Communities of the Río Plátano biosphere, in the northeastern departments of Olancho and Mosquitia, Honduras, have joined forces and in less than two months staved off four attacks by the northern pine weevil plague in the pine forest. Residents of Las Marías and La Colonia, in Olancho, signed a pact to stop the 'gorgojo de pino' (Dentroctonus frontails), which has devastated more than 7,000 hectares of forest in that department, especially in the southern part of the Río Plátano biosphere, declared a heritage of humanity site by the United Nations.

They have drawn up plans to manage and to fight the gorgojo, prevent forest fires, and to conserve the pine forests, Hugo Galeano, of the Small Grants Program for the Global Environment Facility, told Tierramérica.

These communities have joined another 10 municipalities, with a population of 3,600, along with lumber companies and environmental groups. Together they aim to preserve 10,000 hectares of forest and the small watersheds that provide them with potable water.