The Future of Petén

FLORES, Guatemala — Today we interviewed Juan Trujillo of Rainforest Alliance, current acting mayor of Carmelita, former president of the Carmelita forest concession. Trujillo describes himself as a skeptic-turned-believer in the concessions concept over the 11-year evolution of Carmelita’s concession. The concession, with its assembly, committees and elected leaders, is a much a political body as an economic cooperative for the harvesting and marketing of forest products.

Trujillo says that he is in favor of the development of a large archaeological park in Peten, if and only if local concessions are given a stake early in process. If communities are trained and financially supported so that locals can lead ecotourism businesses, and if additional educational resources are provided granting locals access to university education in fields such as archaeology, the development of ecotourism could be a huge boon for the region, he maintains. However he warns that the creation of a no-cut zone canceling existing sustainable logging rights could backfire, leading people who now survive through sustainable logging enterprises to practice slash-and-burn agriculture or ranching.

Trujillo also reports that talks are underway to try to secure carbon sequestration income
for the concession areas. In partnership with Rainforest Alliance, community concessions are seeking compensation for their prevention of deforestation in the region. This income would supplement the current revenue from sustainable logging practices and the harvesting of non-timber forest products. It would not require the end of logging activities. No carbon sequestration dollars have yet been received.

As I learn more about the various options for economic development in the region, I am reminded how much long-term planning matters in the struggle to meet immediate economic needs. Many Peteneros whose families have been living for two or more generations within what is now the Maya Biosphere Reserve feel they have a right to stay in the area and use the land. Whether through ecotourism or forest economies, it seems imperative that economic opportunities be diverse and viable in the long-term. I fear that sudden paradigm shifts in conservation efforts, if they interrupt previous attempts at sustainable forest use, or if they alienate locals from decision-making, could cause the kind of ecological damage they are intended to prevent. A chainsaw is just too easy to use.