GRACE is a shared vision for the conservation of the Peccary Hills area - to preserve the rich biodiversity, cultural and physical resources in perpetuity, with management sustained by environmentally sensitive tourism that provides broadscale employment and careers for the residents of Gracie Rock Village. This was summed up by the Gracie Rock community planning team during conservation planning as:

“Protection for the Peccary Hills area, with income generation for the Gracie Rock community through tourism, bridging the gap between development and sustainability”

This vision is shared by the members of the Gracie Rock Reserve for Adventure, Culture and Ecotourism (GRACE), the non-governmental organization established as a result of collaborative initiatives towards the conservation of the area. In partnership with Maya World Adventures, GRACE is working towards the shared vision for the conservation of the Peccary Hills area - a vision that is very much in tune with the goals of the Government of Belize in terms of developing appropriate economic use of protected areas and ensuring an equitable spread of benefits amongst stakeholder communities.

The overarching goal for conservation in the Peccary Hills area is to ensure the long-term viability of all native species, natural communities, and ecological systems of the area, and to sustain the landscape mosaic and ecological processes critical to ensuring their long-term survival.

Objectives

1. Establish the Peccary Hills Area as a conservation area, placing it trust for the Belizean people, with a long term management agreement in place

2. Ensure the equitable spread of benefits and opportunities in the stakeholder communities through employment and the promotion of economic activities compatible with the conservation goals, and high level of participation from local stakeholders

3. Ensure the continued maintenance of key environmental processes to promote healthy, functioning terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

4. Protect all species in the variety of habitats in which they naturally occur, particularly those recognized as globally and nationally threatened

5. Protect the cultural resources of the Peccary Hills area

6. Ensure sustainability of the conservation area through the planned management of tourism

Milestones to date

· Peccary Hills National Park Co-management Agreement between GRACE and the Institute of Archaeology

· Tourism Agreement between GRACE and MayaWorld Adventures

· Peccary Hills National Park Co-management Agreement between GRACE and the Belize Department of Forestry 

Please contact us for information on how you can help. GRACE is attempting to raise capital to acquire 9000 acres of private land adjoining critical biodiverse areas within the Peccary Hills land management area before it is sold and possibly lost to non sustainable development and deforestation. Peccary Hills is one of the most critical  rainforest areas in Belize and it’s loss is unmearsurable