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Thus far, conservation efforts have focused on some of Mirador's most important ancient structures, including the La Danta and El Tigre pyramids and the Central Acropolis, a massive complex that functioned as the cultural center. El Mirador, the largest of the cities, is now open to the public with newly installed tourism signage. Surrounding communities have already benefitted with the creation of jobs for the local population, including 60 certified guides and 90 park rangers, as well as hundreds of additional jobs related to development of the tourism infrastructure through the Mirador Guide Association, local restaurants, tour operators and lodging.
The new Archaeological Development Plan will provide an ongoing framework for the work to continue on a sustainable basis, but there is much more to do and the challenges ahead are enormous. Officials and experts familiar with the situation have voiced a warning. Said Dr. Richard Hansen, who is Senior Scientist with the Institute for Mesoamerican Research in the Department of Anthropology at Idaho State University, and Director of the Mirador Basin Project:
"We're looking at a system here, we're looking at migration routes of animals and species, and trees and pollen sequences, and all of these things make the system articulate as an integrated, natural system. And we have these ancient cities that will let us be the economic justification for that conservation......The destruction by fire of this area is unprecedented. It is an environmental catastrophe........We're up against a window of time. In five, ten years there will be no chance to save this." [2]
More detailed information about the unveiling of the Archaeological Development Plan is published in the GHF article, Mirador Master Plan Completed; Will be Unveiled at Guatemala’s National Palace of Culture, Heritage on the Wire, December 5, 2011.
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[1] Global Heritage Fund at
http://globalheritagefund.org/what_we_do/site_significance/current_projects/mirador_guatemala.
[2] Global Heritage Fund at
http://globalheritagefund.org/video/miradorCover Photo, Top Left: View of one of the massive enshrouded pyramids at El Mirador. Courtesy Global Heritage Fund.
Second Photo from Top, Right: A graphical representation of El Tigre Pyramid superimposed on Tikal's main plaza at the same scale to compare their relative sizes. Courtesy Global Heritage Fund.
http://popular-archaeology.com/issue/december-2011/article/cradle-of-maya-civilization-gets-rescue-plan