Forest Department Inaugurates Rehabilitated Facilities in Mountain Pine Ridge

By Benjamin Flowers: This week, the Forest Department under the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management held an inauguration ceremony for a number of facilities in Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve that were renovated under the Selva Maya Natural Resources Protection Project.

The inauguration ceremony was held on Monday. The renovations cost a total of $366,300 and the project was implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature with financial support from the Federal Republic of Germany through KfW, a German state-owned investment, and development bank.

Under the project, the San Ignacio Forest Station, the Cooma Cairn Ranger Station, Pine Ridge ranger quarters and visitors’ restroom, and a storage facility at Forest Department headquarters in Belmopan were all renovated.

The Ministry said that the San Ignacio Forest Station received newly built walls, the installation of a new roof, electricity, and proper plumbing among other works, which will ensure that rangers are better equipped to execute sustainable management activities for improved protection of the biodiversity in these areas.

The ranger station at Cooma Cairn, which was established to monitor and control encroachments in the Baldy Beacon Reserve, was rehabilitated and outfitted with the necessary amenities such as electricity, a solar heating system, mattresses, stove and tank, water reservoir, and a restroom to make it habitable. The quarters will enable rangers to better monitor the area which has been affected by unregulated activities such as natural resources extraction, hunting, and unauthorized land distribution, as well as enable them to monitor forest fires.

“The ranger quarters and visitors’ restroom at Pine Ridge also received renovation works. The storage facility at the Forest Department headquarters was expanded and received much-needed rehabilitation. The improved space will assist the department with storing and securing firefighting equipment and confiscated material and items used as evidence in a court prosecution,” the Ministry added.

The Ministry added that the project also saw the construction of the Savannah Forest Station in Stann Creek, which will allow the department to provide a more hospitable working environment for its staff and clients while offering a more secure and improved structure that can withstand the effects of extreme weather events.

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