US Senators Redouble Support for the Conservation of the Mirador-Calakmul Basin

La Danta is the largest pyramid in the world, by volume.

Several US Senators have reinforced their support for the Mirador-Calakmul Maya Security and Conservation Partnership Act of 2019 (S3131). The bipartisan bill, supported additionally by a coalition of the Guatemalan Congress and Presidency, Guatemalan community and tourism associations, international environmental conservation groups, scientists, and others, presents a new vision for conservation and development in Guatemala.

The proposed legislation would support national park protection, community-based tourism development of the Mirador-Calakmul Basin, a Cultural and Natural UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of the Maya Biosphere. Bill co-authors Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma and the leader on this bill), Tom Udall (D-New Mexico) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) introduced the legislation December 19, 2019 to members of the US Congress.

The GC team with our conservation partners in Mirador.

Global Conservation has been working to support the Mirador-Río Azul National Park since 2016. See the progress that our partner, FundaEco, has made in the past year here.

With over a million acres of intact, old-growth tropical forest and some of the most important Mayan archaeological sites in the world, Mirador-Calakmul is unique; no other UNESCO World Heritage Site or national park has such vast wilderness combined with such depth of cultural heritage. These traits offer nearly unlimited potential for community-driven economic development paired with long-term conservation and scientific discovery.

“The area is home to dozens of new species of insects, rare birds, and unique plants of unusual pharmaceutical values, six types of tropical forest, and the greatest concentration of jaguars in the world. It has been estimated that a major percentage of oxygen in the Midwest U.S. is created in the Peten region of Guatemala and southern Mexico, as indicated by the patterns of smoke from the region.” - Maya Conservation Partnership

Guatemalan congress.

The proposed legislation seeks $72 million in funding from the U.S. Government over a period of six years. The Central American Development Bank (BCIE) has committed to match this amount to fund infrastructure, for a total of $144 million. It would establish a significant international partnership between Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States, among others, and would be the first program of its kind for Central America.

The development of a sustainable eco-tourism model for Mirador-Calakmul could potentially generate billions of dollars in tourism revenue for Guatemala and Mexico. Nearby Tikal National Park already generates over $220 million a year in tourism revenues and provides thousands of jobs for local communities. Mirador-Calakmul could easily surpass this, providing a 30-fold increase in economic participation by surrounding communities and a projected 3,000 direct and 10,000 indirect jobs.

Sunset at Mirador-Río Azul.

“The Mirador Basin features beautiful Mayan ruins with networks of pyramids, palaces and ancient cities that many consider to be the eighth wonder of the world, and I would agree. I used to fly my plane over the Mirador Basin, and I have seen the magnificent structures with my own eyes...  My legislation will support efforts made by the Department of the Interior, the Department of State, the Mexican government and the Guatemalan government to secure this region and ensure future generations are afforded the same opportunity to see these magnificent Mayan ruins.” - Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Chief Sponsor of the legislation

Tourists will be drawn to Mirador-Calakmul’s astonishing biodiversity; its pyramids, which are the largest in the world; the world’s first paved causeways; the archaeological evidence of the first nation-state of the Americas; and the remains of what was possibly the largest city on the planet during its time. Currently, these treasures are inaccessible, visited only by those who trek through the rainforest or who can afford to travel by helicopter.

With the funds that would be raised under S3131, museums, visitor centers, and other infrastructure will be constructed, and incentives offered for eco-lodge development. A miniature train will allow tourist access to the ancient Maya cities, without necessitating the construction of roads that could allow access for illegal activities. The program would also allow scientific research of the areas cultural and biological heritage, as well as providing $2 million annually each to Guatemala and Mexico to provide for law enforcement operations.

The Mirador Basin has one of the densest jaguar populations in the world.

“Protection and responsible management of the area will provide: pragmatic solutions for sustainable rainforest protection and conservation; preservation of the greatest concentration of ancient cities in the Western Hemisphere; alleviation of poverty; dissuade migration into the U.S.; mitigate global climate change; provide conservation of cultural and environmental wonders of World Heritage status; and effectively counter the expansion of drug trafficking mafias in the region.” – Maya Conservation Partnership

The Maya Conservation Partnership, an international consortium that was instrumental in drafting S3131, has emphasized that the priority for preservation and conservation of Mirador-Calakmul is enforcing the existing national laws of Guatemala and Mexico.

Despite legal protection, Mirador-Calakmul is currently threatened by massive deforestation for cattle pastures. This destruction is driven by narcotics traffickers, who use large ranching operations to launder money. This region is also an important stopover for planes trafficking drugs from Colombia to North America.

“This will be a unique opportunity for the  Governments of Guatemala and Mexico to implement badly needed security and law enforcement programs to preserve and protect the Basin’s tropical forest, wildlife and archeological treasures from illegal activities such as looting, poaching and illegal logging.” - Maya Conservation Partnership

Poachers caught on camera trap in the Mirador Basin.

S3131 has been modeled after the successful Congo Basin Partnership Act, which was enacted into law by the US Congress in 2005. After that international consortium of partners began working to preserve the Congo Basin, that region’s endangered mountain gorilla population tripled in size.

Global Conservation strongly supports this bill as a way to secure the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of the Mirador-Calakmul Basin for generations to come. You can help by writing to your representatives in Congress and asking them to support Senate Bill S3131. Look up your representatives here.

“Through an international partnership focused on conservation and preservation of the Mirador Calakmul Basin’s tropical forests and hundreds of Maya archeological sites, we not only preserve the greatest concentration of ancient cities in the Western Hemisphere for future generations but bring greater economic opportunity and security to this vital region.” - Archaeologist Richard Hansen, who has led an international consortium of over sixty universities and scientific research institutions performing tropical forest and archaeological research for over 40 years in the basin 

A jaguar caught on camera trap in the Mirador Basin.