Guajilote was founded in 1991 as a component of a USAID (United States Agency for International Development) project. The project attempted to develop La Muralla National Park as an administrative and socioeconomic model that COHDEFOR (the
Honduran forestry development service) could transfer to Honduras' other national parks. The Guajilote Cooperativo
Forestal was given the right to exploit naturally fallen (not chopped down) mahogany trees in La Muralla's buffer zone. Thus far, it was the only venture in Honduras with this right. A buffer zone was the designated area within a park's boundaries, but outside its core protected zone. People were allowed to live and engage in economically sustainable activities within this buffer zone.