SPECIAL PROTECTION AREA SIERRA SANTA CRUZ
Data Sheet
- Name of the Area: Special Protection Area Sierra Santa Cruz
- Location: Municipality of Livingston, Izabal department
- Location and/or administrative address of the area: Barrio El Estadio, aldea Frontera Río Dulce, Livingston Izabal
- Surface: 64,320 hectares (according to the zoning proposal from the technical study pendent to be presented to CONAP)
- Legal Status: Special Protection Area according to the Decree 4-89. Article 90, number 9, from the Protected Area Law
- Proposed managing category: Water and Forest Reserve Sierra Santa Cruz- Complex II
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Sierra Santa Cruz mountains are located in the North-East of the Republic of Guatemala and to the North of Izabal Lake, in the municipality of Livingston, Izabal department and is covered by montane forest that include subtropical rain forest with elevations that range from 150 to more than 1,000 meters above sea level, which has allowed the confluence of high species and lowlands. The weather is tropical-rainy, placing Sierra Santa Cruz in the tropical rain forest biome category. One of the main characteristics of the area is that it represents an important element in both scenic beauty and in biological level.
- Water importance: according the Holdridge classification system of life zones, Sierra Santa Cruz-Complex II, is identified as a very rainy subtropical warm forest, constituting a water producer system corresponding to the river watershed from the Caribbean Sea. In the area 12 rivers drain the South sector, feeding Rio Dulce basin and other 5 rivers drain towards North, feeding Rio Sarstún basin. According to the studies made by the Forest National Institute (INAB, by its initials in Spanish), the forest land map of catchment and water regulation of Guatemala, that is given to Sierra Santa Cruz a high importance category.
- Socioeconomic aspects: from a socioeconomic point of view, there exist around 50 communities mainly Q’eqchi’s indigenous people that use natural resources, who mainly cultivate corn, beans, rice and pepper; and in a smaller scale, cardamom, cacao, annatto and fruits. The seasons where they do not cultivate the land, villagers offer their working force as laborers in cattle ranches located in nearby valleys and hilly areas, and in monoculture plantations (African palm, rubber) and also in forest plantations of pine, teak, gmelina, mahogany, Santa María and other that in the past were established, during the effects of the Fiscal Incentive Program and currently for PINFOR.
- Community Organization: Community Councils for Development (COCODES, by its initials in Spanish) are the main organization structures in a community level. However the communities have had the necessity and opportunity to be organized in associations of territorial intercommunity nature, which has allowed distributing the area in 3 main geographical intervention sectors, having as main argument that they are together in each geographical sector, a core area and a base community association by sector. With these associations, 3 consortiums for joint management of each sector are already signed and a quadripartite consortium for joint management for all Protected Area level (AP by its initials in Spanish). For the sector Cerro 1,019 located to the South of AP, it has been signed with the Intracommunity Association from Cerro 1,010; for the Jalauté sector, located in the center of AP it has been signed with San Antonio Awinel Association and for the National Chocón sector, to the north of AP, it has been signed with the Aj Ilol K’iche’ Association.
Flora
Sierra Santa Cruz presents a total of seven species of endemic plants, from which six are threatened. It is on registry a total of eighty-four taxonomic families and three hundred eighty-eight plant species being the families with greater Orchidaceae, Rubiaceae, Bromeliaceae y Polypodiaceae, Arecaceae and Araceae diversity. Sierra Santa Cruz presents eight wood species mainly used in sawmill, self-consumption and business. Some of these plants are used as food for the communities. It is important to mention that thirty-six plant species are used for medicine to cure a series of diseases of different causes.
Fauna
A total of forty-three mammal species have been identified in the Sierra Santa Cruz area from which eight are mice, two marsupial, twenty-one bats and twelve big mammals. From these species, twelve are in the red list of threaten for Guatemala: field mouse (Peromyscus grandis), Saraguate monkey (Alouata pigra), Kinkajou (Potos flavus), jaguar (Panthera onca), puma (Puma concolor), margay (Leopardus wiedii), goatling (Mazama americana), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), lowland paca (Agouti paca), Nine-band armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), white lipped peccaries (Dicotyles pecari), urchin (Coendou mexicanus) and white-nosed coati (Nasua narica).
A total of twenty amphibians have been reported that include two salamander species and twelve frogs and toads’ species. Two salamander species have been registered for the area of Santa Cruz: B. Dofleini and Oedipina elongata; also two endemic frog species have been registered from the Leptactylidae family, specifically from the Eleutherodactylus milesi group. Also the species Syrrhopus leprus, Agallychnis Callydrias, Scinax staufferi, Hyla picta, Hyla loquax and Hyla microcephala were registered. Currently (FUNDAECO 2010) six amphibian species have been identified for the area of Sierra Santa Cruz, from the ones found before in the area by other researchers; the species reported and identified in 2010 are B. dofleini, Eleutherodactylus milesi, Eleutherodactylus trachydermus, Hyla picta, Hyla microcephala and R. berlandieri.
Sierra Santa Cruz registers a total of 178 species of birds for the area, between residents and migratory; among the most outstanding species there could be mentioned: Dendrocinchla anabatina, D. homochroa, Dendrocolaptes certhia, Xiphorynchus erythropygius, Sclerurus guatemalensis, Platirhynchus cancrominus, Onycorhynchus coronatus mexicanus, Myobius sulphureipygius, Basileuterus cullicivorus, Phaetornis superciliosus, Catharus dryas, Microcerculus philomella, Henicorhina leucosticta, Habia rubica, Hylomanes momotula and two species that are found in appendix 2 of CITES: Ramphastos sulphuratus Tinamus major and Crax rubra. According to studies compiled, it can be mentioned that the bird species Condrohiera xuncinatus, Leucopternis albicollis, Micrastur ruficollis, Rostramus sociabilis and Spizaetus tyrannus are in risk of extinction in the Appendix II.
Sierra Santa Cruz hosts a total of twelve insect species, among the most relevant, there are: croponecrophagous beetles from which the most important seven species are: Copris lugubris, Dichotomius annae, Uroxys boneti, Sulcophanaeus chryseicollis, Coprophanaeus n.sp., Eurysternus mexicanus and Eurysternus foedus.
ACTIONS FOR NATURE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITIES
- 11 communities have property deeds and other 13 are in process before FONTIERRAS (map and Land Use Capacity Studies approved, and documents filed and processed) benefiting 286 Q’eqchi’s families.
- 16 property deeds have been given as usufruct to 8 communities from the sites classified as management and protection forest inside the model of land management in the property Chocón Nacional, were the agreements and commitments are established to achieve a correct management of natural resources with the communities. This has allowed them to enter to PINFOR programs and Xate Management.
- 26 natural forest protection projects for the period 2006-2016 which generate PINFOR incentives for Q6,083,801.61 for the protection of 4,191 hectares have benefited 8 communities and 102 families.
- 2 reforestation projects for the period 2008-2013 which generate PINFOR incentives for 224,192.00 for reforestation of 18 hectares in 2 communities, benefiting 28 families.
- 1 protection project of the institutional reserve Chocón Nacional for the period 20016-2010 which generated PINFOR incentives for Q 4,700,000.00 for the protection of 5,315 hectares of natural forest (currently that reserve is considered as a Core Area that is managing its inscription as Private Natural Reserve before CONAP).
- 7,956 bunches of xate fish tale sold to the export company Plantas Arcoiris S.A., benefiting 4 communities that have 14 management plans, use licenses and transport guides approved by CONAP representing income of Q141,408.00 up to this date.
- It was achieved the signature of 3 consortiums for joint management by geographical sectors with 3 community based associations: Aj Ilol Kiche, San Antonio Awinel and Cerro 1,019 and a quadripartite consortium for the future join management of all the protected area, where commitments and responsibilities are established for the parties and the formulation of working plans are agreed and the finance for operationalization is searched.
- Through the Governmental Agreement No. 427-2007, a national farm of 38.64 hectares located in the core area was appointed to CONAP proposed by Cerro 1,019, which still preserves 80% of its tree cover. This will allow request the joint management and avoid that it is inscribed in a not normal way by third interested parties.
- The update of the technical study and zoning proposal that has been agreed with the associations and other actors is already in its final stage, and also it is being worked in the elaboration of a draft bill for the official declaratory of SSC as a protected area.
- Funds have been transferred for the strengthening of the 3 associations for an amount not under Q1,000,000.00 which has allowed constituting a confluence center, furniture and equipment purchase, financing meetings, expenses for traveling, strategic plans elaboration and financial search for working plans.
- Under the leadership of Cerro 1,019 Association and other organizations, joint efforts were gathered and 2 women of the community were sent to the community Centro II to be trained in India during 6 months in Solar Engineering and at their return they installed and gave maintenance to the complete solar panel system donated by India, benefiting 47 families.
- In coordination of Cerro 1,019 Association, solar panels were delivered to the Rubel Cacao community, which will allow to reduce the consumption of firewood for night lightning and therefore to reduce part of the deforestation in the community.
- Aj Ilol K’iche’ Association, considered as a key partner in the joint management in the Chocón Nacional sector, was nominated by FUNDAECO and obtained the national prize “Land Nature Protector” given by the Environment Ministry in commemoration of the national day of indigenous people in 2010. Together with Aj Ilol K’iche’ Association it was achieved in 2007 before CONAP the hiring of 3 resource guards for the protected area, which allows to have a better control of natural resources and to support community work.
- There exists direct participation of the communities in the protection of natural resources to achieve their engagement in control and surveillance in coordination with State institutions, COCODES, Associations and FUNDAECO.
- Cooperation agreements are signed with 3 communities for the establishment of clinics for women in the sexual health and reproductive subject and a process of awareness, information and empowerment about topics to women, men and young women and young men, and it is about to begin the construction and/or renovation phase of the clinics.
- With the support of PROGAL-ASOPROGAL productive projects have been implemented that have allowed the creation of income to 3 communities, being them: 1. Xate Plantation Management Project with the community RUbel Cacao. 2. Pig and Fish Production Project with the community Sierra Santa Cruz Rubel Ho. 3. Cattle fattening Project with the community Squitzul.
