COMMUNITY CONSERVED AREAS IN GUATEMALA 1. Forest Reserve Todos Santos Cuchumatán Site Name (in Local language and in English) Forest Reserve Todos Santos Cuchumatán Country (include State and Province) Todos Santos Cuchumatán, Huehuetenango Department, Guatemala Area encompassed by the CCA (specify unit of 7,255.4 Ha measurement). GIS Coordinates (if available) Not available Whether it includes sea areas (Yes or no) No Whether it includes freshwater (Yes or no) Yes Marine (Y or N) No Concerned community (name and approx. 23 communities inside and sourrounded: El Pueblo, number of persons) La Ventosa, Chiabal, Tuizoch, Chalhuitz, Tuicoy, Buena Vista, Los Ramírez, Los Chales, Chichim, Chemal I, Chemal II, El Rancho, Batzaloom, Tzunul, Tres Cruces, Chicoy, Villa Alicia, Tuipat, Las Lajas, Tzipoclaj, Tuitujnom and Tuitujmuc/Los Mendoza . There are a total of more than 15,000 inhabitants Is the community considering itself as part of an Yes, Maya Mam indigenous people indigenous people? (Please note Yes or No; if yes note which people) Is the community considering itself a minority? No (Please note Yes or No, if yes on the basis of what, e.g. religion, ethnicity) Is the community permanently settled? (Please Yes, there are communities inside the protected note Yes or No; if the community is mobile, does area and others in the adjacent areas it have a customary transhumance territory? ) Is the community local per capita income Inferior, based on Conap files inferior, basically the same or superior to national value? (please note how confident you are about the information) Is the CCA recognised as a protected area by Yes, recognised as a Forest Reserve by Conap on governmental agencies? (Yes or no; if yes, how? June 28th 2004, through the resolution 153/2004 If no, is it otherwise recognized?) Conflicts with land tenure, natural resource use? There are conflicts between communities for the use of fire wood and wood, because some communities do not have enough area to supply their needs. The reserve is located in a municipal area, but the communities have traditional spaces to use and manage natural resources. This distribution sometimes create conflicts between communities over limits and prevents young communities to obtain space to satisfy their needs. The awareness on the rational use of natural resources vary between communities, that meaning there are very jealous communities concerning resources use, so they have created very specific norms for the use and the control of natural resources. What is the main management objective (e.g. Livelihood livelihood, cultural, spiritual…) By definition, a CCA fulfills a management Natural Monument objective. To which IUCN management category do you consider it would best fit (this does not imply that the management objective is consciously pursued by the concerned community, but that it is actually achieved) Additional qualitative information Main ecosystem type The reserve is located in the Cuchumatanes Mountain Chain, which is the highest mountain in Central America, its highest point is at 3,850 meters over sea level. It has the follow ecosystems: subalpine prairie (with highest biodiversity and endemism, more than 243 species), Abies guatemalensis forest, Pinus hartwegii forest, Juniperus standleyi forest and a little portion of broad leaf tree forest composed by Quercus spp. , Ocotea spp. y Prunus spp. with an important animal diversity. Description of biodiversity & resources It has more than 400 flora species, 59 of these are (ecosystems, species, functions) conserved by endemic, the most representative are Abies the CCA guatemalensis, Juniperus standleyii, Lonicera guatemalensis (endemic tree), Garrya corvorum (endemic tree). Animal endemic species, present in the red list of endangered species published by Conap include pink chipe (Ergaticus versicolor), golden evebrown chipe (Basileuterus belli ) and different species of humminbirds (Amazilia beryllina, Lampornis viridipallens, L. amethystinus and Lamprolaima rhami). Among reptiles, important species are Dendrotriton cuchumatanus, Bolitoglossa rostrata, B. hartwegi, Pseudoerycea rex and Bufo bocourti. The reserve has an important function in the water recharge, which benefit communities in the Guatemalan low lands and in the State of Chiapas, Mexico. Description of local ethnic groups and The Maya Mam ethnic group is the third indigenous languages spoken language spoken for the number of speakers This group has 500,000 members in the country. Languages spoken, Maya Mam and Spanish. Broad historical context of the CCA Without information Governance structure for the CCA (who takes Because of the municipal land tenure, the mayor and management decisions, how?) its council are the official responsible to allow the use and management of the natural resources. Nevertheless communities have a de facto control over the resources. Thus each community appoint an auxiliary mayor, which is the authority agent in the community. Also the communities have traditionally local rangers to protect the forest. At the same time, since the establishment of the protected area, most communities have created natural resources commissions, with the main goal to watch for the rational use, manage and control of the natural resources in the protected area. All this community authorities have direct communication with the city hall and are responsible for the use and control of the local natural resources. Length of time the governance model has been Indigenous assemblies are pre-hispanic, the rest of in place organisation forms have been modified during the last years Land and resource ownership in the CCA Municipal land tenure Type of land use in the CCA Traditional agriculture (potato and maize), sheep, natural regeneration and pine forest Existence of written or oral management plans There are consuetudinary norms, its application vary and specific rules for the use of natural in each community. A management plan was also resources in the CCA developed and its under review by the local authorities. The zoning in the master plan was defined by the community authorities and agents of each community (auxiliary majors, rangers, natural resources community commissions and community development councils). Also, each community has its specific norms to use, manage and control natural resources. Map and zoning of the CCA (please attach if Available available and relevant) Relevant pictures with captions (please attach Available if available) Major threats to biodiversity and/or the CCA Illegal cut of trees, non sustainable use of natural governance system resources, population increase and urban disorder expansion, over grazing, erosion, water pollution. Poverty and extreme poverty, which generates migration specially to the US, this is breaking many traditional schemes. The advance of protestant fundamentalist sects which suppress traditional spirituality and the continuity of the community support norm. Local CCA-relevant features, stories, names, The reserve is located in the highest mountainous rules and practices chain in Central American (more than 3,000 meters over the sea level). The traditional organisation of the Mayan Mam group has protected the forest since ancient times with several sacred places. 2. Chimel Biological Corridor Site Name (in Local language and in English) Chimel Biological Corridor Country (include State and Province) Municipality of San Miguel Uspantán, Quiché, department, Guatemala Area encompassed by the CCA (specify unit of 5,300 Ha measurement). GIS Coordinates (if available) Not available Whether it includes sea areas (Yes or no) No Whether it includes freshwater (Yes or no) Yes Marine (Y or N) No Concerned community (name and approx. There are 5 communities: Laj Chimel, La Gloria, number of persons) Las Canoas, San Pablo and San Pedro La Esperanza Is the community considering itself as part of an Yes, Maya-K´iches and Maya-Q´eqchi indigenous indigenous people? (Please note Yes or No; if people yes note which people) Is the community considering itself a minority? Yes, politically marginalised after the repression of (Please note Yes or No, if yes on the basis of the civil war, also based on language, ethnic origin what, e.g. religion, ethnicity) since the population is composed only by 799 people Is the community permanently settled? (Please Yes, Chimel is located in maps, but it does not exist note Yes or No; if the community is mobile, any more as a result of war. People from Chimel live does it have a customary transhumance now in Laj Chimel, Uspantán village or other places. territory? ) Is the community local per capita income Inferior, based on Conap, Movimondo, and inferior, basically the same or superior to Rigoberta Menchú Foundation Files national value? (please note how confident you are about the information) Is the CCA recognised as a protected area by Yes, recognised as a Biological Corridor, through the governmental agencies? (Yes or no; if yes, Conap resolution 19-2007 established on January how? If no, is it otherwise recognized?) 23rd 2007 (Chimel); Conap resolution 63-2007 established on February 28th 2007 (La Gloria). San Pedro La Esperanza is receiving forest incentives to protect the Forest by the Forest Service (INAB as its Spanish acronym), but has not initiated a process to be recognized by Conap as Community Protected Area. Conflicts with land tenure, natural resource use? Overuse of soil, deforestation, unsustainable use of timber (used to maKe baskets) and other non timber forest products,