CMPC inaugurates the third park in its Bosque Vivo network in the district of Loncoche
12 de September, 2024
More than 600 people attended the opening ceremony, which included various activities such as guided hiking, a friendly trail running competition and downhill biking.
Only two kilometers from downtown Loncoche in the Araucanía Region of Chile on Wednesday, September 11, CMPC officially inaugurated the third park in its Bosque Vivo network.
Over an expanse of 1,783 hectares, the CMPC Lastarria Park beckons the community of Loncoche and its surroundings to enjoy a variety of athletic activities on its nine mountain bike trails and two hiking and running trails. It also offers the chance to engage with nature, enjoying impressive views from its lookout points or spending time with family in the children’s play zone and the picnic area.
The park is part of CMPC’s Bosque Vivo project, which is supported by Outlife, a company specialized in designing outdoor spaces. This initiative aims to showcase the ecosystem services offered by forests and tree plantations, highlighting their fundamental role in people’s well-being.
Regarding the project, Empresas CMPC Chairman Luis Felipe Gazitúa said, “Private companies like us, with the size and significance that we have in Chile, must do things the right way. Companies like ours are called to be agents of development, and this park speaks to what we see as being integral to the development of people. Opening our forests to the community means demonstrating the value of native forests coexisting with productive plantations, simultaneously offering the opportunity to enjoy nature and outdoor sports, which everyone appreciates a great deal.”
Loncoche Mayor Alexis Pineda attended the opening ceremony and expressed his support for the initiative. He said, “What Empresas CMPC has done here is showcase two priceless assets of Loncoche heritage, one of which is the dense forests that encircle our district and of course the iconic Lastarria hill. For many years it had been abandoned and now with this effort of the private company, it has come back to life, turned into a park that symbolizes the city of Loncoche. This space is now part of the city, and a sense of community has become more valuable than ever.”
Various athletic activities were carried out at the CMPC Lastarria Park inauguration. Attendees participated in a guided trek, a friendly trail running competition and downhill cycling. They also enjoyed a pumptrack demonstration as well as food trucks, live music and many more surprises.
The next space in the Bosque Vivo network to be inaugurated in the upcoming months is the CMPC El Cóndor Park in the city of Coyhaique.
The Legacy of CMPC Bosque Vivo
The CMPC Pumalal, Junquillar and Lastarria parks are part of the Bosque Vivo project. This initiative came about in order to highlight the ecosystem services of forests and productive plantations, such as carbon capture, soil regeneration and the preparation of sustainable products like pulp and wood. Another aim is to call attention to community services regarding cultural issues and conservation areas. Tourist services are also promoted with the goal of having a positive impact on local development and promoting outdoor activities through the network of parks.
