The Miskito’s Forest in Nicaragua:
Looking for a Worthwhile Alternative
The coastal ecosystem is an important part of the Miskito Forest
By Gilberto Lopes
These ancestral lands in the Nicaraguan Atlantic region had been, since last century, the scenery of amazing commercial operations. A hundred years ago, gold, silver, zinc, wood, and bananas were carried from inner lands through the rivers to the Caribbean ports, and then to Europe and the United States. Moskitia, an indigenous territory shared by Nicaragua and Honduras, dried its resources through those wonderful rivers that divide it into complicated arabesques.
The North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) spans 58,000 km2, a bit larger than Costa Rica, the nearby country. However, in the RAAN there are only 231,000 inhabitants, in comparison to the four million people in Costa Rica. Most of the RAAN residents are Miskitos; nevertheless, Sumos (an indigenous group) and Hispanics are also found there.
RAAN, Central America’s largest, most intact lowland tropical forest and coastal ecosystem, receive only 0.93% of the state budget. In Prinzapolka –once an emporium where minerals, cedar and mahogany were commercialized per capita annual income is only about 28 American dollars.
“Here we can find almost the 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 one in forest and marine resources; however, it is the poorest one in the country”, complains Knight.
Magic Land
It was already night when we arrived to Layasiksa, a small town south to Puerto Cabezas. Tonight, we are going to sleep on hammocks. No electricity, no running water, no phones… Houses are scattered around on stakes. Domestic animals –pigs, poultry, and cows stroll around, feeding on anything. Men go fishing and hunting, women also.
There are 136 families in Layasiksa, less than a thousand people. The village is located next to where the Kukalaya River enters into a lagoon to continue its way to the Woutha Lagoon, and then to the green-emerald Caribbean waters. Settlers cultivate beans, corn and cassava for its own benefit. Here no one perceives a salary, but the teacher and the nurse.
The community profits from 35 thousand hectares of forests, among them, 4,500 ha are under a management plan. In addition, Layasiksa has signed an agreement with PRADA, a large plywood manufacturer, for the concession of 5,000 ha to be managed as a certified operation.
This is where WWF Central america, the global conservation organization, has begun the implementation of a program to protect the Miskito’s forests, “We began three main lines of work: assess forest resources, design a plan to manage them, and evaluate the environmental impacts”, explains Steve Gretzinger, Forest Director for WWF Central America.
“But what are we going to do with the wood?” asks Gretzinger. The communal forests are rich in hardwoods and Caribbean Pine. So far, the commercialization alternatives are concessions to lumber enterprises, sales of round wood and sawn wood, and craft or furniture manufacturing.
“Traditionally, lumber enterprises have arrived to the RAAN, and paid less than $14 per tree. In 1999, before the management plan was implemented, they cut down 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 from Layasiksa. Now, only 4 thousand hectares of untouched forests are left, and they plan to keep them so.
A century ago, loads of precious woods and minerals were sent to the European and North American markets; even though, nowadays those markets are reluctant to accept woods from tropical forests. Ecological conscience has created a certain scruple among European conservative groups worrying about tropical forests destruction.
If wood cannot be used, forests are worthless for the Miskito communities. Even though, wood is still illegally cut, and taken to selected markets avid for a good which is each day becoming scarcer. The creation of pastures for cattle raising is another reason to eliminate forests in the Atlantic region.
Layasiksa has the first forest management plan approved by the Nicaraguan government. This plan considers harvesting 200 and 204 hectares a year for last and this year, respectively. A management plan aims to harvesting trees that have reached maturing. The idea is not only to use wood that, otherwise, will decay, but also to open space for growing trees. A sustainable management plan pretends to avoid forest destruction, and to help the Miskitos overcome extreme poverty.
Responsible forest management
Responsible management is not enough, though. It is necessary to guarantee that benefits reach the communities. Wood needs to get to important markets, to furniture factories, to tourist enterprises, to governmental facilities. The point is to get a ‘green seal’. During the last years, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has been promoting certification of well-managed forests and the use of certified wood over traditionally harvested wood.
The Mesoamerican and Caribbean Wood Group (Jagwood+) was created to promote certified forest products use and commercialization. “The goal is to encourage the sales of FSC 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 (MSOFFICE) and Ecoforestal, have committed themselves to give preference to products elaborated with FSC certified woods, specially if they come from the RAAN. This commitment may be decisive to strengthen mechanisms for rational harvesting of wood.
The community leader, Ronaldo, talks about certification and how to select trees to be fell down. For a few weeks, Miskito leaders gather to learn about forest conservation, and simple management practices, and afterwards, they explain to their people what they have learnt.
People from Layasiksa are aware of the long way ahead to consolidate the process. Conflicts among communities, ancient traditions, technical and administrative problems in project management are situations that need to be solved if forest certification is to become true. Though, there is no better alternative than responsible management; Miskitos already know that forests are their life insurance, not only because of wood, but also because of associated social and ecological benefits.
Responsible forest management, promoted in this isolated community by WWF, is the best alternative to palliate poverty and protect the environment, because trees are going to be cut down by illegal loggers or neighborhood communities, if the Miskitos from Layasiksa don’t stand firm.
“WWF is helping us with an strategic plan to care for our land, a land of wisdom, of precious trees that deserve protection,” says Rufino Johnson of Layasiksa local government and responsible for natural resources. “If the management plan goes smoothly, we will get 50 thousand dollars this year: 15 thousand to cover expenses and the rest to pay a nurse, buy medicines, and for scholarships to young students.”
Recently approved Nicaraguan National Plan for Development, proposes the creation of industrial clusters to promote development. The forest sector conforms 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 ship. What other alternative would permit the development of those impoverished communities, and ensure a rational use of their natural resources? So far, there is none.
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