On Tuesday, 26 August 2014, the Chamber of Deputies passed a bill that grants national park status to Loma Miranda. The main focus of the declaration is to ban Falcondo from carrying out mining operations in the mountain. The Ministry of Environment has already rejected an environmental impact study presented by the company that had requested permission to mine in Loma Miranda.
National Park status bans commercial operations in the park area. It will also affect local farmers and landowners. The bill now moves to the Senate for approval. President Danilo Medina had said he would wait for the bill to pass in Congress before issuing his opinion. The President can still veto the bill.
As reported, the bill could mean large compensations to the landowners by the state.
Read more in Spanish:
http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2014/8/27/335197/Diputados-aprueban-proyecto-Parque-Nacional-Loma-Miranda
http://www.7dias.com.do/portada/2014/08/26/i171059_camara-diputados-aprueba-ley-declara-loma-miranda-como-parque-nacional.html