SEMARNAT, Chiapas Partner to Protect Forests, Fight Fires

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) has signed two strategic agreements with the State of Chiapas to promote sustainable forest development and strengthen the protection of natural protected areas (ANPs). The Aug. 8 signing ceremony was attended by SEMARNAT chief Alicia Bárcena and Chiapas Governor Eduardo Ramírez Aguilar, along with representatives from the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR) and the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP).

The first accord, the “Framework Coordination Agreement,” was signed with CONAFOR to support sustainable forestry through conservation, restoration, sustainable use, and ecosystem-based management. Under the agreement, federal and state authorities will enhance coordination to jointly identify critical policies, promote investment, encourage companies to purchase sustainable timber, and develop local production chains that ensure the legal origin of raw materials. The agreement also aims to improve forest fire response through increased cooperation among state and municipal authorities, ejidos, and local communities.

Speaking about the agreement, CONAFOR General Director Sergio Graf Montero emphasized a commitment to a people-centered forest policy, integrating the perspectives of Indigenous communities historically excluded from policymaking. “The signing of the agreement not only responds to a technical and environmental responsibility, it also represents recognition by the Mexican state of the rights of Indigenous peoples in the management and use of their natural resources,” he said.

The second accord – the “General Coordination Agreement” – was signed with CONANP to identify policies and projects supporting the strengthening, management, protection, and restoration of ecosystems across Chiapas. According to the agreement, the federal government will implement financing mechanisms to preserve flora and fauna across various ecosystems and protect biological corridors. Meanwhile, the Government of Chiapas will support CONANP in the restoration, conservation, and sustainable development of ANPs, as well as Wetlands of International Importance.

CONANP head Pedro Alvarez Icaza Longoria stated that while the Commission shapes its policies with the economic, social, and cultural conditions of local communities in mind, preserving biological and social diversity in states like Chiapas remains a top priority.

During the signing ceremony, Minister Bárcena emphasized Chiapas’s extensive natural heritage, which includes 20 federal protected areas, seven biosphere reserves, and multiple national parks. She credited local communities for their stewardship and stressed the importance of unified action between state and federal environmental bodies. “We must work together… no one can go it alone,” she asserted.

Governor Ramírez expressed that humanistic values—especially a commitment to Mother Earth inherited from the state’s Indigenous communities—underpin his administration’s environmental agenda. Explaining the importance of this approach, he said: “Where does food come from? From Mother Earth. Where does medicine come from? From Mother Earth. Everything comes from Mother Earth. So, as a government, we have a fundamental commitment to the environment.”

Expanding on how his administration is honoring this commitment, Ramírez presented progress on a watershed restoration and sanitation program, part of the state’s “La Nueva ERA” initiative. The program spans 71 watersheds across 33 municipalities and involves significant reforestation efforts as well as the construction of ecological infrastructure. To date, it has restored over 5,000 hectares of tropical forest and generated more than 21,000 temporary jobs.