Construction materials airlifted by helicopter into a protected zone of the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve two months ago have not been removed, prompting environmental organizations to file formal information requests with federal authorities.
The groups want to know what CONANP (Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas), the federal agency responsible for managing Mexico’s protected natural areas, plans to do about the construction materials left inside the reserve. The materials were flown in around early May 2026, and as of July 10 they remain on site.
A Critical Water Source for Los Cabos and La Paz
The Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve spans 112,436 hectares between the municipalities of La Paz and Los Cabos. Established by presidential decree on June 6, 1994, the reserve holds UNESCO biosphere status and is home to 79 endemic plant species, 8 endemic reptile species, and 4 endemic bird species.
The reserve is the primary water catchment area for southern Baja California Sur. According to UNESCO, it supplies roughly 90% of the freshwater used by the populations of La Paz and Los Cabos. Its highest peak, El Picacho, rises to 2,090 meters (6,857 feet) and overlooks both the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez.
Questions About Permits and Enforcement
The use of a helicopter to transport construction materials into the reserve raises questions about what kind of permits, if any, were granted for the activity. Mexico’s biosphere reserve regulations strictly limit construction inside core and buffer zones. New population centers are prohibited, though 35 private properties and six ejidos exist within the reserve’s boundaries.
Environmental organizations have not publicly identified who arranged the helicopter flights or what the materials were intended to build. Their formal requests seek to compel CONANP to disclose whether the activity was authorized and what steps the agency will take to remove the materials.
A Reserve Under Growing Pressure
The Sierra de la Laguna sits just 16 miles from San José del Cabo, making it accessible to hikers and day-trippers from Los Cabos. The reserve contains the only pine-oak forest in Baja California Sur, an ecological relic from when the southern tip of the peninsula was an island. It is also a key breeding site for the Xantus’s hummingbird, a species found only on the Baja California Peninsula.
The incident comes as development pressure intensifies across the cape region, where population growth and tourism expansion have strained water resources that depend directly on the Sierra de la Laguna watershed.
This story was first reported by Noticias La Paz.