Nopoló Park Project, Baja California Sur, Mexico

The Nopoló Park Project in Baja California Sur, Mexico is an example of environmental leadership in Mexico.

Background: Nestled between the foothills of the Sierra de la Giganta mountains and the shores of Loreto Bay National Mark Park sits the municipality of Loreto in the beautiful Mexican state of Baja California Sur. As a popular tourist destination, Loreto is truly a nature lover’s paradise and boasts diverse ecosystems such as cardón cacti forests, upland deserts, and unique seashore habitats. This gem of a region encompasses nearly 250 kilometers (155 miles) of coastline, 750 square kilometers (290 square miles) of sea, and 14 islands.

The Loreto Bay National Marine Park, founded in 1996 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, captivates visitors with endless outdoor recreational activities such as whale watching, snorkeling, and kayaking in the Sea of Cortez. Nearby, the Sierra de la Giganta mountain range, the tallest on the Baja California Sur Peninsula, rewards brave climbers and hikers with stunning panoramic views. More than 88 migratory bird species (five of which are “threatened” on the IUCN Red List), eight species of desert trees, 17 species of reptiles, 20 species of cacti, and well over 800 marine species (many of which are endangered) call this place home.

Recognizing the special and unique qualities of Loreto, in the 1970s the National Tourism Development Foundation (FONATUR) distinguished Loreto as a prime region for ‘tourism development’. The Mexican Government owns 8,000 acres in Loreto. While 3,000 acres are being developed into a tourist resort, the remaining 5,000 have been informally set aside for conservation based on the property’s master agreement. It is this area that The Ocean Foundation (TOF), alongside with local partners, propose as Nopoló Park. Loretaños have already taken an active role in the park’s realization and are actively transforming Loreto into a sustainable outdoor adventure destination.The Ocean Foundation’s community organizing around the creation of the park has not only strengthened support for park designation, but also is inspiring locals to be outdoor enthusiasts and start businesses to support outdoor tourism. By building upon existing conservation efforts,The Ocean Foundation seeks to fortify the protection of this unique haven.

Goals: The overarching goal is to conserve this ecologically rich yet threatened area.The Ocean Foundation envisions a healthy and vibrant Nopoló Park that is federally protected, sustains local freshwater resources, and vitalizes community-based ecotourism initiatives. Ultimately, this will strengthen the local ecotourism sector and promote sustainable development.

The creation of Nopoló Park is important not only because of the region’s sheer beauty. The integrity of the local ecosystems and communities depends on it. Nopoló Park is of great hydrological significance; the watersheds found here recharge the local aquifers, serving as Loreto’s only freshwater source. These watersheds ultimately feed into the adjacent Loreto Bay National Marine Park. Any unsustainable development and mining on this land could threaten the entire Loreto Bay National Mark Park and put access to freshwater resources at risk. Currently, 16.64% of Loreto’s surface area is under mining concessions— a more than 800% increase in concessions since 2010. Mining can have rippling consequences throughout the region— endangering the limited water resources of Baja California Sur and potentially undermining Loreto’s agriculture, livestock, tourism, and other economic activities. Formal land protection would permanently thwart the threat of mining on this environmentally sensitive area. Establishing Nopoló Park ensures that this biologically significant place is preserved for future generations’ enjoyment in perpetuity. Therefore, formal protection of this delicate habitat is thus of utmost importance.

Objectives: Nopoló Park would strive to foster sustainable development by promoting activities that are economically beneficially to local communities without sacrificing the natural resources essential to the wellbeing of future generations.

The Nopoló Park Project’s specific objectives are to:
• boost community-based sustainable development
• conserve the elements that permit adequate ecosystem functioning and their associated environmental services—primarily hydrological—in Loreto
• expand outdoor recreational opportunities
• protect wetlands and watersheds in desert ecosystems
• conserve biodiversity, with special attention to endemic and endangered species
• heighten appreciation and knowledge of nature and its benefits
• protect ecosystem connectivity and the integrity of biological corridors

Action Plan: Over the past two years with the support of Conservation Alliance,The Ocean Foundation has cultivated tremendous grassroots support for Nopoló Park, working in partnership with Loreto’s network of local organizations and business associations. Recently,The Ocean Foundation passed a major milestone by successfully securing over 700 signatures on the petition to support a municipal land resolution, designed to transfer the 5,000-acre parcel from the national Tourism Development Foundation (FONATUR) to the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP) for permanent federal protection. The groundwork has been laid and sustained these last two years, and now the momentum must keep going to reach the main goal of creating Nopoló Park.

There is critical urgency—as well as a real opportunity—to create a lasting impact on conservation at Nopoló Park. The community has truly come together for this cause by not only producing a variety of multimedia content for outreach purposes, but by also painting a beautiful mural in the city highlighting the park’s biodiversity. With funding from The Conservation Alliance, TOF can build upon the momentum of this Nopoló Park Project and advance its goal of establishing a permanently protected area. The Action Plan includes the following key outcomes for the third year of funding:

1. Secure federal approval: This will be accomplished through the passage of a municipal land resolution demonstrating “the will of the people”. TOF has retained Alejandra Navarrete, a top public interest environmental lawyer in Mexico City with long experience with CONANP to help TOF successfully navigate this legal system and its complexities. The resolution itself will incorporate advanced research on the biological economic, and culture value of Nopoló Park. Upon Loreto’s adoption of the resolution, the Baja California Sur State Government will need to approve the resolution prior to securing permanent federal protective status.
2. Achieve permanent protection as an ecological easement: Following passage of the municipal resolution through the State Government, TOF will work with FONATUR to negotiate the land transfer to CONANP in order to establish an ecological easement. TOF will then seek action for the park to be incorporated into the Sierras La Giganta y Guadalupe Biosphere Reserve. an over four-million-acre area that borders Nopoló Park. This is significant because the ecological benefits of establishing Nopoló Park would resonate far beyond its boundaries through the larger biosphere reserve. TOF will also begin developing a management plan for the new park and establish a trust fund to support infrastructure improvement and maintenance in perpetuity.
3. Expand community outreach, scientific capacity, and ecotourism: TOF has continued community organizing in Loreto, which has included numerous guided hikes and excursions in the land to be made Nopoló Park. This has both strengthened support for the park designation, but also is inspiring locals to be outdoor enthusiasts and perhaps start businesses to support outdoor tourism. TOF will continue engaging the local community in volunteer cleanups, a community supported agriculture program, educational hikes, group birdwatching, and scientific studies. Lastly, TOF will strive to grow the park’s national and international profile through active media outreach, in partnership with the Adventure Travel Trade Association.

Time Frame and Evaluation Plan: During this third year,The Ocean Foundation’s primary objective is to secure a municipal land resolution that will formally instruct FONATUR to transfer the 5,000-acre parcel to CONANP so as to establish a permanently protected ecological easement. Subsequently, TOF will engage CONANP through the legal expertise of Alejandra Navarrete in negotiations to incorporate the park into the larger proposed Sierras La Giganta Y Guadalupe Biosphere Reserve.

The evaluation of this process entails assessing both how federal officials respond to the municipal resolution and how efficiently they enact the ecological easement. To quantitatively measure progress, TOF will track the number of formal meetings held with government officials, the federal government’s responsiveness during said negotiations, and the time it takes before securing final approval.

The Ocean Foundation will evaluate the effectiveness of outreach efforts by tracking the number of cleanups and trail-building events, educational hikes attended by locals and elected officials, and total monthly visitors. As new multimedia informational tools are continually developed, TOF will actively monitor audience engagement and media exposure (e.g. the number of news stories following Nopoló Park’s founding, the type and number of news outlets reporting on the park, and the overall impression propagated by media coverage). Furthermore, TOF will record how many scientific studies hosted in Nopoló Park, paying special attention to published articles that expand environmental and socioeconomic knowledge about the region.

Brief TOF History and Overall Organizational Goals: As a legally incorporated and registered 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit, TOF is the community foundation dedicated to advancing marine conservation around the world. Since its establishment in 2002, TOF has worked tirelessly to support, strengthen, and promote those organizations dedicated to reversing the trend of destruction of ocean environments around the world. TOF achieves its mission through three interrelated lines of business: fund management and grant making, consulting and capacity-building, and donor management and development. TOF’s Board of Directors is comprised of passionate individuals with exceptional experience in marine conservation philanthropy, complemented by professional staff and a growing international advisory board of scientists, researchers, policy makers, and more. TOF has grantees, partners, and projects who work across every continent, in every ocean basin.

The Ocean Foundation’s Experience in Mexico: Long before heading the Nopoló Park Project in Loreto two years ago, TOF had a deep history of philanthropy in Mexico. Since 1986, TOF’s President, Mark J. Spalding, has worked throughout Mexico, and his love for the country is reflected in TOF’s 15 years of impassioned stewardship there. Through the years, TOF has formed relationships with two of Loreto’s leading environmental NGOs: Eco-Alianza and Grupo Ecological Antares (the latter is no longer in operation). Thanks in part to these relationships, the NGOs’ financial supporters, and local politicians, TOF advanced multiple environmental initiatives throughout Mexico, including the protection of Laguna San Ignacio and Cabo Pulmo. In Loreto, TOF helped pass a series of bold local ordinances to ban motorized vehicles on beaches and prohibit mining in the municipality. From the community leaders to the city council, the Mayor of Loreto, the Governor of Baja California Sur, and the Secretaries of Tourism and Environment, Natural Resources and Fisheries, TOF has thoroughly laid the groundwork for inevitable success.

In 2004,The Ocean Foundation spearheaded the establishment of the Loreto Bay Foundation (LBF) to ensure sustainable development in Loreto. Over the last decade, TOF has acted as the neutral third party and helped to create: (1) the Loreto Bay National Marine Park’s management plan, (2) Loreto’s legacy as the first city to ever have an ecological ordinance, (3) Loreto’s separate land use ordinance to prohibit mining, and (4) the first land use ordinance to require municipal action to enforce federal law prohibiting motorized vehicles on the beach.

Eco-Alianza, a Mexican non-profit, strongly believes that everyone who steps place in Loreto must be part of the solution. Through its “Friends of Fund”, TOF has worked closely alongside Eco-Alianza since its inception. Moreover, TOF has been actively working with the Loreto Owners Association since 2004, when the Loreto Bay Foundation was founded. The Loreto Owners Association’s vision is to create a peaceful and authentic community, which not only preserves, but enhances the integrity of nature, thus allowing others to experience its beauty.