The Recovery, Conservation and Management Plan (RECOGE) is an administrative instrument of the Ministry of the Environment aimed at improving the protection of native species in Chile. Its objective is to strengthen coordination between the different bodies of the State, as well as to involve the private sector and civil society, in order to achieve more effective protection of biodiversity and contribute to the country's sustainable development.

"This plan is a 70-page document that summarises what we know about Darwin's frogs and the actions needed to rescue these species from extinction. It is a practical document containing a table of concrete measures, with implementation timeframes, expected outcomes and defined responsible parties for each action," said Andrés Valenzuela Sánchez, Chair of the Governance Committee of the Rhinoderma Strategy and of ONG Ranita de Darwin, a non-profit organisation that sits on the plan's monitoring committee.

Implementation of the plan is led by State bodies, such as the Ministry of the Environment and the Agriculture and Livestock Service, but also by civil society organisations, including NGOs, universities and forestry companies.

The plan gained public attention because, despite having been presented as a draft in 2024 and approved in July 2025 by the Council of Ministers for Sustainability and Climate Change, on 12 March 2026 the current government temporarily withdrew it from the Comptroller General's Office when it was in the final stage before its official enactment, resubmitting it six days later.

With its publication in the Official Gazette, the Darwin's frogs' RECOGE Plan officially comes into force, marking a key step for the conservation of these emblematic species endemic to Chile, with funding secured for the development of actions.

A historic milestone for Chile's amphibians

The approval of the Darwin's frogs' RECOGE Plan marks a turning point for amphibian conservation in Chile. It is the country's first RECOGE plan focused on this group, setting a key institutional precedent for the protection of Chilean amphibians — one of the most threatened groups globally and, at the same time, one of the most overlooked.

The protection of these species is closely linked to the conservation of native forest, a vital ecosystem that provides essential services such as clean air and water, along with numerous other benefits for society.

In this sense, the plan's approval represents not only a significant step forward for the protection of biodiversity, but also a contribution to people's wellbeing and to Chile's sustainable development.