One of the recognized achievements of past Environment Minister Francisco Domínguez Brito was the order to end farming activities in the Valle Nuevo National Park near the mountain town of Constanza. The reason given by Domínguez Brito to prohibit farming at the time was that the mountain area is an essential source for river waters. The order for compliance was in process of being executed. But now that former Agriculture Minister Angel Estévez has been appointed Minister of the Environment, environmentalists say he is giving green light to allow farming in the protected area.
Environmentalists point to a recent meeting of Estevez with San José de Ocoa producers, members of Asoprohorma (Asociacion de Productores Horticolas de La Horma), many of whom continue to farm in Parque Nacional Valle Nuevo area, despite the order to desist. San Jose de Ocoa is adjacent to Constanza, where the eviction efforts primarily took place.
As reported, the minister told the farmers he would assist them in making the transition from farming short cycle crops to avocado farming. “It is evident the new minister is unaware that it is illegal to farm in a National Park, but we cannot help but be surprised that he ignores and intentionally abandons the recent plan to rescue Valle Nuevo underway by the Ministry and that was implemented on the side of Constanza,” reports SOS Ambiente RD environmental group online.
The environmentalist group reminded the minister that Valle Nuevo is the source of water for seven of every 10 Dominicans and it is his constitutional mandate to protect the area.
Environmentalists say that avocado trees do not contribute to water sources and on the contrary are detrimental to the production of water.
See: #sosvallenuevo, @sosambienterd
Read more in Spanish:
Diario Libre
Facebook
Accion Verde
3 July 2018
