Latin America has achieved important advances in the protection of biodiversity through the creation and management of protected areas of national competence. Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru poseen between the 10% and the 25% of the country in this condition. The multiple challenges involved in the management of extensive protected areas, which gained importance in different forms of government, including the management of local governments. However, local governments still have a comparatively low level of commitment to this form of biodiversity conservation, mainly due to their limited structure and capacity, which means that existing initiatives remain isolated and unknown.