The Ministry of Environment says it may take Santiago Mayor Gilberto Serulle to court for cutting down around 20 mature trees that used to provide shade in the Duarte Park in Santiago city. Santiago city government land use director Marco Gomez Rodriguez said that only eight trees were cut down on the grounds that they were diseased.
However, Victor Medrano, president of the Cibao Ecological Society (Soeci), the leading environmental group in the province, described the act as “an ecological crime.” He said the city government had only been authorized to cut down two trees.
“Apparently the power of the Catholic Church and the city government were stronger than the common interest,” said Medrano. The trees were cut down on the pedestrian walkway that crosses Calle El Sol to the city’s Santiago Apostol Cathedral.
Mario Tejada of the Ministry of Environment said they would be taking legal proceedings against the city government.
Metropolitan Archbishop for Santiago, Monsignor Ramon Benito de la Rosa y Carpio said that if any errors were made they have to be recognized and amended, as reported in Diario Libre.
http://www.diariolibre.com/ecos/2015/03/14/i1055171_soeci-cometi-crimen-parque-duarte-santiago.html