Hundreds of years ago, old-growth pine and oak forests lavishly draped the rugged peaks and mesas of Mexico's western Sierra Madres. As roads criss-crossed the mountains, loggers followed to fell the ancient trees. The ornithologists of a Mexican group called CIPAMEX interviewed residents and scientists and used satellite imagery to conclude that less than one percent of the original 23 million-acre forest was left.
CIPAMEX hopes to protect the most intact piece of forest, called El Carricito, but first must enlist the support of the woodland's neighbors. The 44,500 acres of El Carricito are not yet reachable by road, but loggers are closing in, according to CIPAMEX president Patricia Escalante. "In addition to illegal logging, forestry companies are pressuring landowners into selling their property," she explains. "We have tried to talk to them, but they don't want to lose the profits they can make selling the timber and have no interest in the biological value of the forest."
Because it is all that remains of an exceptional ecosystem, El Carricito has gained international recognition among conservationists. Ornithologists have counted some 168 species of birds in the region, including 30 that are rare or endangered, such as the golden eagle, the eared quetzal, and the military macaw. Nearly 90 species of birds that annually migrate from the United States spend the winter months in El Carricito.
The forest's wildlife and plants are extremely important to the 15,000 members of an indigenous community called the Wixarika, whose lands safe-guard about half of El Carricito, and who hunt and gather firewood and medicinal plants there. Ramon Martinez of Mexico's Indigenous Institute notes that the Wixarika are firmly committed to preserving their culture and natural resources. "It's not that the Wixarika have a conservationist's philosophy, but rather they feel a strong, interpersonal relationship with the species that share their territory," he says.
In January, conservationists, government officials and representatives of the Wixarika sat down to discuss how best to manage El Carricito and protect it from devastating forest fires, logging, and illegal hunting. Escalante points out that CIPAMEX has already drafted a management plan, but recognizes that all the stakeholders must help shape El Carricito's future.
"We want to ensure that the Wixarika understand their options," she says. "We have to find sustainable alternatives for local communities and educate landowners about the true value of their property."
The biologist recalls that one resident of the ancient forests, the imperial woodpecker, which grew up to 23-inches long, has completely disappeared from the Sierra Madre. "It's sad, but too late to worry about the imperial woodpecker," Escalante says. "But we can still do something about the species that remain in El Carricito."
CONTACTS IN MEXICO: Patricia Escalante, Instituto de Biologia-UNAM, Apdo
70-153, Mexico, D.F. tel 6 22 57 02, ext 281, fax 6-60-01-64
This article is provided from the Rainforest Alliance's Conservation Media Center,
based in San Jose,Costa Rica. For more information, contact Diane Jukofsky or Chris Wille,
Rainforest Alliance, Apdo. 138-2150, Moravia, San Jose, Costa Rica; Phone: 506-240-9383;
Fax: 506-240-2543; Email: infotrop@sol.racsa.co.cr
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