The Miskito’s Forest in Nicaragua: Looking for a Worthwhile Alternative (August 2004)
Over the last century, the ancestral lands in the Nicaraguan Atlantic region have been the scene of an amazing array of commercial operations. A hundred years ago, gold, silver, zinc, wood, and bananas flowed from within the Moskitia, an indigenous territory shared by Nicaragua and Honduras, through its rivers to Caribbean ports, and on to Europe and the United States.
The North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) spans 58,000 km2, a bit larger than Costa Rica, Nicaragua’s neighbor to the South. However, in the RAAN there are only 231,000 inhabitants, in comparison to the four million people in Costa Rica. Here in the RAAN live the Miskitos.
The RAAN, Central America’s largest, most intact lowland tropical forest and coastal ecosystem, receives only 0.93% of the state budget. In Prinzapolka — once a trade center for minerals, cedar and mahogany — per capita annual income is only about $28USD.
“Here we can find almost 60% of Nicaraguan pristine forests,” explains Centuriano Knight, leader of the indigenous organization Yatama, and member of the local government. “This area is the richest in forest and marine resources; however, it is the poorest in the country,” laments Knight.
Magic Land
It was already night when we arrived at Layasiksa, a small town south of Puerto Cabezas. Tonight, we sleep on hammocks — no electricity, no running water, no phones. Pigs, chickens, and cows wander freely, scavenging for food.
There are 136 families in Layasiksa and less than a thousand people. Settlers cultivate beans, corn and cassava for their own subsistence. Both men and women fish and hunt. Here, except for the town’s teacher and nurse, no one works for a salary.
The community profits from 35,000 hectares of surrounding forest, of which, a mere 4,500 hectares are under a management plan. In addition, Layasiksa has signed an agreement with PRADA, a large plywood manufacturer, for a 5,000 hectare concession to be managed as a certified operation.
This is where WWF, with support from USAID, has begun the implementation of a program to protect the Miskitos’ forests. “We initiated three main areas of work: forest inventory, management planning, and environmental impact assessment,” explains Steve Gretzinger, Forest Director for WWF Central America.
The communal forests of Layasiksa are rich in hardwoods and Caribbean Pine. Commercialization opportunities include leasing concessions to lumber companies, selling round and sawn wood, and manufacturing crafts and furniture.
“Traditionally, lumber companies in the RAAN paid less than $14 per tree. In 1999, before the management plan was implemented, they cut around 800 mahogany and cedar trees, and no one received a cent for them,” says Ronaldo Ocampo, a 25-year old Miskito leader and member of the Communal Forest Committee. Currently, only 4,000 hectares of untouched forests are left — and they plan to keep them so.
The European and North American markets that once extracted vast quantities of precious woods and minerals are now reluctant to accept wood from tropical forests due to concern over rapid rates of deforestation. The Miskito must also deal with illegal logging and the widespread encroachment of cattle farms that are destroying their precious resource.
As a result, the Miskito have developed a forest management plan to help them overcome the extreme poverty and curb the rate of deforestation. It is the first plan of its kind approved by the Nicaraguan government. The plan advocates harvesting approximately 200 hectares of mature trees annually, utilizing wood that would otherwise decay and opening space for growing trees.
Certification for responsible forest management
Management which benefits the forest is not enough, however. It is imperative that communities benefit as well. This can best be achieved by expanding market access for their sustainably-harvested wood through a ‘green seal’ such as that used by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to promote the sale of well-managed forest products and certified wood over traditionally harvested wood.
“The goal is to encourage the sales of certified forest products and to open new markets,” said Gretzinger in a recent meeting in Managua.
In Nicaragua, the Holiday Inn Select Hotel, ‘Desarrollo Forestal’, Lolo Morales Furniture, Exchange and Ecoforestal have committed themselves to products created with certified wood, particularly those that come from the RAAN. Commitments like these provide crucial incentives for balanced forest management.
People from Layasiksa are aware of the long road ahead to achieving certification. Conflicts among communities, ancient traditions, and technical and administrative problems in project management all must be addressed if forest certification is to become a reality. Yet Miskitos know that their future livelihoods depend on the forests for social, ecological and subsistence needs.
With the assistance of WWF and USAID, the Miskitos from Layasiksa can stand firm against illegal and unsustainable logging and promote responsible forest management. The Miskitos can now see a future where they are able to alleviate poverty and protect their environment.
“With USAID’s support, WWF is helping us with a strategic plan to care for our land, a land of wisdom, of precious forests that deserve protection,” says Rufino Johnson, a representative of the Layasiksa local government responsible for natural resources. “If the management plan goes smoothly, we will get $50,000 this year: $15,000 will go to cover expenses and the rest will be used to pay a nurse, buy medicines, and provide scholarships to young students.”
The recently-approved Nicaraguan National Plan for Development proposes the creation of industrial clusters to promote development. The forest sector forms one of those clusters. Carlos Zuñiga, from the Presidential Committee for Competitiveness, asserts that WWF is the ideal partner to encourage the forest cluster.
“We are all in the same boat. What other alternative would permit the development of those impoverished communities, and ensure a balanced use of their natural resources? So far, there is none.”
Adapted from an article by Gilberto Lopes with support from WWF Central America. Gilberto Lopes is a freelance Brazilian journalist based in Costa Rica.
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