic meter of native lumber extracted is hereby created. (Income from this source will be invested in conservation activities.)

Art. 36. Social, moral, and economic incentives will be awarded to property owners who have implemented reforestation programs, and at least 20% of whose lands are covered with forests (including agro-forestry), in order to promote and develop massive reforestation with emphasis on native species.

Art. 37. Environmental Authorities will encourage the use of returnable beverage bottles through the creation of moral, social, and civic incentives.

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CHAPTER VIII

PROHIBITIONS AND SANCTIONS

The Department of Sanitation and the Environment, in coordination with the Committee for the Environment and Natural Resource Management and the Intersectional Health Committee, will produce a list of dangerous substances whose use will be prohibited.

Art. 38. The use, extraction, processing, or introduction into the environment of substances dangerous to health, which are included on the list created by the Municipal Department of Sanitation and the Environment in coordination with the Intersectional Health Committee, is prohibited.

Art. 39. State decisions that could affect the environment will not be implemented, "without first taking into account the criteria of the community whose members will be fully informed. The law guarantees the participation of residents," according to Article 88 of the Constitution of the Republic, pertaining to the section on the environment in Chapter 5, dedicated to collective rights.

Art. 40. As a political unit, the County and its authorities will prohibit any economic activity which has a negative impact on the cultural identity of its different ethnic groups (and on agriculture, livestock, and forestry activities).

Art. 41. The felling of forests and the destruction of vegetation is prohibited within 50 meters of riverbeds, ravines, or any water source destined for human use. It will be the obligation of landowners in these areas to maintain a permanent cover of vegetation, a task that will be supported by the County's Environmental Authorities.

Art. 42. Contamination of rivers and ravines with substances harmful to health or the normal development of aquatic flora and fauna is hereby prohibited.

Art. 43. The establishment of industries or any other production activity, which involves the use, or threatens to introduce into the environment, noxious substances, such as heavy metals, including mercury, cyanide, lead, and cadmium, is hereby prohibited.

Art. 44. The sowing of plant species which require high levels of water for growth, within a 50-meter radius of waterways and sources within hydrographic basins, is hereby prohibited.

Art. 45. The use and possession of known carcinogenic substances, or those highly harmful to health, in agricultural and livestock activities, or in the course of producing, processing, or storing food products, is hereby prohibited. (The substances referred to will be included on the list of prohibited substances, described in Art. 28.)

Art. 46. The use of genetically modified organisms (transgenic), including seeds and processed matter, is hereby prohibited.

Art. 47. The exploitation, possession, transport, and use of any form of radioactive matter is hereby prohibited within County limits.

Art. 48. Activities that degrade riverbanks are hereby prohibited.

Art. 49. The Municipality of Cotacachi, through its Department of Sanitation and the Environment, will impose the following fines:

Category 1. Amounts from 50 to 500 times the minimum wage:

a. On anyone who sets fire to a forest or native vegetation, based on the degree of damage; the party responsible will be obliged to assume rehabilitation and fire control costs.
b. For polluting and degrading watersheds and contaminating water sources, according to the seriousness of the incident.
c. For contaminating rivers as a result of rinsing agave, this Ordinance will take effect following an awareness campaign.

For repeated offenses, the fine will be no less than 100% of the fine levied for the previous offense, and the National Environmental Authorities will be alerted and asked to impose greater legal sanctions (via the imposition of civil or criminal charges).

a. For those who with automobiles or motorcycles that produce noise pollution, on the basis of levels established by the Department of Sanitation and the Environment, the Committee on the Environment and Natural Resource Management.

Those persons or institutions who have in their possession radioactive materials will be fined an amount equal to 10,000 minimum wages.

Art. 50. Indigenous communities, in coordination with the Committee on the Environment and Natural Resource Management and the City Department of Sanitation and the Environment, will assure respect for "norms and procedures for the solution of internal conflicts as determined by the customs and accepted rights of the communities in question, as long as these are not contrary to those of the Constitution and the laws. The law will view these as compatible with those measure included in the national judicial system". Art. 191, paragraph 4 (judicial functions).

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CHAPTER IX

GENERAL DISPOSITIONS

Art. 51. The City of Cotacachi and the Committee on the Environment and Natural Resource Management will seek mechanisms and funding that will provide for the execution and compliance with this Ordinance.

Art. 52. No national or provincial authority will interfere in the decision to suspend licenses, permissions, authorizations, concessions, as long as said decision is substantiated, even if said authority has granted the licenses, permissions, authorizations, concessions in question, or any similar permission.

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CHAPTER X

TRANSITORY DISPOSITIONS

Art. 53. Within 30 days of approval of this Ordinance, the City of Cotacachi will initiate the dialogue process with the corresponding public entities in order to subscribe the necessary agreements for the transfer of environmental attributes and competency, in accordance with the regulations relative to decentralization.

Approved in the Municipal Board Room of Cotacachi, on the 11 of September of 2000.

Signed:

Olga Estrada Saltos,
General Secretary

Certification: Patricio Coba and Olga Estrada Saltos, Vice Mayor and General Secretary of the Municipal Government, respectively, certify that the preceding Ordinance was made known, was discussed, and approved in sessions on 24 July and September 11 of 2000.

Cotacachi, 12 September 2000

Signatures of:

Ing. Patricio Coba Olga Estrada Saltos
Vice Mayor of Cotacachi General Secretary

MAYORSHIP OF COTACACHI

Cotacachi, 12 September 2000

Approves the Ordinance that Declares Cotacachi as an Ecological County

Execute

(Signed) Economist Auki Tituaña
Mayor of Cotacachi

Economist Auki Tituaña, Mayor of Cotacachi, signed the preceding Ordinance, 13 September 2000.

(Signed by) Olga Estrada Saltos
General Secretary