In 1989, the Protected Areas Law Decree 4-89 established Chocón Machacas as a Protected Biotope. The Conservation Studies Center of the University of San Carlos, however, had initiated conservation efforts there in 1981 and has since managed the area (CONAP, sf). Government Agreement number 1057-92 of the Ministry of the Interior established and approved the geographical boundaries of the area, which is the property of the State (2). Institutional presence has been feeble, to say the least, since the declaration; illegal activities have never been prosecuted and have therefore become more blatant. In 1993, the boundaries of the protected area were established and efforts were made to divide up land between two communities that were inside the biotope, which might result in a reduction of some of Chocón Machacas' area in the future.
The biotope staff includes one manager, 8 stewards and 2 forest rangers. Field personnel, who work 22 consecutive days and rest during 8 days, are in charge of custodial tasks, tourist services, facilities maintenance and surveillance of the protected area. Work is carried out during the day; only one person remains in charge of the protected area during the night. There is an evident lack of control of the protected area due to the working arrangements, staff vacation and loss of employees. The staff's payroll is covered by funds provided by the University of San Carlos de Guatemala through CECON.
The biotope's management plan dates back to the time when the area was declared as protected and has not been updated to meet present needs, although CECON is currently finalizing a new master plan for the upcoming five years. Three programs -management, public use and administration- are used to manage the area. Most of the conservation objectives of the protected area prescribed in the management plan have not been met.
Area protection infrastructure is minimal: one scientific station, lodging facilities for the staff and some management facilities, as well as a meteorological station. The equipment for field personnel is very scarce, although there is a boat for water patrols. Forest rangers do not carry weapons and patrols throughout the protected area are sporadic. Due to lack of control, illegal activities abound.
The scientific station (photo © PW-Guatemala)
The protected area's budget is approximately US $ 39,000, an amount that covers payroll costs and almost nothing else. Funds for fuel and petty management expenses are insufficient. Between 1997 and 2003 the RECOSMO project disbursed funds for planning, production project identification, tourism, improvements to administrative infrastructure and trails, visitor information, exhibits and audiovisual equipment for visitor information (RECOSMO, 1997).
_____________________________
2 Registered as National Farm Chocón Machacas number 85, page 85, Book 165 of the Agrarian Transformation Institute.
