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Threatened Tropical Forest and Archaeological Site Protected Under Historic Land Deal Between Local Communities and Mexican GovernmentThe Nature Conservancy donates $1.7 million to historic projectCALAKMUL, CAMPECHE, MEXICO—November 24, 2004—More than 370,000 acres of threatened tropical forest that houses one of the world’s largest population of jaguars along with one of the most important sites of Maya civilization will now be permanently protected under an historic land deal between the Mexican federal and state government and local Mexican communities. This deal was supported by private conservation organizations, Pronatura Peninsula de Yucatan (PPY) and The Nature Conservancy.
The forest area, part of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve located in the state of Campeche, on the Yucatan Peninsula, is one the most biologically diverse and archaeologically significant sites in North America. The deal – the largest conservation land transaction in Mexican history – will ensure that the area will be protected from rapidly expanding development and other environmental threats. Ownership of the land was transferred to the Mexican government from four local communities through the $3 million deal. The Nature Conservancy provided $1.7 million for the transaction, with the rest of the funds coming from Mexico’s federal government and the state government of Campeche. The 3M corporation in Minnesota and the Earth Foundation also played pivotal roles, providing significant funding to the Conservancy for the transaction. “Calakmul is home to some of the most diverse species in the world,” said Steve McCormick, president of The Nature Conservancy. “Overdevelopment, logging and unsustainable ranching practices pose serious environmental threats to the area. The protection of Calakmul is vital to the environment and people of the entire Yucatan Peninsula, and Mexico as a whole.” The Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, which covers 1.8 million acres, is the largest, intact tropical forest in Mexico. More than 350 bird species and 94 species of mammals live in the Calakmul reserve, including jaguars, pumas, tapirs, spider moneys and howler monkeys. Over 3 billion migratory birds use this area during their winter migration. Some 1,600 plant species can also be found in Calakmul – more than half of all the plant species found throughout the Yucatan Peninsula. Calakmul also is critical to the environmental health of the entire Yucatan Peninsula and its 3.3 million inhabitants. The forests of Calakmul collect the region’s fresh water which flows underground toward the Yucatan Peninsula’s coasts. The reserve is part of the Maya Forest, a region shared by Mexico, Guatemala and Belize, home to the most significant big cat population in North America, and the largest jaguar habitat outside of the Amazon. “We’re talking about the second-largest lungs of the Americas after the Amazon, with a great richness of species and very well conserved,” said Pronatura board president José Elías Selem, referring to this region. The transfer of ownership came after two years of negotiations between the federal and Campeche governments, and the four local communities. PPY and the Conservancy will continue to work with the federal and local governments to manage and protect the critical forest areas, which will remain open to the public. Along with its critical biological importance, Calakmul also is one of the most significant archaeological sites in North America. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Calakmul was a center of Maya civilization 1,500 years ago. Calakmul, which means “City of the Two Adjacent Towers,” is centered around two ornate pyramids standing 14 stories high. To date, more than 6,250 structures have been found in the area, some containing tombs and jade masks. The 370,000 acres of land acquired by Mexico’s government was designated as part of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in 1989, but it remained in community hands, making it difficult to ensure the land’s protection from development, logging and damaging agriculture activities in the area. The land will now be incorporated into the reserve’s core zone by the Mexican government which will guarantee its protection from environmental threats. The landowners who sold the property to the government are members of the Ich-Ek, the Konchén, the Xcupilcacab, and the Santa Rita de Becanchén communities, all of which are located 250 kilometers to the north. “They have been trying for a long time since the biosphere reserve was established to get cash for the land so they can invest it in the properties where they actually live and work” says Andrea Erickson, the Nature Conservancy’s lead manager on the project. The Calakmul project is the latest in an ongoing partnership between The Nature Conservancy, PPY, and the Mexican government to work with private landowners and local communities to protect Mexico’s most critical habitats. In January 2003, the Mexican government, with the financial assistance of The Nature Conservancy and other conservation partners, purchased Isla Espiritu Santo, a 23,000-acre island in the Sea of Cortez, to ensure its permanent protection from damaging development. It was the first time ever that private funds were raised and given to the Mexican government to allow such a land purchase. ### For more information:
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