Maya Mountain North Forest Reserve is a multiple use protected area; site of Belize’s first community agroforestry concession
Ya’axché took over co-management of this reserve in 2015 in an effort to decrease illegal incursions, restore degraded lands and to ensure responsible and legal community access to the forest reserve.
Connecting to Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and Bladen Nature Reserve, the Maya Mountain North Forest Reserve shares much of the high biodiversity of its neighbors’ but faces much greater levels of disturbance such as wildfire, overhunting, agricultural expansion, illegal logging and incursions. As a Forest Reserve, sustainable extraction of forest products is permitted and has allowed Belize’s first agroforestry concession. The concession allows for forest restoration, decreases forest loss and strengthens the livelihoods of the communities. This also provides habitat for wildlife by preserving the forest cover and maximizing the use of the land to benefit both humans and animals.