The Noj Kaax Meen Elijio Panti National Park is a 13,006-acre pristine rainforest located in the Cayo District of Belize, bounded by the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, the Macal River, and the local communities of San Antonio and El Progresso 7 Miles. It was officially declared by the Government of Belize in December 2001 and named after the world-renowned traditional Mayan healer, Don Elijio Panti. The primarily broadleaf forest is of great environmental, historical, and tourism importance. It contains intricate Mayan caves, ancient Mayan temples, and magnificent waterfalls in addition to housing a large array of ecologically and economically important plant species, such as: mahogany, ceiba, esote, fishtails, xate, bay leaves, and pine. Although no wildlife assessment has been done, local people have reported sightings of many CITES recognized endangered species in this area, including jaguars, tapirs, margays and howler monkeys. The ecological richness and cultural importance of this park makes it an asset not only to Belize, but also to the world.
The primary goal of this project is to improve the management of Elijio Panti National Park in order to protect and preserve species within the park. This will be accomplished through provision and training of human resources and through outreach to buffer communities to strengthen environmental awareness and to increase community participation in park management issues. The project objectives are:
1. To strengthen the institutional management capacity of the Itzamna Society.
2. To enhance the community?s awareness of and involvement in the management of Elijio Panti National Park.
3. To develop infrastructure within Elijio Panti National Park as identified by the communities in the completed census funded through GEF/SGP planning grant.
4. To develop a Rapid Management Assessment that will be used for the management plan of Elijio Panti National Park.