Cooperative agreements for ecosystem services have become increasingly important tools for reducing conflicts. These agreements include voluntary cooperation, corporate-private agreements and Payments for Environmental Services (PES – also known as Payments for Ecosystem Services). Countries as diverse as Costa Rica, Mexico, and China are using national tax revenues to pay citizens to conserve forests and natural vegetation. National forest conservation PES schemes seem perfect precursors for national REDD (Reduced Emissions from Degradation and Deforestation) schemes given their economies of scale for equitable disbursement of benefits to providers of public goods.