For the past 15 years, Jorge Mario Rodríguez Zúñiga has been responsible for managing the forests component of Costa Rica’s Payments for Environmental Services Program (PPSA). Among other achievements, the PPSA has made payments to private landowners of more than US$300 million for the conservation and sustainable management of about 950 000 hectares of the country’s natural forests and plantations. He has considerable experience in the development and implementation of innovative financing mechanisms and the mobilization of resources at the national and international levels.