Loss of Protected Status of National Parks

deelt

Bronze
Mar 23, 2004
987
2
0
While I don't want to take away from the stray dog thead I was wondering about the passed ammendment adjustment to the Environmental Law 164-00. According to yesterday's report, protected status to National Park areas in DR has been lifted and are now eligible for construction. Anyone have the scoop on the points used to get this approved? What are the implication to this: Loss of public access, potential damage to biodiversity, unsustainable tourism construction? Can anything be done to stop this?

This vote passed 104 to 33. This is a huge margin, a landslide. If true transparency were practiced in DR it would be imperative to see whose bank accounts got a little bit fatter from the fall out of this vote.

I just love it when government pull this let's work through the weekend crap. It always seems that the shadies things get pulled off at the weirdest hours.
My concern is that there will be no sacred areas in DR. The way we are going it is just to become another Haiti, just ravaged by our own people and by the highest bidder from where ever.

D
 

Dolores1

DR1
May 3, 2000
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The President has yet to sign it to turn it into law, which he is expected to do this week. Then environmental groups are expected to protest it in the Supreme Court. Haven't seen what exactly was passed, but earlier had heard comments that it would be illegal bill because the Sectoral Protected Areas Law is a sublaw. According to Dominican law a sub-law cannot override the mother law, which is the Environmental Law 64-00. Also, it could be overriden on grounds that it violates several international agreements already signed by the government. Not to say am too optimistic, because the Supreme Court has had its hands tied with judges within divided and not been able to act on corruption in government, which doesn't bode well.

On a more optimistic note, I understand President Leonel Fernandez slants more on the environmental side of sustainable development. Thus, the battle is not over.
 

BushBaby

Silver
Jan 1, 2002
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Dolores,
Am I correct in thinking that even if the bill does NOT get signed by Hiploito, the fact that it has been passed by Senate & Congress means the promoters & brokers will STILL get their commissions? I understand many bills get through these houses without their being any intentions of implementing them, just so that the commissions can be paid?!! - Grahame.
 

Dolores1

DR1
May 3, 2000
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In the press it has been reported that the legislators will get their cut in land. Remember the bill permits taking prime land that could not be developed and turning it into development law.

President Mejia has said he will sign the bill, he was the promoter. I have no doubt he will sign.
 

Keith R

"Believe it!"
Jan 1, 2002
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From the start this saga has been a discouraging lesson in how little regard the law and environment protection has in the DR. These parks were set up in large part to protect the areas from the type of development now being pushed for them. Their protected status was enshrined in the Environment Law which Hippo himself signed into law (after the PRD leadership in Congress denied Leonel that privilege through delaying tactics).

Then, for the right amount deposited into his Swiss bank account, Hippo signs a decree "redefining" some of the protected areas to allow firms to develop some of the very areas Hippo designated as protected.

When it's pointed out that the decree is essentially meaningless under current law, he simply decides to pass a law doing it. Despite a clamor of domestic and international protest -- including a wide & impressive cast of actors unlike I have seen speak out on a Dominican law proposal before -- Congress (controlled by PRD) ignores them all and passes a bill they KNOW is flawed and illegal, but they don't care, since many of them have been promised "commissions."

When it was found that the resulting bill was so flawed that it did things such as change the name of Pico Duarte, yet none of Congress' superficial review of the bill ever caught it, the process began anew. At that point, Hippo had a chance to redeem himself and recognize the outrage over this bill by proposing significant changes. He didn't. (Guess the Swiss account was too sizeable.) He proposed superficial changes. And Congress, palms greased, worked overtime to pass them.

Hippo will sign the bill. Leonel may oppose it and talk of rescinding it, but if the past is any guide, the foreign investors will claim that the agreements they had with Hippo are unbreakable contracts and threaten to file expropriation claims and sue for damages if not allowed to carry out their plans.

All that Dolores says about the unconstitutional nature of this law is quite true and Hippo & Congress damn well know it. If the Supreme Court is truly independent and decides on the judicial merit of the case, this law will be thrown out altogether.

But, sorry to have to say this, this is the DR, so we can't count on that.

Regards,
Keith :disappoin
 

Criss Colon

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
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In The DR,More Than Anywhere Else,and now MORE than ever;

"Money Talks,and Bull$hit Walks"!

In a Land where the Constitution is little more than a sheet of paper,with no long lasting effect,that is changed to suit the "Tenant",what the hell do you expect!

Bisono,a HUGE builder here in the DR,gets ANY land he wants! Last year he got all the land of the National Zoo,not already built upon.This was all raw,green "Jungle"! He built about 30 homes,and 10 lowrise apartments on the land!
You can't stop him,but you can make it a little harder and more expensive to complete his project,if you know "basic" diesel equipment mechanics,and how to open cans a black paint!!!!!!!! :rambo: :pirate: :ninja: :rolleyes:

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 

Keith R

"Believe it!"
Jan 1, 2002
2,984
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lol. Well, Tom, I'm not ready to go the EarthFirst! route. Not quite my style.

My one thin hope -- and very thin it is! -- is that the Fernandez administration, if it cannot revoke this law and those contracts or have them struck down in the Supreme Court, enforces the EIA regs and Environmental Law provisions to their fullest, something the Hippo Administration never did (in fact, Hippo continually undermined his own Environment Ministry's rulings). This might delay the development for years. But more importantly, it could give a chance to ensure that if this development must go through, that at least it's done right.

Yeah, I know. What are the chances of that? What we need is, someone to ride this issue all the way through, someone who gives a damn and knows how keep the pressure on and will be listened to. Any candidates out there?

Regards,
Keith
 

deelt

Bronze
Mar 23, 2004
987
2
0
Hey Keith
Bernardo Vega in combination with Jeffrey Sachs, over at the Earth Institute, would be a dynamic duo... but my concern would be to see how sustainable and uncorrigible they would be together. Can we in fact get them to do this?
D

Keith R said:
Yeah, I know. What are the chances of that? What we need is, someone to ride this issue all the way through, someone who gives a damn and knows how keep the pressure on and will be listened to. Any candidates out there?

Regards,
Keith