More Land for Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

[denisea]

This is great news for the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve and the continued preservation of the Riviera Maya.

Originally Posted by www.signonsandiego.com

Corporate, environmentalist alliance buys sensitive coast land in Mexican nature reserve

By Mark Stevenson
ASSOCIATED PRESS

2:57 p.m. October 26, 2004

MEXICO CITY – A newly formed international partnership for wetland restoration launched its first environmental protection effort Tuesday, donating US$750,000 (euro585,000) to the purchase of a 1.1-mile (1.8 km) stretch of sensitive beach on Mexico's Caribbean coast.

The purchase by the International Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, or ICWRP, will help protect the entrance to a coastal lagoon system in Mexico's Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, an area of marshes, mangrove swamps, coral reefs, beaches and jungle south of Tulum on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.

"This is a significant moment in the life of one of the most important nature reserves in Mexico," said Alfredo Arellano, regional director for protected natural areas.

The purchase, which includes an environmental easement clause to keep the land undeveloped, will help protect the reserve against rapidly expanding tourist resorts, and provide the first stretch of non-private beach in the northern part of the reserve, just a few miles south of the Maya ruins at Tulum.

"The main threat to the area is fishing, and the enormous development of tourism" on the adjoining Riviera Maya, the stretch of coast between Cancun and Tulum, said Marco Lazcano, director of the non-governmental group Amigos de Sian Ka'an, which arranged the purchase.

Contributing to the ICWRP purchase was The Nature Conservancy, which contributed US$400,000 (euro312,000), the Gillette Company, with US$100,000 (euro78,125), and the United Nations Foundation, which kicked in US$250,000 (euro195,310).

"The ICWRP is a remarkable model of how best to bring the expertise and resources of local communities responsible companies and the international conservation community together," said Michael Madnick, vice president of the U.N. Foundation. The partnership has no immediate plans for similar purchases, but said it will continue to look for new opportunities for such joint deals.

The property, once a sport-fishing club known as 'Pez Maya," was bought from a government development bank which had foreclosed on it; the total purchase price – the remainder of which comes from the donors and other sources – is expected to be about US$1.8 million (euro1.4 million).

The property includes the mouth of the reserve's lagoon system that empties into the sea. The lagoons, mangroves, freshwater sinkhole lakes, coastal marshes and underground rivers serve as filters, feeding and breeding grounds for the marine life of the coral reefs that hug the coast.

While Sian Ka'an – whose name in Maya means "The Place Where the Sky is Born" – is one of Mexico's best-preserved natural areas, experts say the size, delicacy and importance of its wetlands system make protection a priority.

The newly acquired property is small – 64 acres (26 hectares) in comparison to the reserve's total of 1.6 million acres (666,660 hectares). But it is key because of its location near the reserve's northern limit and its function as a link between the sea and the lagoon.

Much of the reserve's coast is privately-owned, and while there are strict, low-density zoning rules in place, officials acknowledge that such codes in Mexico often change, and that perpetual protection was needed.

The reserve is open to low-impact tourism activities like swimming, canoeing and animal watching, in group tours offered by local Maya villages; but only about 40,000 people visit the reserve annually, compared to the millions that flock to the high-rise hotels of Cancun.

[mckinzie]

Interesting article.
Never been there, ever. I would love to someday

[c943]

1.8 million...hmmm, i saw a stretch of land for sale for about that amount while looking through real estate ads recently.

[Lil G]

Originally Posted by mckinzie

Interesting article.
Never been there, ever. I would love to someday

You must one day take a day trip to Punta Allen. (did i spell that right Denise?) The trip is no less of an experience. Long, slow, but hit some beautiful sites and once you get there? Food is wonderful. Don't even expect a Playa...I am not even sure some of the houses have electricity.

[mckinzie]

Originally Posted by Lil G

You must one day take a day trip to Punta Allen. (did i spell that right Denise?) The trip is no less of an experience. Long, slow, but hit some beautiful sites and once you get there? Food is wonderful. Don't even expect a Playa...I am not even sure some of the houses have electricity.

Mayabe I can rent you and the hubby for a tour.

[vacationstar]

That is good news. It's good to see they are trying to preserve more of the natural beauty we have all come to know and love and protect it from all the big AI developments. I have not had the pleasure of visiting the area yet (it's on the list) but have seen many pictures of it. It's quite beautiful. Thanks for sharing the info. denisea!

[StephenB]

Punta Allen was a great visit for us a couple of years ago. Wonder if they still fire up the generator at night? The only problem I had was with some Gringa who apparently was the "self appointed" conservator of the place. The locals were great!

[c943]

no generator after 11 pm...lights out...and the all important fans stop too....but its still soooo quiet there.