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Saving threatened habitats worldwide
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Programme for Belize[This project has been completed]On this page:Conservation
in Belize Conservation in BelizeFriends of BelizeThe World Land Trust (WLT) was originally set up to raise funds for the Programme for Belize, and subsequently raised over $2-million for land purchase and research into sustainable use of the forest. By 1996 all the loans had been paid off and the WLT has established Friends of Belize to encourage supporters to make a further commitment to helping the long-term conservation of Belize's wildlife and natural resources. The WLT has also extended its support to Belize Audubon Society - the country's foremost membership organisation helping wildlife, as well as other conservation initiatives. The ProgrammeThe challenge of Programme for Belize is how to link development and conservation in ways that advance the objectives of both while building the economy and helping Belizeans achieve a better standard of living. The opportunities for non-consumptive uses of the forest are many and varied. A Management Plan outlaws such things as hunting, clear felling and the introduction of non-native species, also spelling out the positive side of the initiative. Carefully monitored and controlled eco-tourism is encouraged. Scientific expeditions can explore the darkest recesses of the forest to catalogue its vast diversity of insects and plants, and archaeological expeditions have inspected the Maya edifices, hidden deep in the forest. Buffer zones around the reserve area have been established in which experimental and carefully controlled sustainable logging has been conducted and funded by the European Union through a grant negotiated by the World Land Trust on behalf of PFB. An education programme for local and national communities is actively pursued emphasising how the country and the individual can benefit, not just in the short-term, but over a period of centuries, seeing economic growth and at the same time keeping a firm grasp on its natural heritage. Make a Donation to Friends of BelizeNow that the loans for the land purchases have been paid off, we need financial support to continue with conservation efforts in Belize to build on past successes and go forward to new challenges. You can make a donation by post, fax or over the telephone. Contact Anne at the WLT office: More information on the Programme for Belize Project
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