Yum Balam Management Review Must Include Chiquilá Ejido, Commissioner Says

Lázaro Cárdenas, Quintana Roo — The Chiquilá ejido, together with its San Ángel annex, must take part in the review of the management program for the Yum Balam Flora and Fauna Protection Area, according to its ejido commissioner, Jorge Ventura Arceo. Part of the ejido’s land lies inside the protected area.

Ventura Arceo said it is essential that members of the Yum Balam Advisory Council first examine the current condition of the territory and whether the program’s goals have been met. Only after that assessment, he argued, should any necessary adjustments be considered.

The commissioner said the process should bring together the various sectors involved and take into account the needs of the ejidos. Their participation, he said, would help clarify how management rules are applied on the land where their members live and work.

Program Dates to 2018

The current management program was published in 2018. It is the document that sets out conservation measures and the rules governing activities within Yum Balam. The National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) recognizes the participation of ejido representatives on its Advisory Council.

Ventura Arceo proposed starting the analysis with that joint review. He said no approved amendment proposal exists yet, nor has a date been set for updating the program.