Technicians from Grupo Jaragua, the leading southwestern environmental conservation group, accompanied Diario Libre reporter Marvin del Cid into the Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve so he could see for himself the depredation ongoing in the important diversity reserve to the indifference of the Ministry of Environment and other local authorities responsible for the conservation of the protected area.
On 20 November, Del Cid and other Diario Libre reporters traveled to the area of El Limón, some 11 kilometers from the city of Jimaní in Independencia province, on the border of with Haiti. It took the group a half hour to cover the 5 KM path. The reporter made the trip to witness how the precious “guaconejo” or torchwood is being converted to charcoal by individuals in the region.
As reported, Haitian laborers do the work, but are directed by their Dominican bosses. Biologist Yolanda Leon of Grupo Jaragua pointed out to the reporter that the wood to be converted to charcoal was freshly cut. She explained that at times the wood is seized by the Ministry of Environment but that the same wood is later sold in an auction in Cabral to wood artisans or bought by traffickers who later will illegally smuggle it into Haiti.
Del Cid reports that community members are concerned for the deforestation ongoing in the Sierra de Neyba and Sierra de Bahoruco and how the rate of deforestation has been increasing in recent years. Del Cid was told by the community that in Los Rios and La Clavellina erosion is already affecting the lands. In the protected area of Las Caobas, there is no environmental protection, and there is intense guaconejo wood extraction in the protected tropical forest area.
Cid had already reported in May 2018 of his visit to the torchwood processing plant Domarome of Haitian Gueric Boucard who also has the company Texarome in Texas, US where he manufactures essential oils, especially cedar. Boucard had explained he purchased the torchwood for RD$6,000 to RD$8,250 the ton, but once in Haitian factories the cost of wood nearly doubles. He said he processed around four tons a day of the wood. From each ton, around 20 kilos of the essential oil is extracted.
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29 November 2018
