Grupo Jaragua says that government clearing of lands is seriously affecting one of the last habitats for the endangered Ricord iguana, which only lives in that region. It is listed on the UICN Red List of Threatened Species due to the destruction of its habitat by illegal charcoal producers in border areas.
The non-governmental environmental agency is protesting that destruction is being carried out with the permission of the Ministry of Environment in the Charco Azul protected Biological Reserve in the Bahoruco Mountain Range, Independencia province. Grupo Jaragua reports that on 16 July the Dominican Agrarian Institute (IAD) moved in bulldozers and heavy machinery to topple trees and forestry in the protected area to establish a farming project known as Trocha de Zoquete. The project is supposedly being installed as a government response to the rising waters of Lake Enriquillo. It is located near Las Baitoas, in the municipality of Duverge. Grupo Jaragua reports that they cleared the area known as El Canton in just one day.
But Grupo Jaragua says that for the past four years the IAD has been clearing hundreds of hectares and has not yet assigned one farming lot. The NGO says that thousands of reasons are given for the delay, but it suspects that the real business is in charging the government for the clearing. Grupo Jaragua says the Trocha de Zoquete project allots a “ridiculous” 11.5 tareas (628.5 square meters = 1 tarea) per family. The NGO says it has been told that most of the beneficiaries are people whose land was not affected by the rising waters of the lake nor have land in the area.
On its website, the NGO asks: “How long will we continue abusing our natural resources so that government officials and government friends can throw a few bucks in their pockets?”
www.grupojaragua.org.do/LomaCharcoAzul.html
www.geografiafisica.org/2013/07/17/la-destruccion-de-la-reserva-biologica-loma-charco-azul/
17 de Julio 2013
Posted by Grupo Jaragua on Wednesday, July 17, 2013