3 More Conservation Posts for Chiquibul National Park

While the eyes of the nation are fixated on a departing cruise ship and a perceived threat, on Saturday the organizers of a telethon are hoping that you’ll keep the Chiquibul in mind, and wallet in hand. The Friends for Conservation and Development are seeking funding to help them in monitoring and managing the massive Chiquibul National Park. The park, roughly the size of the Corozal District, has been plundered with impunity by Guatemalan encroachers. While the FCD does its thing, the Belize Defence Force is looking to enhance and expand its own role in the Chiquibul. Currently there are three conservation posts…hardly a significant presence – but there’s soon be three more, fully equipped and manned twenty-four seven. The B.D.F. today called a press briefing on a number of issues, including that presence in the Chiquibul.

Brig. Gen. David Jones, Commander, Belize Defence Force

David Jones

“These are the conservation posts that the B.D.F. are currently manning along the border. From the very south where the Sarstoon River is, that is the Cadenas Conservation Post then going up north to the Santa Cruz area or where you have Jalacte is where we have the Tree Tops Conservation Posts. Then a little more north, we have the Santa Rosa CP, Machaquila which is in the Columbia River Reserve and then these ones are the ones in the Chiquibul: Rio Blanco, Ciebo Chico and then the three proposed ones that we will put in place now: you are aware of Valentin which is inside the Caracol Archaeological Reserve and then the other two that will go in will be the Cebada and the Caballo Camp. Those are the three CPs that will very shortly.”