Dry and very dry tropical forests are some of the most threatened ecosystems in the world. In Colombia, they are in a critical state due to land cover and land use changes. Even though the soils are not very productive due to the harsh environmental conditions and scarcity of water, many of these ecosystems have served as the base of economic development in certain regions. Particularly, the subxerophytic enclave of Atuncela (SEA) in Colombia gradually became an agricultural zone with the expansion of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) cultivation. This shift has changed the landscape over the years, but high biodiversity in the remaining fragments still provides goods and services necessary for the inhabitants’ well-being. Given the importance of these ecosystems as well as the high-pressure conditions exerted on them, in 2007, the regional environmental authority declared 1011.05 hectares of the SEA as a protected area. The aim of this case study was to present the direct relationship between the establishment of a protected area and goal-based planning that seeks to reduce threats by working to improve people’s livelihoods. A survey was conducted for 120 properties to evaluate the ecosystem services offered. It was determined that 36.67% of the properties have areas of conserved forest, while 63.33% have crop or livestock areas. The economic activities have a small scale of commercialization and low technological intensity that meets acceptable living standards for the landowners. There is a sugarcane mill enterprise, where the community carries out technical and sustainable processing of panela and promotes the conservation of nature. The ecosystem services on which the community depends most are water regulation and soil formation. The inhabitants of this territory recognized the importance of natural resources for economic activities and as part of their territorial identity that favoured associative nature conservation.