DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

A recent ruling by the Superior Administrative Court (TSA) ordering the exclusion of private land from the Jaragua National Park registry has triggered a firestorm of criticism from environmental groups and legal experts. The decision, which favors the company Inversiones del Sur, S.R.L., has been labeled a “dangerous precedent” that could undermine the integrity of the National System of Protected Areas (SINAP).

The court’s decision stems from a legal dispute involving the Gadhala-María family, that argues that their property rights were being violated by administrative omissions. They claimed that although Law 266-04 reduced the park’s boundaries two decades ago, the official cadastral records were never updated to reflect these changes, preventing them from developing or selling their land.

Jaragua National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, is a critical...