The Bald Hills, located in the Mountain Pine Ridge
With an impending human footprint expansion in a sensitive and poorly monitored ecosystem, it is critical to institute a robust management presence in the Bald Hills. The Bald Hills is the buffer zone for the eastern section of the Chiquibul National Park, thus our interest to see it protected.
Several protected areas were designed to protect headwaters. This includes the Chiquibul National Park which harbours the Chiquibul River and the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve (primarily the Bald Hills) which harbors the Macal River.
The Bald Hills occupies a ridge that defines the upper boundary of the headwaters for four river systems, thus contributing to rainwater discharge. The eastern and north-eastern portion of Baldy Beacon drains into the Sibun River and Cave’s Branch (a main tributary of the Sibun River), respectively. The northern side of Baldy Beacon drains into Roaring River and the southern side drains into the Macal River that supports the series of dams and reservoirs. Both river systems are tributaries of the Belize River. The Bald Hills is a critical area to protect.
Photographs by Tony Rath
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