Frank Moya Pons, Minister of Environment, defended the military’s participation in Operation Green Lightning which will seek to reduce the depredation of Dominican forests. Local forests are being burned to make charcoal for local use and export to Haiti. Moya Pons said the indiscriminate cutting of trees is a national security concern. He said the destruction of forests at river sources is a threat to food and water production. He specifically spoke of the social problems that could result from any threat to Santo Domingo’s drinking water supply from the Nizao and Los Haitises rivers.
