Mesa Redonda 1998: Management Program

Mesa Redonda 1998

III. MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

A. Resource Management and Protection, Maintenance and Sustainability (re-evaluation based on updated research)
1. Benchmark indicators for monitoring
(a) Identify key features for monitoring
(b) Design plan for information loop
2. Conflict management strategy
(a) Determine communication needs
(b) Design action plan for crises
3. Cultural
(a) Objectives
To present a unique view of ancient Maya daily life
(b) Activities
(i) Short Term
• establish inventory of all archaeological remains
• develop feature house and forest garden at Tzunu'un
(ii) Medium Term
• excavate houses in other environmental zones
• develop feature houses in other environmental zones
• initiate maintenance regime for cultural resources
(iii) Long Term
• complete feature house sites in key environmental zones
• establish maintenance strategy for managing the houses and forest garden in key environmental zone
4. Natural
(a) Objectives
• To establish actual situation of natural resources
• To determine management and sustainable use models of flora and fauna according to contemporary/comparative knowledge of the Maya forest
(b) Activities
(i) Short Term
• establish a monitoring program
– examine the dynamics of the natural resources at EP
– initiate studies to establish standards to manage uses of natural resources at EP
(ii) Medium Term
• establish a program for the management of human uses of wildlife at EP
• establish different forest gardens along interpretative trails which incorporate wildlife management at EP
• establish a program for habitat recuperation/restoration at EP
• Strengthen /extend the biological corridors with mutual reliance with EP
(iii) Long Term
• promote a standard monitoring program for EP
• maintain data control standards for EP
• promote a sustainable wildlife management program in conjunction with the forest garden
• periodic evaluations of habitat program and corridor connections

B. Human Use Program
1. Education
(a) Objectives
(i) School Programs and Curriculum Development
• take local children on field trips to EP
• create a teaching program between children and BRASS/ EP researchers (mentoring possibilities)
• develop school curriculum to increase knowledge and awareness of cultural and natural resources
• increase knowledge and awareness of values within the community (important objects or areas to protect, maintain agricultural character, protect the river)
(ii) Building Capacity of Local Community
• courses/workshops for guides (archaeology, natural resources, environment and contemporary culture)
• workshop for small enterprise initiation and management (restaurants, arts and handicrafts, guest houses)
• workshop on grant writing/fundraising
• evaluate and prioritize land use areas/zones (control access along main road, consider commercial and civic zones, determine housing densities, promote historic, environmental, and public areas, establish waste management policy)
(iii) Inform area residents of proposed management plan for El Pilar
• organize committee meetings
• design informational posters about the EP reserve
2. Community Participation in El Pilar
Belize/AdEP
Community NGO Promotion Government
Bullet Tree Falls
Santa Familia
Calla Creek
Cayo National
HfP, BEST, PACT
International
UNDP Tourism Marketing
Conservation Education DOA
MTE
VC
Others

Guatemala – Counterpart AdEP
Community NGO Promotion Government
Melchor
Santa Teresa La Zarca
Santa Rosa
Suchitan National
FS, NPV
International Evaluation of Municipal Potentials
Conservation Education
Tourism Marketing CONAP
IDAEH
Municipalidad
(a) Objectives
(i) To promote participation of government and non-governmental organizations in the EP reserve
(ii) To create a symbol of cooperation between the EP reserve and local communities
(iii) To document and evaluate methods of community participation
(b) Activities
(i) Short Term
• expand community-based organization participation in Belize and Guatemala
• forge communication channels between community and the EP reserve
• develop methods for community conflict management through education and alternatives
• Documentation of the process of community participation
• begin to collect interpretative material from the community (traditional stories, poems, dances, photographs)
(ii) Medium Term
• establish memorandum of agreement between the EP reserve and communities
• local participation in TAT and other pertinent groups
• assemble community interpretative material for exhibition
(iii) Long Term
• continue to strengthen community based organization CBO membership
• participate in conflict management
• maintain communication between CBO and communities
• document education strategies in cultural/natural resources
• publish community interpretative material
(3) Interpretation
(a) Objectives
(i) to develop interpretive materials to orient visitors to the cultural and natural qualities of the reserve and the local communities
(ii) to underscore the importance of the reserve's resources and their protection
(iii) to emphasize the need to support the reserve goals to conserve cultural/natural resources
(b) Activities
(i) Short Term
• design a brochure/web site
• build a visitors' center at the EP reserve
• organize target features for local tours
• maintain and upgrade self-interpretative trail system
• design and maintain appropriate signage for features at the EP reserve
(ii) Medium Term
• create interpretative scenes of visitors' center
(iii) Long Term
• maintain trail system
• update visitors' center materials
4. Tourism
(a) Objectives
(i) To conserve cultural and environmental integrity of the local area
(ii) To develop positive and negative impacts tourism
(iii) To promote eco-archaeology tourism for the community
(iv) To encourage sustainable business activities through maintaining the community character
(iv) To give priority to local community in the granting of concessions in the reserve
(b) Activities
(i) Short Term
• promote craft, food and beverage sales in the community
• form committee to address rules for tourism impacts within the community and within the reserve
• formulate a community committee to address concession policy in the EP reserve
(ii) Medium Term
• contact travel wholesalers and travel writers
• develop guest rooms, excursions (horses, canoes, hiking, forest garden walks), and concessions at the EP reserve
• design field trips and exchange programs to other community-based tourism sites to evaluate the pros and cons
(iii) Long Term
• maintain tourism infrastructure between communities and reserve
• promote established community tourism sites
5. Community Development
(a) Objectives
(i) to encourage comprehensive planning of growth related to the reserve (goods, services, waste management, preservation)
(ii) to support the economic activities of community in nearby communities to improve the quality of life and achieve a sustainable use of cultural and natural resources
(iii) to give priority to local community, wherever possible, in the creation of permanent/temporary jobs related to the EP reserve
(iv) to plan economic development in manner consistent with the cultural and environmental qualities
(b) Activities
(i) Short Term
• promote seminars/workshops by the EP reserve staff in the local communities on sustainable development
• identify economic resources and opportunities to help local community groups
(ii) Medium Term
• collaboration of the EP reserve administration to develop proposals for community development
• Encourage education on sustainable uses of renewable resources
(iii) Long Term
• the EP reserve administration ensures profits from concessions in the reserve include the community
• the EP reserve administration encourages the development of artisanry from natural resources found at the EP reserve (e.g. Corozo)

C. Research and Monitoring Program
1. General Objectives: Research, Education, Protection
(a) to focus on nexus of culture and nature
(i) promote sustainable extraction strategies for plants/animals (e.g. Corozo)
(ii) education of community to participation in long term management of El Pilar
(iii) encourage dissemination and publication of preliminary results
(b) To promote solicited science and independent science
(i) standardized data collection methods to facilitate comparisons
(ii) UTM grid location of data sites
(iii) comparable recording techniques
(c) To develop a comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS) (include all scientific data within the reserve boundaries)
(d) To organize a research committee made up of research scientists working in the area
(i) to establish peer review process to evaluate research
(ii) to develop “handbook” for systematic and vicarious information gathered within the reserve and to encourage dissemination to the community
(iii) to promote centralized database of information (all information available, preliminary field reports of research/observations)
(iv) to track and coordinate access to preliminary reports and other grey literature
(v) to promote and facilitate research and permit process at El Pilar
(vi) to facilitate scientific enterprise and communications between scientists and between the committee and governments
(vii) to promote periodic scientific roundtables
(viii) to attract more research projects
2. General Activities:
(a) Short Term
(i) develop teachers packages (audio/visual kits) for schools
(ii) contribute illustrative information to the Be Pukte and other community repositories
(iii) incorporate new data into the trail guide for the EP reserve
(iv) document the EP reserve research and development process
(v) issues to address
• permit-processing
• areas of investigation
• research advisory committee
(b) Medium Term
(i) the Visitor Center and associated educational presentations on research programs
(c) Long Term
(i) promote model for interdisciplinary research
3. Cultural Resources Objectives
(a) To understand the prehistory, history, and contemporary development of El Pilar (archaeological, survey, excavation, archives, library)
(b) To promote a coherent archaeological conservation program for all of El Pilar
(c) To develop a conservation monitoring program to maintain El Pilar
(d) To adopt the theme of Travel Through Time and View Everyday Life
4. Cultural Resources Activities
(a) Short Term
(i) inventory of cultural remains to establish a research and monitoring baseline
(ii) investigate the construction sequence of Nohol and Xaman Pilar using the tunneling method focused at Copal (EP7) and the H’mena (EP20)
(iii) continue development of the Forest Garden to show aspects of everyday life
(iv) complete the excavation, exposition, and consolidation at 1) Tzunu’un, 2) EP7 stairs of Copal, 3) EP25 of Plaza Lec
(v) initiate monitoring system for consolidation program and institute improvements
(vi) develop cultural conservation program
(b) Medium Term
(i) include Pilar Poniente in trail system
(ii) complete the excavation, exposition, and consolidation at key locations of
• Copal
• Gumbolimbo
• Ixim
• Subin
(iii) expand the Forest Garden developments at El Pilar to include the mosaic of land use areas, particularly in the western Guatemala section of the reserve where a swamp zones are reported
(iv) continue to monitor conservation strategies for revisions and improvements
(c) Long Term
(i) analyze, publish results of research and conservation programs
(ii) promote conservation program
(iii) establish the varied aspects of the model mosaic of ancient Maya life ways in the different identified natural life zone systems within the reserve
5. Natural Resources Objectives
(a) To understand the natural history of El Pilar
(b) To promote an appreciation of the human interface with the natural environment at El Pilar, past and present
(c) To focus on the dynamics of the forest through research on succession, edge effects, and examination of equilibrium
(d) To determine indicator species for monitoring program
(e) To demonstrate the necessity of wildlife corridors in the viability of small reserves like El Pilar and document the contribution of small reserves like El Pilar to the maintenance of bio-diversity and refuges for plants and animals
6. Natural Resources Activities
(a) Short Term
(i) inventory of species and communities of plants and animals for baseline
(ii) establish permanent monitoring plots and transects for research and monitoring programs
(iii) determine baseline soils, species, light for milpas and other stages of forest within the reserve
(iv) determine protocol for monitoring within the reserve boundaries
(v) establish air photography base and groundproofing
(b) Medium Term
(i) periodic monitoring of permanent plots and transects (as needed, at least every 5 yrs)
(ii) measure dynamics of forest
(c) Long Term
(i) analyze, publish results of research and conservation programs
(ii) promote conservation program
(iii) continue periodic monitoring of permanent plots and transects (as needed, at least every 5 yrs)
(iv) continue to measure dynamics of forest

D. Zoning, Land Use, Access
1. Objectives: The El Pilar Archaeological Reserve for Maya Flora and Fauna

To protect the cultural and natural resources present in the Reserve and determine proper usage. All extractive processes (looting, hunting, timber , etc.) should be prohibited within the Reserve boundaries to facilitate and monitor the recuperation in the Reserve while gathering scientific info on succession and reforestation. A one kilometer zone surrounding the entirety of the Reserve should be created for the purposes of limited and sustainable extraction and education.

(a) To create a comprehensive plan for research, education, protection of resources at the EP reserve
(i) based on available research data
(ii) consider impact on culture & nature
(b) To develop environment to benefit visitors and community
(i) facilities
(ii) concessions
(iii) trails
(iv) roads
(c) To manage relationship inside/outside the EP reserve
(i) promote a conservation zone of influence around the EP reserve
(ii) develop camping facilities outside the EP reserve
(iii) manage road access (close to through traffic in phases)
(iv) encourage alternative agricultural practices based of the forest garden model
(d) to create zones which protect the cultural and natural resources of the Reserve while involving and considering the local communities and their needs.

2. Activities
(a) Culture/Nature Zone
(i) research – inform management/capacity in the EP reserve
(ii) protection – establish a continuum of access based on recuperation and succession, research projects, and interpretation exhibits (from tourist trails to forbidden zones)
(iii) interpretation – use research data for interpretative trails and information
(iv) extraction – develop data base to serve a model of sustainable extractive uses and education that would include a buffer zone of influence around the reserve
(b) Development Zone
(i) concessions – involve community participation
(ii) infrastructure – develop funding priorities
• construct facilities related to the reserve (Caretakers base, visitors centers for exhibits, control points to inhibit through traffic, research base to assist in field work)
• develop roads in reserve to facilitate access and monitoring with control access points developed in 2 phases
• expand trail system for interpretive exhibits on culture and nature (demonstrate diversity of culture and nature, minimize impact on resources, unified and well- designed system including all aspects of the EP reserve)
(iv) maintenance of park developments
(c) Zone of Influence surrounding the EP reserve (Belize – SDA; Guatemala – ZUM)
(i) access
• improve roads to reserve to allow community access beyond reserve and control within reserve with diversions around culture core developed over 2 phases that includes improving visual approaches
• trails from communities to reserve for hiking and horseback
(ii) communities
• promote camping facilities in zone of influence for visitors
• create 40 meter forested buffer along access road to limit views of agriculture/pasture zones
(d) Resources or areas of special interest (Culture/Nature)
(i) identify within the EP reserve for research, protection, education
(ii) recognize outside the EP reserve for research, protection, education

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