It was a tough week for the Ministry of Environment. After environmentalists took the environmental violations of the border fence under construction by Ministry of Defense contractors on the border to the media, the Ministry of Environment issued a statement acknowledging the issues. Previously, the Ministry had ignored the warnings by the environmentalists. The Ministry of Environment would issue a statement, but reports are that the Ministry of Defense contractors have continued with the construction that is damaging coastal wetlands in Laguna Saladilla, Montecristi province.
The Laguna Saladilla mangrove wetlands border much of the coastline and are essential for a biodiverse marine life, as well as for the protection of the coastline itself, serving as a buffer-zone from high seas and preventing erosion.
In the South, Ministry of Environment fire brigades were busy handling forest fires started by rural farmers when clearing land for their “conucos” or farm patches on government lands. The fires were located in La Cienega in Barahona province as well as on the riverbanks of the Bahoruco river. Dominican forest fire personnel have been training in Brazil and Mexico in the latest techniques for dealing with this type of fire.
A major fire in Valle Nuevo also was reported. The administration of Valle Nuevo National Park, located in Constanza, La Vega province, said on Sunday, 27 February 2023 that it is working with other state institutions to extinguish a large forest fire in an extensive wooded area between Guayabal and Pinar Parejo areas. Access to the park was closed temporarily.
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Ministry of Environment
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El Caribe
Diario Libre
28 February 2023