So that is the word from inside the buffer communities, and today, Rafael Manzaero, the Executive Director of the Friends for Conservation and Development which co manages the Chiquibul National Park says that the Western Hardwoods are a prison area which has a direct effect on the health of the Belize watershed:
Rafael Manzanero, Executive Director - FCD
"These are really more areas that are more pristine in the mountain pine reach, because these are broadleaf forests. So fires normally have not have had a large impact on those, those zones. So in reality, those are kind of umbrella and soaks."
"But I want to keep only one, one item more kind of clear also, Jules. And that is the fact about the communities, communities, their livelihoods, if you notice on the letter of Itzamna Society, Saan Antonio which are really more key communities, that depend also directly from the water of the mountain Pine Ridge."
"Surely, Miss Garcia and her team, and the community members of San Antonio, they are the more direct beneficiaries or the ones who will suffer any of in terms of these effects are directly in that, you know, in, you know, in terms of that system there."
Jules Vasquez
"The Chief Forest officer has said he advises strongly against granting a logging license for the Western Hardwoods for many reasons, but the minister indicates while the license he says, hasn't been granted, he seems very inclined to do it. He seems that he's okay with it. Are you concerned or alarmed by this?"
Rafael Manzanero, Executive Director - FCD
"But, you know, I think that, at that level there, you know, the the technical inputs are always important. I think that, you can never go wrong in terms of having the technical advice, you know, because these are the people who understand what really is transpiring and the natural ecosystems, the studies that demonstrate the kind of the reality on the ground. So my perception is that, I would just hope that you really the technical inputs provided are going to be taken really much more solidly and understood."
"So I applaud the CFO for really being able to be very clear on that. I believe that, yes, his, his technical, you know, background that he provides, I think it is, I would say is solid. And I would just hope that in reality, his recommendations are really, more understood from that, you know, from that perspective."
The company seeking the logging license for the area is named Belize Woodmark Designs. We have reached out multiple times to its point person, Cesar Gudinez but he has not responded:
