Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE MIRADOR BASIN PROJECT
Deep in the untouched forests of northern Petén in what archaeologists call the
Mirador Basin, far from the throngs of tourists at other Mayan sites, lie the over-
grown remains of the most fascinating cities ever built in Preclassic times. The
MiradorBasin,asdefinedbyitsgeographicalcharacteristics,isanelevatedbasin
dominated by low-lying swamps known as bajos surrounded by karst limestone
hills to the south, east, and west, forming a triangular trench covering roughly
2,100 square kilometers. Some of its sites, including El Mirador and Nakbé, are
being excavated and have yielded many clues concerning the advanced nature of
early Mayan civilization. As the excavations continue to bring fascinating new
discoveries, archaeologists, conservationists, and local residents remain at odds
about how best to preserve the remaining Petén forests and the important monu-
ments they harbor.
At the heart of the controversy is the proposal for a Mirador Basin National
Park, spearheaded by UCLA's Dr. Richard Hansen, who heads the excavation
project at El Mirador. The park would stretch clear to the Mexican border at its
northernmost points, encompassing parts of Mirador-Río Azul National Park. At
its southern tip, it would stretch all the way down to El Zotz-San Miguel La
Palotada Biotope. The area is home to Petén's last remaining expanses of well-
preserved forests.
Hansen envisions a large national park guarded by armed rangers similar to
those of the U.S. National Park Service. There would be several luxurious eco-
lodges, visitors centers, an airstrip, a narrow-gauge railroad, and hiking trails
linking the various restored Mayan sites within the basin. The proposed park
wouldberoughlyfourtimesthesizeofTikalNationalParkandwouldbelargely
based upon the same management model. Hansen sees the potential to accom-
modate up to 80,000 visitors per year.
Against the odds, Hansen has made some incredible headway toward achiev-
ing his ambitious goals. In 2002, President Alfonso Portillo agreed to create the
Regional System for the Special Protection of Cultural Heritage as a means of
protecting archaeological sites in Petén and declared 2,400 square kilometers of
the Maya Biosphere as a “special archaeological zone.” Its official name be-
came the Mirador Basin. The agreement nullified community forestry conces-
sions permitting sustainable logging and forest-product extraction in multiple-
use zones near the Mirador Basin archaeological sites, much to the dismay ofthe
local communities benefited by the concessions. Hansen also found the support
 
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