Well, today, the Association of Protected Areas Management Organizations is clarifying that Ya’axche is not the co-manager of the reserve and that it’s actually the responsibility of the Forest Department. Their release says, quote, “As with many other conservation Non-Governmental Organizations engaged in protected areas management, Ya’axché contributes to national efforts by participating in multi-agency surveillance and enforcement patrols. In this instance, Ya’axche collaborated with the Belize Defense Force to monitor illegal activities in key hotspot areas, including Columbia River Forest Reserve.” End quote.

APAMO also emphasizes that the challenges faced in the reserves cannot be addressed by the government or co-management entities alone, and as such, they are urging the government to take decisive and sustained action.