Ya’axché warns of escalating illegal activities in Columbia River Forest Reserve

Posted: Wednesday, September 17, 2025. 9:06 am CST.

By Zoila Palma:  The Ya’axché Conservation Trust is raising alarm over what it calls a surge in illegal activities threatening the Columbia River Forest Reserve in southern Belize.

Following a 10-day enforcement operation in August led by the Belize Defense Force, Ya’axché rangers documented extensive illegal logging and agricultural clearances within the reserve, including a six-kilometer road with wooden bridges built to facilitate cross-border timber extraction.

“These illegal activities threaten Belize’s natural resources, cause significant environmental degradation, and pose a serious national security concern requiring urgent intervention from the Government of Belize and relevant authorities,” the organization said in its statement.

According to Ya’axché, patrols found evidence of large-scale commercial operations harvesting mahogany, rosewood, sapodilla and other species, as well as more than 100 acres of land cleared for cattle ranching and crops such as beans, corn, and cardamom.

Remote sensing data also indicates some 450 acres of Belizean territory have been illegally converted for agriculture, while fires during the 2024 dry season paved the way for further expansion of farmland.

“While commendable efforts have been made to secure the forests of the Chiquibul National Park and the Bladen Nature Reserve, it is now evident that illegal incursions have shifted southward into the Columbia River Forest Reserve which currently lacks year-round security presence,” the Trust noted.

Ya’axché called for swift government action to halt the destruction, pointing out that recommendations from the expired 2011–2015 management plan—including more conservation posts, community resource management, and reforestation efforts—remain urgently relevant.

“The continued destruction of this key biodiversity area demands a swift and accountable response from the highest levels of Government,” the Trust stated.

Reaffirming its commitment to protecting Belize’s natural heritage, the group added: “We urge the Government of Belize and security forces to address the matter with urgency to halt the unregulated, illegal pillaging of our natural resources and the breach of our territorial sovereignty. We call upon and urge the people of Belize to stay informed and demand accountability and protection of our national assets.”

 

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The post Ya’axché warns of escalating illegal activities in Columbia River Forest Reserve appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.

Posted: Wednesday, September 17, 2025. 9:06 am CST. By Zoila Palma:  The Ya’axché Conservation Trust is raising alarm over what it calls a surge in illegal
The post Ya’axché warns of escalating illegal activities in Columbia River Forest Reserve appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.