Expanding into a new geography: The process of entering a new site in Guatemala

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Expanding into a new geographyThe process of
entering a new site in Guatemala
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VisionCentral America Terrestrial Sites
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(No Transcript)
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Guatemala Action Areas

• Maya Forest
• Gulf of Honduras
• Motagua- Polochic
• Sierra Madre (Islands in the Sky)

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Government priority
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Aligning the visions

• TNC, USAID and the government agree on the
  importance of the volcanic chain
• TNC preferred Quetzaltenango volcanoes because of
  partership opportunities and prior CAP work in
  area.
• USAID and the government preferred Atitlán
  because of site visibility and political
  motivation.

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Financial opportunity fosters alignment!

• Lobbying with USAID Guatemala to include it in
  their strategic objectives
• Proposal as PiP site under PiP 2000

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SIGNING OF AN AGREEMENT WITH USAID AND
GOVERNMENTOF GUATEMALA

• SIGNING OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN TNC AND AID

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INPUTS/ANALISIS

• Collection/generation of information
• Ecological, social, land tenure, archaeology and
  ethno-historic assessments, etc.
• Information regarding other projects in the area
• MIRNA

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INPUTS/ANALISIS

• Simultaenous partnership assessment
• Array of organizations in the area
• NGOs
• Vivamos Mejor a non traditional partner focused
  on rural development.
• Private Nature Reserves Association, ARNPG
• Friends of the Lake Association, AALA
  traditional environment focus
• Local governments
• Proactive Municipalities
• Local offices of
• National Council of Protected Areas
• Ministry of Environment and Natural
  Resources
• Academy (Universidad del Valle de Guatemala)

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CAP LED TO DEFINITION OF ROLES

• Government local offices
• Management of the entire protected area
• Municipalities
• Establish functional municipal parks
• NGOS
• establishment of functional municipal parks and
  private nature reserves
• Academy
• Reserarch and monitoring (indicators defined in
  the PCS)
• TNC
• Leadership, overseeing, and funding for the
  institutional support and implementation of the
  SCP

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RESULTS SO FAR

• Stronger local organizations, infusion of
  conservation agenda into nontrd partner
• 4 Municipal parks 2 of them with fee systems
  established protecting 1,500 ha
• 9 Private Nature Reserves protecting 6,000 ha.
• Staff for the management of Multiple Use Area
• Master Plan updated with institutional roles
  redefined that became sustainable developent plan

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Lessons Learned

• Be patient if the political climate is not
  favorable
• Be open minded to new partnership opportunities.
• Be flexible in developing vision in addition to
  science, consider funding opportunities and
  political support.