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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GLOBAL HERITAGE FUND APPLAUDS NEW GOVERNMENT COMMITMENTS TO PRESERVE GUATEMALA 'S MAYA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AND BIOSPHERE

International Conservancy Sees New Pledges as Critical to Stop Further Loss of Our World Heritage

PALO ALTO , CALIF. (Jan. 20, 2005) - Global Heritage Fund (GHF), a leading international conservancy dedicated to preserving endangered world heritage sites in developing countries, applauds major funding commitments by the Guatemalan government, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and other Latin American institutions for the protection and conservation of the remaining rainforest in northern Guatemala.

Jeff Morgan, executive director of GHF, particularly commends the Guatemala government for its efforts to protect the sites and forest in the Mirador Basin and portions of the eastern Peten forest which are still intact, and playing a role in reinvigorating the local economy through sustainable tourism.

The Mirador Basin 's Special Protected Area status established by the previous administration was recently upheld by the Guatemalan Constitutional Court , adding additional weight for the conservation of nearly 600,000 acres of tropical forest in the Mirador Basin . GHF has raised more than $1.8 million to date for the research, community development, and conservation infrastructure for the numerous sites in the Mirador Basin .

The Mirador Basin and portions of the eastern Peten are the largest intact tropical rainforest and wildlife habitat left in Central America . It has existed culturally for more than 3,000 years and contains the largest and earliest ancient Maya cities in the Americas , including hundreds of massive structures which are among the largest ancient pyramids in the world. The latest funding commitments to help conserve what may be the largest new wilderness and archaeology preserve in Central America have come better late than never, according to Morgan.

"This is the epitome of a good news/bad news situation," says Morgan. "On the one hand, it is very exciting that these steps are being taken; on the other hand, it reminds us that we need to act quickly before there is nothing left to preserve."

Over the past two years, more than 200,000 acres in the region - 65 percent of the total in 2003 alone - and thousands of priceless artifacts have been lost to fires, looting, and logging.

"It is a catastrophic disaster - comparable perhaps to what has happened in the Amazon," says Morgan. "There's nothing left but the area of the Mirador Basin and regions of the forest around Tikal National Park . If we don't protect what is left of these early Maya archaeological sites and the threatened flora and fauna in this unique area, there may soon be nothing left at all."

The importance of both government and private funding has been exemplified by GHF's support of the work of the Foundation for Anthropological Research & Environmental Studies (FARES) and the Mirador Basin Project sponsored by the EDAEH within the Ministry of Culture of the Guatemala government.

At a recent Latin America Bankers Conference, the Presidential Secretary of Guatemala, Eduardo Gonzales, announced plans for sustainable community development and natural and cultural heritage protection. More than $20 million in grants and loans were pledged from IDB and The World Bank Global Environmental Facility (GEF). Plans include infrastructure and community funding with a focus on the Maya Biosphere in Northern Peten, specifically the Mirador Basin .

About Global Heritage Fund

Global Heritage Fund is the leading international conservancy preserving endangered world heritage sites in developing countries. The conservancy's goal is to enable successful, long-term preservation of humankind's most important archaeological sites and ancient townscapes, creating new opportunities for economic growth. Global Heritage Fund uses its Preservation by Design methodology to develop comprehensive Master Conservation Plans, provide early matching grants and training, build local institutions and promote sustainable tourism development to further permanent protection for global cultural treasures. Global Heritage Fund is a registered non-profit international conservancy based in Palo Alto , California .

At the very heart of GHF's conservation efforts are the organization's Leaders in Conservation , the Advisory Board, and Trustees for Global Heritage, a distinguished network of philanthropists and foundations committed to preserving and protecting these endangered one-of-a-kind archaeological and world heritage sites.

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