Sierra y Mar aims to improve biodiversity conservation in 14 protected areas (PAs) and ecological corridors in the Northeast and Sierra Madre Oriental, Coastal Plain and Gulf of Mexico, and Neovolcanic Axis and Center by reducing biodiversity loss associated with changes in land use, maintaining ecosystemic integrity, and providing environmental services.

The project started field activities in 2019 and will last for five years. Oversight by KfW Development Bank will be during the first five years of the project’s implementation (2019-2023). However, equity resources will be channeled to the PAs in perpetuity. During 2023, the project's exit strategy will be defined, and the implementation strategy from 2024 onwards.

The project consists of four components that address the intervention strategy. Component 1 consists of strengthening the management of the PAs for effective management and is executed by CONANP and FMCN with resources from KfW Development Bank that strengthen the equipment with vehicles and infrastructure, federal resources for the administration of the Pas, and counterpart resources from the Protected Areas Fund (FANP, acronym in Spanish) and the Coastal Watershed Conservation in the Context of Climate Change (C6) project that complement operating expenses. Component 2 is led by CONANP, which finances and ensures this component’s execution as a counterpart to the project by implementing federal subsidy programs designed for the sustainable management of natural resources. Component 3 promotes the financial sustainability of federal PAs and is executed mainly by FMCN in collaboration with CONANP. Finally, Component 4 strengthens CONANP in cross-cutting issues such as project communication and capacity building, as well as project monitoring and evaluation.

The project has an innovative design that improves the management of PAs by complementing resources to strengthen them.  The yields from the assets of KfW Development Bank are used for equipment and infrastructure acquisition, while the daily operation is covered by the yields from the assets of the Protected Areas Fund (FANP, acronym in Spanish) and the Coastal Watershed Conservation in the Context of Climate Change (C6) project, which complement the resources allocated by the federation for the administration and management of the project's 14 PAs.

Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza, A.C. (FMCN) is the executing and responsible entity before the KfW Development Bank; it oversees the custody and financial management of the patrimony and channels resources to the PAs through annual Acquisition Plans. CONANP is the technical partner of the Sierra y Mar project, collaborating in the execution of the Procurement Plan and ensuring that project activities are carried out in the field.

The Technical Committee of the Protected Areas Fund (CTFANP, acronym in Spanish) oversees the supervision and execution of the Sierra y Mar project. It comprises representatives from the governmental, social, conservation, academic, and private sectors. In addition, the Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) is responsible for project implementation. It comprises four people hired by FMCN and closely coordinated with CONANP's General Directorate of Institutional Strengthening and International Issues (DGFITI, acronym in Spanish). The PCU reports to the CTFANP, which in turn reports to FMCN's Board of Directors and the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP).

The resources for the Sierra y Mar project come from KfW Development Bank. The project has its origin in the 2011 intergovernmental negotiations on Cooperation for Sustainable Development, Environment, and Climate Change between the Government of Mexico and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany to promote the reduction of biodiversity loss associated with changes in land use in the ecological corridors of the northeast and eastern Sierra Madre, central and neovolcanic axis and the Gulf of Mexico.

The yields from the GEF endowment fund (FANP/C6) are channeled through the Annual Operating Plans (POA, acronym in Spanish) of the 14 PAs to cover daily operating expenses (field expenses, minor equipment, direct costs, etc.); while the yields from KfW Development Bank endowment are channeled through Annual Acquisition Plans (PA, acronym in Spanish) for major acquisitions of technical equipment, vehicles, and infrastructure. The complementarity of both assets allows the 14 PAs to reduce their financial gap in the long term. The POAs are administered by Civil Society Organizations responsible for covering the operational needs of the Pas, while the Annual Acquisition Plans are executed directly by FMCN. All goods acquired with project resources are donated to CONANP.