OEPF Zona Maya S.C.
“For man and forest”
Mission
To contribute to the improvement in quality of life of the men and women of the communities that form OEPF-Zona Maya and to conserve and improve the natural resources they depend on.
History
OEPF-Zona Maya became an official organization in 1986, with 16 ejidos, or community owned lands. Today 20 ejidos with 3000 families form the organization. These ejidos manage 287,472 hectares (710,359 acres) of which more than 60% is covered with tropical evergreen forest or jungle. By general assembly, the ejidatarios (people of the ejidos) defined 184,750 hectares (456 527 acres) as permanently forested areas. The permanently forested areas have had forest management plans for more than 15 years. Recently, these management plans were revised and updated to assure the permanence of the forest through rational management of natural resources.
OEPF-Zona Maya has its own Technical Forestry Directorate, which is composed of permanent, professional technicians in various fields who provide technical services to the ejidos.
Vision
The men and women of the OEPF-Zona Maya participate in productive activities that take advantage of their natural resources and their abilities, that give them employment and an income sufficient to prevent emigration, provide a decent standard of living, and allow for quality health and education services.
Strategies
• Optimizing the productive potential of the land
• Use and rational management of natural resources
• Payment for environmental services
• Strengthening of local capacity
• Training of community technicians
• Participatory planning and evaluation
• Community ecological management
Tools
• Planning
• Technical assistance and permanent capacity building
• Community organizing
• Community led decision making
• Marketing
• Communication and diffusion
• Research
• Project evaluation
Products (all numbers are per year)
• 1,200 mr of exotic wood
• 5,000 m3 of decorative wood
• 4,000 m3 of soft wood
• 18,000 m3 of common wood
• 3,500 m3 of small wood poles for house framing
• 500,000 huano leaves for roofing
• 180 tons of chicle
Communities
This civil society of the forest in the Zona Maya is currently composed of 3,000 families. These Mayan men and women come from 20 ejidos and have been organized for 22 years. In this time, they have fought to adapt to economic, social and environmental changes in the region and are ready to face the changes that reveal themselves in the future.
Member Ejidos
Naranjal Poniente
Tabi
Tres Reyes
Reforma agraria
Betania
X-Maben y anexos
Chan Santa Cruz
Kampocolche
Filomeno Mata
Tulum
Laguna Kana
X-pichil
Yoactun
Trapich
Santa Maria Pte.
Cafetal Limones
Dzoyola
Chunhuas
Yaxley
Cuatemoc
Successes
• 22 year organizational permanence
• The designation of a permanent forested area of 184,750 hectares (456 527 acres) within a total area of 287,472 hectares (710,359 acres).
• Updating of the management plans to incorporate sustainable management practices.
• Technical studies justifying the production of natural chicle (chewing gum).
• Technical studies justifying the use of the Huano palm (used in roofing).
• Establishment of central and satellite plant nurseries
• Development of wildlife management areas for wild boar and lowland paca
• Purchase of 3 bandsaws
• Purchase of three drying ovens
• Purchase of skidding equipment
• Initiation of 5 ecotourism projects
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification of 5 ejidos
• A broad program of forestry and agroforestry plantations that includes all the ejidos
• Management and production of ornamental plants
• Consciousness raising and environmental education project through the Arbor Day celebration, started more than 20 years ago
• More than 30 published research projects in collaboration with researchers.
• Establishment of honey production, warehousing and marketing of honey in 15 ejidos
• Establishment of chicle production and marketing project in 15 ejidos
• Community land use maps in 8 ejidos using Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Carlos Antonio Torres Sabido
President
Victoria Santos Jimenez
Technical Director
Calle 66 # 728 entre 61 y 63
Colonia Centro C. P. 77200
Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Ph: 01 (983) 834 1103 or 01 (983) 834 1329
Email: oepfzonamaya@yahoo.com.mx
