a forest of hope conserving the Maya Forest of Belize, Guatemala and Mexico

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a forest of hopeconserving the Maya Forest of
Belize, Guatemala and Mexico

• a capacity-building partnership

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Project Objective
Unique capacity-building partnership between The
Nature Conservancy, Rainforest Alliance and
theWorld Environment Center to support
conservation activities in theMaya Forest of
Belize, Guatemala and Mexico
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Why the Maya Forest?

• Second largest rainforest in the Americas outside
  of the Amazon
• Helps preserve the incredible diversity of this
  rainforest ecosystem
• Mitigate global warming by sequestering carbon
  dioxide
• Enhances sustainable livelihoods
• Improves community healthcare by providing job
  stability

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Project Benefits

• Improved conservation of critical habitats and
  species
• Improved quality of life for indigenous peoples
• Leadership and precedent in the creation of new
  models for public-private conservation and
  development partnerships
• An approach to solving problems of globalization
  through private-sector initiatives

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Project Details

• Three linked capacity-building tracks
• Encourages formation of a tri-national
  conservation coalition with a common vision for
  the Maya Forest
• Promotes sustainable livelihoods through
  training, certification and other market
  incentives
• Strengthens protection of parks, private reserves
  and other protected areas

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Track 1 - Conservation Coalition

• Includes representatives of federal, state
  municipal governments community leaders NGOs
  business development agencies and research
  institutions
• Coalition will coalesce around the partnerships
  ecoregional planning process
• Engages all stakeholders in a participatory
  process
• Portfolio of priority sites protects native
  biodiversity

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Track 1 - Conservation Coalition

• Partnership has already initiated preliminary
  preparation for a conservation blueprint
• Planning phase is expected to be completed by
  Nov. 2004
• Assemble core ecoregional planning team to
  facilitate process with stakeholders
• Identify portfolio of priority areas
• Define strategies to abate threats

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Track 2 - Sustainable Livelihoods

• Numerous threats to Maya Forest
• Deforestation - 200,000 acres per year
• Population growth - 5-10 per year
• Illegal logging
• Focus on implementation of best management
  practices in forestry, nontimber forest products,
  agriculture and ecotourism

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Track 2 - Sustainable Livelihoods

• Partnering with local and indigenous communities
  to sustainably harvest timber and xate,
  agricultural products and train ecotourism
  operations.
• Promote sustainable harvesting of wood and
  develop market linkages for other species
• Ensure sustainability of the wild xate palm
• Link responsible buyers and producers
• Increase best management practices by ecotourism
  operations

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Track 3 - Managing Protected Lands

• Partnership will improve management of public
  parks and privately owned preserves
• Build capacity for protection through training,
  education and technical assistance
• Leverage existing USAID support for Parks in
  Peril program

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Project Funding

• 2.5 million budget over three years
• Corporate and public funding
• Corporate support levels
• Gold 250,000
• Silver 100,000
• Bronze 50,000

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Gold Level Benefits

• Top visibility (corporate name and logo) in all
  materials promoting the partnership, including
  standalone website
• Prominent visibility at a regional, tri-national
  conference
• VIP field trip to project site
• One-page corporate profile in high-quality photo
  book on Maya Forest
• Availability of project expert to speak at one of
  the sponsors employee programs
• Subject of case studies at corporate forums held
  by three partnership organizations
• Top visibility in salute ad donated by WSJ or NYT
• Recognition in annual reports of three
  organizations

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Silver Level Benefits

• Corporate name listed on all materials promoting
  the partnership, including standalone website
• Recognition at a regional, tri-national
  conference
• Prominent visibility (corporate name and logo) in
  high-quality photo book on Maya Forest
• Subject of case studies at forums held by three
  partnership organizations
• Recognition in salute ad donated by WSJ or NYT
• Recognition in annual reports of three
  organizations

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Bronze Level Benefits

• Corporate name listed on all materials promoting
  the partnership, including standalone website
• Recognition at a regional, tri-national
  conference
• Subject of case studies at forums held by three
  partnership organizations
• Recognition in salute ad donated by WSJ or NYT

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Selected Metrics of Success

• Track 1 - Conservation Coalition
• No. of organizations represented in the blueprint
  process
• No. of organizations adopting the blueprint
• Track 2 - Sustainable Livelihoods
• No. of acres certified under Smartwood program
• No. of acres of xate under sustainable management
• Increase in no. of tourists to Maya Forest
• Increase in income to region
• Reduction in percent of illegally logged mahogany
• Increase in revenue from non-traditional forest
  species

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Selected Metrics of Success

• Track 3 - Managing Protected Lands
• No. of acres under increased protection and
  improved management
• No. of participants completing protected lands
  management training programs

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Questions and next steps?