Environmental policy and administrative management

Double Head Cabbage is one of seven communities of the Belize River Valley that forms the Community Baboon Sanctuary (CBS), an IUCN Category IV private protected area (12,980.10 acres) established in 1985 to protect one of the few healthy populations of black howler monkey (Alloutta pigra). The sanctuary also contains other endangered and rare species such as the jaguar, ocelot, margay, jaguarindi and the tapir, Belize s national animal. Based on the results of the Protected Areas System Plan site scoring system, the CBS ranks as a top ten important protected area because of its biophysical values, however, it is not highly regarded in relation to land use and management. Double Head Cabbage is the largest of the Sanctuary s member communities and has a population of 348 persons or approximately 75 households. Most land owners in the CBS practice some level of slash and burn agriculture. Although only 10 farmers of Double Head Cabbage have voluntarily signed an agreement committing their lands to be included as part of the CBS, many of the other farmers have portions of their lands in its natural state. This situation can be attributed somewhat to the education outreach conducted over the years by the CBS WCG and the perceived potential benefits from tourism. These sentiments are changing and farmers are becoming increasingly frustrated and do not feel that they are benefitting from their participation in the establishment of the Sanctuary. Many of these farmers are contemplating land conversation of forested land for agriculture and livestock purposes to meet their growing economic and social needs. The project aims to conserve the integrity of the CBS by creating benefits for community stakeholders through training and participation in economic activities. The project falls well within the SGP Programming Niche and Priority Geographic Area. Double Head Cabbage is a buffer community of the Community Baboon Sanctuary (CBS). The community is vulnerable to poverty and has need for training in management and use of environmental resources as well as institutional capacity building for enterprise. This project will strengthen the capacity and willingness of residents of Double Head Cabbage to support sustainable land management in their area and to maintain their voluntary sustainable land management efforts within the Community Baboon Sanctuary. The project will contribute to improving participants livelihoods and economic wellbeing and to maintaining the functional integrity of the terrestrial ecosystems in and around the community. Finally the project will empower community members to help mitigate the causes and negative impacts of land degradation in the area.

Belize