Taskforce Established to Address Deforestation in Manatee Forest Reserve

At the start of August, News Five did an extensive report on increasing deforestation along the Maya Forest Corridor, as well as the Manatee Reserve. The Government of Belize has formed a temporary taskforce to investigate the matter. The reserve runs parallel to the Coastal Plain Highway. We found out that a substantial amount of forest lands is being cleared primarily for agricultural purposes. We also learned that these land clearings are posing a significant threat to wildlife that traverse the area. A G.O.B. release says that the temporary taskforce includes government stakeholders and at least seven NGOs. The taskforce is charged with reviewing legislation and regulations concerning Belize’s forest reserves considering global conservation standards, best practices and sustainability. The release notes that the taskforce will make recommendations on amendments to legislation and regulations, boundaries for existing forest reserves, among other things. The most urgent issues that the taskforce will address are illegal squatting, farming, animal rearing and logging within forest reserves, specifically the Manatee Forest Reserve. The release also says that these illegal and unauthorized activities have caused soil degradation and deforestation that contributed to recent floods affecting the Coastal Plain Highway in the Belize and Stann Creek districts.