Overview
Mexico is a study in contrasts-a
country with great beauty and
biodiversity but challenging
environmental and economic
problems. Mexico conjures up
images of white beaches against
the blue backdrop of the
Atlantic and Pacific, jaguars in
tropical rainforests near the
Guatemalan border, and monarch
butterflies migrating through
the Copper Canyon in the winter.
At the same time, urban areas
are faced with high levels of
air pollution; forest fires
continue to constitute a
significant threat to forest
resources, and watershed
degradation threatens water
quality and supply.
Mexico's landscape portrays the
abundance and diversity of its
natural resources. While a large
portion of the country is
semiarid and covered with desert
scrub and cacti, a fourth of the
total land area is covered in
forests rich in timber, wildlife
and vegetation. In the Sierra
Madre, temperate forests abound,
while in the South and southern
Pacific coast, tropical forests
teem with flora and fauna. In
fact, Mexico is considered the
fourth-most biologically diverse
country on Earth.
Threats to the Forests
Mexico's forests play a
significant role in the global
environment. Thus, deforestation
is both a national concern and
an international one. For
example, degradation of the
uplands and riparian areas of
the Rio Laja Watershed in
Guanajuato has resulted in
poorer wintering habitats and
breeding grounds for migratory
birds--en route from the United
States or Canada. Poor forestry
practices threaten Mexico's
natural resources, including
supplies of timber and other
forest products. In addition,
invasive species and
urbanization jeopardize forest
areas. Protected natural areas
often do not have sufficient
resources to address these
threats, creating additional
challenges for the conservation
of many of the country's most
valuable natural areas and
resources.
Why Does the United States Work
in Mexico?
Recognizing that the health of
Mexico's forests affects the
United States, the
USDA Forest Service
collaborates with Mexican
counterparts to sustain and
better manage natural resources.
The
US Agency for International
Development
and others provide support for
the
USDA Forest Service,
the
Mexican Ministry of Environment
and Natural Resources,
the
Mexico National Forest
Commission
and other partners to work
together on specific projects:
community forestry, migratory
species, forest monitoring, and
fire management. For more than
twenty years, the two nations
have continued to exchange
scientific and technical
expertise in forest management,
wildlife, protected areas, and
forest plantations.
The
North American Forest Commission
(of the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United
Nations) reflects long-standing
cooperation to address
continent-wide environmental
issues. In addition, when
Mexico, Canada and the United
States signed the North American
Free Trade Agreement in 1994,
one area of increased emphasis
was cooperation in environmental
activities. Together, the three
nations work together to
conserve and manage natural
resources.
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Fire Management
For more
than fifteen years, fire
management professionals in the
US and Mexico have worked to
improve knowledge of fire
ecology and to strengthen fire
management-through training in
fire prevention, suppression,
response, and restoration.
Spanning over two decades, the
Fire Management Working Group
of the North American Forest
Commission has shared technology
and research and has trained
firefighters through bilateral
cooperation in actual wildfire
crises.
A) Fire Prevention and
Restoration Program
As a
result of the devastating
wildfires in Mexico in 1998, the
US fire community and Mexican
counterparts (including the
Mexican Ministry of Environment
and Natural Resources
and, more recently, the
Mexico National Forest
Commission)
developed a comprehensive fire
program to improve Mexico's
capacity in fire management,
administration, suppression,
aviation, prevention and
protection, communications, and
safety. With support from the
US Agency for International
Development,
coordinators from the two
countries have taught hundreds
of fire personnel through formal
classroom trainings and
demonstrations, technical
exchanges, workshops,
conferences and assessments.
For the past six years, the USDA
Forest Service has helped
Mexico's federal agencies
conduct training courses in
wildland fires to military
personnel, state delegates, and
representatives from protected
areas and other organizations.
In 2000, training in the
Incident Command System began;
this has strengthened
mobilization and coordination of
these various actors. Mexico's
Ministry of Environment and
Natural Resources and National
Forest Commission have provided
training in Basic Fire Fighting
to over a thousand
volunteers-from rural
communities located near natural
reserves. In 2004, new training
began in fire behavior and fuels
management with the delivery of
the first Wildland Fire Behavior
course. The course is designed
to help improve safety and
effectiveness of fire management
operations. These training
programs continue to strengthen
Mexico's ability to fight and
manage fire.
Support is also being provided
to Mexican federal and state
response agencies to improve the
handling and use of aviation and
other fire-fighting equipment.
Aviation programs buttress fire
response, especially where
jungle canopies are dense and
where burning areas are
difficult to access. In some
instances, response is more
effective and cost efficient
than ground operations. For
example, in April 2000 the
helicopter rappel program in
southeastern Mexico trained Air
Force pilots on proper and
effective helicopter techniques
to drop water. Dispatched to
help suppress a 40,000-acre fire
in Baja, California that year,
the trained pilots contained and
rapidly controlled the fire,
without damaging the national
observatory on Cerro San Martin.
Additional training was
conducted from 2001 to 2004 in
helicopter management, with
assistance in 2003 and 2004 to
implement a wildland fire engine
program. Currently, the Forest
Service is working with Mexico
to provide recommendations on
how to improve and support these
programs on a long-term basis.
For up to date maps of fire
activity in Mexico, please visit
the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Association's National
Environmental Satellite, Data
and Information Service
web site. Also
http://www.fire.uni-freiburg.de/current/Mexico.htm
shows continually updated "hot
spots" data.
Building on the existing fire
management capacity in Mexico
and the success of fire
prevention and restoration
programs, the US Agency for
International Development, in
collaboration with partners such
as the USDA Forest Service and
the Fondo Mexicano para la
Conservacion de la Naturaleza,
will continue to support
integrated fire management in
Mexico. The program will
continue to collaborate with the
Mexico National Forest
Commission to improve Mexico's
capacity in fire management
(described above) as well as
work in partnership with
regional and local
organizations, and communities
to strengthen fire management.
The goal of the new program is
to strengthen integrated fire
management capacity for
communities and fire
professionals, fire planning and
safety, and coordination of fire
management activities. The
program also aims to link
national level programs and
capacities with local needs and
capacities.
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B) Fire Ecology -- Photo Series
Recent
fire seasons have highlighted
the need to anticipate and
reduce the threat of damaging
wildfires, as well as use fire
to restore ecosystem health
where needed. Land and fire
managers need to be equipped
with effective tools to
accomplish those objectives. The
USDA Forest Service's
Fire and Environmental Research
Applications (FERA)
team has developed a novel tool:
a photo series to assess biomass
fuels.
The photo series uses
stereographic photographs to
document different forest and
vegetation types in key Mexican
ecosystems. By combining the
photographs with estimates of
biomass and other biological
aspects, the photo series
becomes an inventory that
provides an effective and
inexpensive means for natural
resource managers and
researchers to analyze existing
fuel properties, evaluate fire
risk, manage fire fuels and
prevent devastating fire
outbreaks.
The FERA team and the
Fondo Mexicano para la
Conservación de la Naturaleza,
along with other partners
in-country, are developing a
photo series in important
protected areas of Mexico. This
cooperative research, with
funding from the US Agency for
International Development, is
intended to develop tools that
can be used by land and fire
managers in the Reserves and
Protected Areas, as well as
other forested areas of Mexico.
In 2004, the project team
completed field work in the
Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere
Reserve, in the States of
Jalisco and Colima and the
Sierra de Arteaga, in the State
of Coahuila.
The work in Mexico will
complement similar work across a
number of ecosystems in the
United States and Brazil. It
provides the opportunity for
fire research and development in
temperate and tropical
ecosystems to complete a
transect (i.e. the
Transect of the Americas)
of replicated studies in the
boreal forests of interior
Alaska and in temperate
ecosystems in the western United
States, Brazil, and Mexico.
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C) Fire Ecology and the Fire
Management Network:
Partnerships in Southern and
Northern Mexico
After the
severe wildfires in 1998, the
Mexican government wanted not
only more effective methods of
suppressing fires but also more
information about the behavior
of fire and its history and role
in the different Mexican
ecosystems. Through a
partnership with
The Nature Conservancy,
Mexican partners, and the USDA
Forest Service, fire ecology
workshops were held in Southern
and Northern Mexico in 2001 and
2002. These workshops brought
together experts and protected
area managers to discuss fire
and its role in ecological
processes, with particular
attention to ecosystems
represented in Mexico.
Following the workshops, a
web site
has been created to provide
additional information to
managers and researchers on fire
ecology and management, as well
as an opportunity to share their
questions and experiences. Fire
coordinators in Sonora (Northern
Mexico) and Chiapas (Southern
Mexico) are working directly
with protected area managers to
offer continuing education on
fire ecology and guidance in
developing fire management
plans. The workshops, site
visits, and follow-on training
rely on partnerships among
nongovernmental organizations
and federal and state
institutions. There will also be
activities to create a landscape
fire network and plans for
managing protected areas in
Mexico. By helping to protect
these critical areas from
devastating fire, the work will
support the conservation of
biodiversity and of important
habitats for migratory birds and
other species.
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D) Coronado National Forest and
the State of Sonora
The
partnership between the
Coronado National Forest
(southwestern United States) and
Mexican Government counterparts
in the State of Sonora
(especially the regional office
of the
Mexico National Forest
Commission)
allows partners to exchange
information and experiences to
improve management of shared
ecosystems across the border
Both the Coronado and Sonora aid
each other in suppressing fires
that threaten to cross the
border from either country. More
specifically, the partners
conduct an annual program that
educates and trains personnel
from both nations on suppressing
fire. The Coronado helps train
firefighters and furnishes fire
brigades with equipment in
Sonora. Additionally, the
partners use educational
seminars and guest appearances
by Smokey Bear to teach children
about fire ecology and safety.
In addition to having similar
ecosystems, Northern Sonora and
southern Arizona share a common
cultural history. More than 300
years ago, the native O'odham
peoples and Spanish explorers
co-inhabited the area. A hundred
years ago, residents constructed
Mexican adobe structures, which
are now historic properties
eligible for the National
Register of Historic Places.
USDA Forest Service
archeologists and historical
experts have forged partnerships
with Mexican colleagues to
preserve this shared legacy
through historic preservation
projects on both sides of the
border. Hands-on preservation
work is proceeding at three
historic properties via
cooperative sharing of expertise
and skills in managing cultural
resources.
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See also:
Klamath National Forest and El
Ocote Biosphere Reserve
Forest Health/Invasive Species
Forest insects and diseases, and
invasive species, can weaken the
structure and health of a
forest, causing millions of
dollars worth of damage and
rendering a nation's forests
more susceptible to fire and
other threats. Therefore, the
United States and Mexico have
focused on ways to prevent and
control the damage of existing
and potential native and exotic
pests and pathogens. Working
together, scientists from both
countries observe pests under
natural conditions and perform
field experiments. The two
nations place strong emphasis on
sharing information, researching
effective bio-control,
developing measures to manage
habitats, and conducting
cooperative training.
A) Pine Beetle Control
USDA Forest Service experts have
been collaborating with Mexican
scientists over the last five
years to study and develop
treatments for Cone and Bark
Beetle infestations in pine
stands. Beetles, in the family
Scolytidae, are the
most devastating forest pests,
killing pines over tens of
thousands of hectares annually
in North America, particularly
in the United States and Mexico.
By working together, the
countries can expand and
replicate studies to address
insect pest problems that are
common to both countries.
Knowledge and technology
acquired about pests in Mexico
will be of direct benefit for
controlling those same pests in
the U.S.
Cone Beetles can destroy more
than 90% of valuable seed crops
of pinecones across North
America. These beetles have an
enormous negative impact on cone
production, reducing the
quantity of seed available for
regenerating stands that have
been killed by other beetle
infestations, wildfire, or
harvesting. The loss of pine
seeds (pinyon nuts) also causes
hardships for the indigenous
peoples in Mexico and the United
States that depend on them for
food and as a market crop.
Research by US and Mexican
scientists and land managers is
focusing on ecologically sound
ways to protect seed crops of
valuable pines. One promising
approach is through the use of
pheromones. By manipulating
these chemicals, similar to
those secreted by beetles and
other insects, researchers can
help control damage without the
use of toxic insecticides.
Laboratory tests have shown
success with pheromones in
stands of
Pinus pseudostrobus, Pinus
teocote, and
Pinus michocanae. In
field tests, Forest Service
researchers are using a novel
microencapsulated formulation of
beetle pheronomes to attract and
repel beetles in different
areas. The cones are further
protected from beetle attacks by
applying repellent directly to
cones.
Working at sites in central
Mexico, researchers have
identified and incorporated
three different pheromones that
are still under examination. In
2002, at the request of a
non-governmental organization in
the Sierra Fria region of
central Mexico, Forest Service
researchers expanded their work
to test the efficacy of
pheromones in treating bark
beetle infestations. Related to
the Cone Beetle, these beetles
attack trees directly, killing
them by entering through the
protective bark. From the United
States to Central America, the
Southern Pine Beetle damages
thousands of hectares of
economically and ecologically
important forests every year.
Thus, the results of this work
will be tremendously useful for
land managers throughout the
region. Research in several
sites is being complemented by
additional consultations on
integrated pest management,
mechanical treatments for
mitigating beetle outbreaks, and
regeneration of pine stands.
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B) Forest Insects and Diseases
Working Group
The
Forest Insects and Diseases
Working Group
of the North American Forest
Commission is maintains a list
to identify exotic insects and
pathogens that can cause
significant damage to North
American forests. The
Exotic Forest Pest Information
System for North America
is compiling data on candidate
pests, ratings, and pest
information. The Working Group
also facilitates collaboration
with Mexican colleagues on Gypsy
Moth, Sudden Oak Death, and
other threats to forest health.
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Migratory Species/Habitat
Management
Degraded lands in Latin America
and the Caribbean often result
from shifting agriculture, poor
management of forested land, and
overall land-use pressure from a
growing population. The USDA
Forest Service helps improve
ecosystems and biodiversity and
identify important habitat areas
for migratory birds in the U.S.,
Latin America and the Caribbean.
Protecting and restoring
ecosystems includes: stabilizing
streambeds, re-vegetating
disturbed areas, construction
for wetlands improvement,
watershed analysis and
restoration, eco-regional
planning, and ecological fire
management.
A) RESERVA:
Ducks Unlimited Mexico's
Training Program for
Conservation
Managed by
Ducks Unlimited Mexico,
The RESERVA project addresses
the need for trained personnel
to manage natural resources in
Latin America and Caribbean
-ranked as one of the most
critical problems facing
conservation activities in the
regions. With over 190 managers
from 22 countries who have been
trained through intensive
hands-on field and classroom
experiences, the course has
strengthened institutional
capacities to improve natural
resource conservation. The USDA
Forest Service provides trainers
and supports participants who
would like to attend the course.
Partners also include the
Fish and Wildlife Service
and
Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
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B) Ecoregional Planning:
Partnering with The Nature
Conservancy
The USDA
Forest Service is providing
support to
The Nature Conservancy
to carry out ecoregional
analyses in key Mexican
ecosystems such as the Apache
Highlands and the Selva Maya. An
ecoregional plan is seen as a
conservation blueprint, which
identifies a network of sites
characterized by certain
representative natural
communities, ecological
processes and species, and
which, if protected, may
guarantee the biological
integrity of any given ecoregion.
These sites are selected on the
basis of rigorous science-based
analyses of existing ecoregional
biodiversity data,
socio-economic and cultural
data, threats and opportunities
and institutional capacities.
Through consultations with
experts and compilation of data,
this process maps and analyzes
patterns of biological
diversity, population, land
use-land cover, and water
resources. The Nature
Conservancy and a variety of
other partners use the results
to select sites important to
protecting the unique biological
diversity of Mexico.
The Apache-Highlands straddles
the United States-Mexico border,
from southeastern Arizona and
northern Sonora extending
northwest to the Verde River
Valley of central Arizona. The
Highlands include the Coronado
National Forest and portions of
the San Pedro Watershed. It is
the largest expanse of plains,
semi-desert grasslands, and
"sky-island" mountain ranges in
the Southwest. The Nature
Conservancy is leading an effort
to analyze and conserve areas of
the Apache-Highlands Region, an
effort that includes working
with the governmental and
non-governmental agencies from
both countries.
The Selva Maya encompasses the
lowlands of the Yucatan
Peninsula and Lacandon forests
of southern Mexico, as well as
areas of Belize and northern
Guatemala where Maya People once
settled. The ecoregional
planning process includes
information on Tabasco,
northeastern Oaxaca, northern
Chiapas and southern Veracruz.
Covering almost 300,000 km2,
this region includes pine
forests, dry and moist tropical
forest, wetlands, and mangroves.
Several of Mexico's most
prominent protected areas are
dedicated to conserving not only
the natural resources but also
the important Mayan
archeological and cultural
resources of the area.
The Nature Conservancy is also
working with a range of partners
in the Selva Maya to develop a
framework to guide conservation
efforts in the region. Partners
from Mexico and other countries
will recommend a network of
conservation areas, and a set of
strategies and institutional
alliances to conserve the large
majority of ecological
processes, natural communities
and species representative of
the biodiversity within the
Selva Maya.
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C) Protection of Mexican
Grasslands
Together
with
The Nature Conservancy,
the USDA Forest Service is
helping to improve management in
Mexico and the US in order to
maintain critical habitat for
grasslands birds. These birds,
such as the Ferruginous Hawk and
the Mountain Plover, migrate
annually in a corridor through
the Midwestern US and northern
Mexico. In order to collect data
on the grasslands birds, USDA
Forest Service experts and
Mexican partners continue to
inventory and monitor
populations in the Janos
grasslands of Northern
Chihuahua, Mexico and La Soledad
Grasslands in the Mexican states
of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and San
Luis Potosi. They are also
conducting exchange visits to
familiarize land managers with
habitat conditions and to
develop further technical
assistance to improve protection
of the avian populations.
For other migratory species and
habitat management activities in
Mexico, please see:
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Watershed Management
A) Rio Laja Community Watershed
Protection
The Rio Laja Watershed, a
critical supply for the State of
Guanajuato in central Mexico,
has deteriorated considerably.
The decline in its riparian
habitat threatens the local
population, biodiversity and
ecosystem. In 1995, work began
to restore degraded riparian
areas and upland watersheds in
the Rio Laja Basin. In 1999, the
USDA Forest Service conducted an
assessment of the Rio Laja
Watershed, identifying the
following priorities: stream
treatments, reforestation,
improved grazing practices, and
soil conservation.
Several environmental and
community health organizations
(including
Save the Laja,
the Center for Adolescents of
San Miguel and other grass-roots
environmental organizations)
have formed a coalition to help
communities in the Rio Laja
understand the problems of the
watershed and carry out
activities to restore stream,
riparian, and watershed
functioning. The USDA Forest
Service has provided technical
guidance to the organizations
and to hundreds of community
volunteers to treat stream
channels with rock structures
and tree plantings. In addition
to river restoration projects,
communities treated roads and
modified grazing activities.
Forest Service experts have
conducted training sessions for
representatives of government
agencies and non-governmental
organizations, with continued
monitoring and recommendations
for on-the-ground community
actions.
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B) Watershed Planning in the
Sierra Gorda
The Sierra Gorda Biosphere
Reserve, covering almost a
million acres in central Mexico,
is the most ecologically diverse
bio-reserve in Mexico. This
important area is threatened by
a variety of uses from adjacent
dependent rural communities. A
local non-governmental
organization, the Grupo
Ecológico de Sierra Gorda (GESG),
has been designated as the
Reserve's directorate, and is in
the process of developing and
implementing management plans
for protection and sustainable
use of the area.
To develop its management, the
organization needs information
to understand the resources and
conditions of the reserve.
Unfortunately, there have been
virtually no systematic
inventories of habitat or biota
for the region. The USDA Forest
Service and a US-based
non-governmental organization,
Wolftree Inc, are responding to
needs for assistance in the
areas of design and
implementation of aquatic and
terrestrial ecosystem
inventories; watershed
assessment; and technical review
and assistance in forestry,
road/trail improvements, and
environmental education. The
project includes training for
local partners as well as the
compilation of important
information to support planning
in the reserve.
Interdisciplinary teams of
Forest Service experts are
leading initial inventory
efforts. The teams are
undertaking pilot inventories of
forests and selected river
ecosystems within the reserve.
In forested areas, tests of
different inventory
methodologies were used to
select the one most appropriate
for the reserve; local residents
were then trained in these
techniques. Local residents and
students also participated in
inventory efforts in eight river
systems to characterize riparian
and aquatic resources,
particularly within the highly
protected core zone of the
Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve.
After completing initial
inventories, USDA Forest Service
experts will continue to assist
the reserve management in
watershed assessments and
landscape-level analysis and
planning. Further
capacity-building to understand
biological resources will be
complemented by on-the-ground
efforts to mitigate
environmental impacts of roads
and other infrastructure; to
design trails, and to prepare
local guides for ecotourism.
For other watershed management
activities, please see:
Klamath National Forest and El
Ocote Biosphere Reserve
For more information on the
Reserve, news updates and
projects,
click here.
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 Protected
Areas/Ecotourism
Mexico harbors a wide variety of
ecosystems and biodiversity,
much of which is represent
ed in its natural protected
areas. With almost no federal
public lands, Mexico's protected
areas rely on interdisciplinary
approaches and close
collaboration with residents and
other actors in order to
administer and protect the land
and resources. While the USDA
Forest Service benefits from
learning from these experiences,
the Agency assists its
counterparts in conserving and
managing Mexico's extensive
system of protected areas
through technical assistance,
training, and exchanges with
local, regional and national
Mexican staff.
At the national level,
Mexico's National Commission on
Protected Areas (CONANP)
works with USDA Forest Service
to identify priority training
needs throughout its system. A
number of managers from Mexico
receive training in the United
States through
international seminars
supported by the USDA Forest
Service International Programs.
In addition, the Commission
takes advantage of specific
technical assistance in other
projects to train staff further.
A) Klamath National Forest and
El Ocote Biosphere Reserve
The El Ocote Biosphere Reserve,
in northwestern Chiapas, is the
last remaining area of intact
tropical forest in Mexico. The
Reserve includes the spectacular
canyon of the La Venta River, a
karst formation with high, sheer
walls and an extensive cave
system. A number of rare and
endemic birds inhabit El Ocote:
the Navas wren, great currasow,
black penelope, king vulture,
ornate hawk-eagle, and solitary
eagle. In addition, it provides
a habitat for North American
migrant birds during the
non-breeding season.
The
Klamath National Forest,
in northern California, has
collaborated with the El Ocote
Biosphere Reserve since 1993 on
habitat management, fire
management, geographic
information systems for natural
resource planning, and watershed
analysis and planning.
One important area of
cooperation is a five-year
effort in avian and wildlife
monitoring. The intent is to
monitor habitat utilization by
bird populations in a variety of
settings, and to determine
effects of changes in vegetation
such as by fire or grazing.
The USDA Forest Service trains
Reserve personnel and residents
on avian inventory techniques,
which include tracking migratory
species such as the wood thrush,
Swainson's thrush, Kentucky
warbler, Canadian warbler, black
and white warbler, American
redstart, hermit warbler,
ovenbird, and yellow-breasted
chat.
In addition, Klamath personnel
have worked with the
US Fish and Wildlife Service
and the Reserve to inventory bat
populations in shade coffee
plantations and adjacent forest.
Studying neotropical migratory
birds and other wildlife will
help the Reserve staff develop
guidelines for forestry and
agroforestry projects that
maximize biodiversity and
improve habitat management.
Currently, personnel from the
Klamath and US Fish and Wildlife
Service have been working with
the Reserve to collect data on
the endangered ornate hawk eagle
(Spizaetus ornatus).
Findings, such as information on
distribution, nesting sites and
prey species, will be
incorporated into public
awareness and environmental
education programs in local
schools.
Proper management of protected
areas can assist in fire
management planning. Following
the devastating forest fires in
Mexico in 1998, personnel from
Klamath assisted in the analysis
of satellite imagery and other
data to assess fire damage and
identify priority areas for
restoration within the Reserve.
Training was provided to El
Ocote staff on fire management
techniques and fire response
coordination. More recently,
Forest Service experts have been
working with El Ocote on fuel
modeling and management in order
to reduce the risk of
catastrophic fires in the
future.
In the last several years, the
Klamath has begun working
intensively with El Ocote to
monitor the health of its
watersheds and to develop
management plans to preserve
critical areas and functions.
Experts from the Forest Service
are assisting in compiling
satellite and GIS/GPS coverage
of the watershed and its
tributaries, topography, and
land use. Several reservoirs and
tributaries are being monitored
to collect information on water
quality and on sedimentation
rates. Information is also being
collected on aquatic resources
through a fisheries inventory
and analysis in order to
understand what species are
present in the watershed and
their distribution. Information
is also being collected on
aquatic resources through a
fisheries inventory and analysis
in order to understand what
species are present in the
watershed and their
distribution. A framework for
watershed management planning is
being developed based on the
needs and issues of the reserve.
A watershed management plan will
also provide support for
developing other activities
within El Ocote. For instance,
experts from the Klamath
National Forest will use the
planning to provide guidance on
zoning, including areas for
recreation and ecotourism
infrastructure and activities.
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B) Partnerships with the Monarch
Butterfly Biosphere Reserve
Model Forest
Each year
the Oyamel fir-topped mountains
of in the states of Michoacan
and Mexico host hundreds of
thousands of Monarch
Butterflies. These distinctive
butterflies migrate thousands of
miles each year--over several
generations--from the Midwest of
the United States to central
Mexico to reside and breed in
these forests during winter
months. However, the fir forests
that house the butterflies are
increasingly threatened by high
population density,
unsustainable forestry
practices, and uncontrolled
tourism. The USDA Forest
Service, through the
Willamette National Forest,
is working with partners in the
region to respond to these
pressures and alleviate impacts
on the forests and wildlife.
Decreed in 2001, the Monarch
Butterfly Biosphere Reserve
significantly strengthened
protection of the butterfly's
habitat by expanding the land
area and management by Mexico's
National Commission on Protected
Areas.
The Forest Service is working
with reserve management and with
the
Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF-Mexico)
to build management capacity, to
provide guidance to communities
for resource management, and to
conserve natural resources in
the highly protected core zone.
Staff from the Willamette
National Forest and other units
are providing training and
consultations to the reserve on
forest inventory, GPS/GIS
utilization, and design and
maintenance of trails.
The Forest Service is also
working with local
non-governmental organizations
and communities in areas near
the reserve. The Bosque Modelo
Monarca- or Monarch Model
Forest- is, like the reserve
itself, suffering from the loss
of forested land due to local
population and resource
utilization pressures. The Model
Forest works with local
communities to implement
projects for economic
development and sustainable
natural resource management.
The Willamette National Forest,
the Monarch Model Forest and
partners have developed
proposals to help the Model
Forest with recreation
management, landscape ecology,
small-scale wood product
development and marketing, and
community incentive programs.
Working with local communities
adjacent to Monarch Butterfly
sanctuaries, project
participants work to reforest
lands using native tree
species-with the long-term goal
of establishing alternative
sites for extracting wood. Apart
from reforestation, the Model
Forest and its partners work on
recreation and ecotourism.
Presently, visitor facilities
plan to use interpretive guides,
which will educate the public on
the butterfly's life cycle,
sensitivity, and Model Forest
work.
For other protected area
management activities in Mexico,
please see:
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Sustainable Forestry Practices
The USDA Forest Service promotes
sustainable forestry practices
in community and commercial
forestry operations to reduce
forest loss and degradation. In
Mexico, sustainable forestry
work is combining assistance at
all levels-from consultations
with the federal government to
training in communities-in
forest inventory, monitoring,
and certification. Policy
makers, concession managers,
community forestry groups,
private landowners and forestry
assessment programs benefit from
these efforts.
A) Field Level Tests for
Criteria and Indicators in
Northern Mexico/Chihuahua
This
initiative focuses on
developing, testing, and
applying criteria and indicators
for sustainable forest
management. The Agency strives
to link internationally
negotiated agreements (the
Montreal Process)
with locally applied efforts to
monitor sustainable forest
management through criteria and
indicators.
In 1998, the USDA Forest Service
and the
Center for International
Forestry Research
sponsored a North American test
of criteria and indicators for
sustainable forest management in
Boise, Idaho. Participants
included representatives from
government, industry and
non-governmental organizations
from Canada, Mexico and the
United States. Following this
exercise, the USDA Forest
Service initiated its own pilot
tests, the
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