Protecting Laguna San Ignacio, Mexico
 On
October 25, 2005, the International Community Foundation
(ICF) signed an historic agreement with Pronatura
Noroeste and Ejido Luis Echeverria Alvarez (LEA) to
protect 120,000 acres of pristine wildlife habitat in
Laguna San Ignacio, Baja California Sur, Mexico. The
voluntary agreement will provide clear guidelines for
local ejiditarios as they implement conservation and
sustainable development projects on their
communally-owned lands.
This agreement is the first phase of a campaign to
protect one million acres of lagoons, beaches, wetlands,
and inland areas around Laguna San Ignacio. Partners
include Wildcoast, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC),
Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (FMCN),
Pronatura Noroeste, Laguna ARIC, and Ejido LEA. To date,
the campaign has raised $1.8 million, with $1.5 million
coming from NRDC members and $350,000 from ICF donors
and partners. Now, Pronatura Noroeste is initiating
negotiations with property owners on the remaining
20,000 of Ejido LEA and has begun discussions about
conservation easements with other ejidos in the area.
 Migratory gray whales depend on Laguna San Ignacio
for birthing and nursery grounds every year. Local
ecotourism businesses are thriving, but environmental
impacts on adjacent lands are growing. The model
agreement will provide an annual $25,000 grant to
Maijańuí, a local nonprofit, to carry out
community-based productive employment projects, such as
aquaculture, and a cactus farm. ICF is managing the
$650,000 trust fund that will generate the annual grant
to Maijańuí, as well as a $225,000 stewardship fund to
monitor the conservation easements.
ICF will continue to seek new funding from partners for
the remaining $7.5 million that will finance the private
lands conservation program at Laguna San Ignacio;
donations can be made to the Laguna San Ignacio Whale
Conservation Fund at ICF. In addition, ICF and
ProEsteros will be launching an education campaign to
connect schools from the Bering Sea to Baja California
Sur. Sociedad de Historia Natural Niparajá, A.C., Isla
Espíritu Santo and San Cosme-Punto Mechudo Corridor,
Baja California Sur, Mexico
For more information, please contact Anne McEnany at
anne@icfdn.org
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