In the 1986 Forestry Declaration, President Miguel de la Madrid of Mexico banned all tree cutting within the nuclear zones of the sanctuaries. Yet, in some cases, these laws are not respected and cutting continues clandestinely within the nuclear zones of the sanctuaries. It is said that some of the people that do the tree cutting are not even aware of the Forestry Declaration. Illegal commercial cutting also continues. In some areas grazing cattle trample the tree seedlings, and so the forest may not be renewing itself.
Unity is certainly the key.
The North American Free Trade Agreement should provide for unified conservation measures between the three countries. The only way that the deforestation problem is going to be solved is if the communities surrounding the monarch sanctuaries are able to secure alternative sources of income. Until now, these communities have relied upon the wood of these forests for their livlihood. If tourism or some other source of income can replace this reliance, the forests and the monarchs may survive. At this point in time, the monarch reserves do not create much of an income for the campesino farmers living near the reserve and they must continue to depend upon their farming and, in the case of the men, work in other towns or cities.