The Dominican government has turned out to be one of the most lethal threats to protected areas. Local environmentalists have taken the story of the destruction of the Charco Azul reserve in Bahoruco, in the southwest, to the international press, after their attempts to stop government officials from destroying the park have been ignored.
The Environment News Service now reports for international audiences that the biological reserve that was set aside by the government just four years ago to protect rare birds and iguanas is now being bulldozed for a controversial agricultural settlement.
On the afternoon of Tuesday 16 July, the Dominican Agrarian Institute moved bulldozers and other heavy equipment into place to start dismantling part of the protected area called Loma Charco Azul Biological Reserve.
The action is said to be one of the special projects of the Dominican Agrarian Institute in response to the flooding of Lake Enriquillo in June that forced hundreds of families from their homes.
Paradoxically, the area is arid and there is no irrigation in place, meaning that it will be difficult to farm. Nevertheless, about 105 hectares are earmarked for immediate clearing.
Grupo Jaragua, the BirdLife affiliate in the Dominican Republic, and local residents of Duverge township are trying to stop the bulldozers, notifying the media and other environmental groups of their deep concern at this sudden government-backed intrusion on both conservation practice and environmental law.
The National Institute of Lawyers for the Protection of the Environment is preparing legal action against this measure, as they claim it contravenes the National Environment Law 64-00, and sets a dangerous precedent for all protected areas of the Dominican Republic.
The National Academy of Sciences and the Environmental Commission of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo have also expressed concern, say the environmentalists.
Ironically, the Dominican Agrarian Institute, which is responsible for the destruction, has a permit for this activity signed by Environment Minister Bautista Rojas Gomez.
The Loma Charco Azul Biological Reserve is located in the Sierra de Bahoruco mountain range in the southwest. The reserve covers 17,400 hectares and was established as a result of the partnership between Grupo Jaragua, American Bird Conservancy, the Dominican government and the Dominican Environmental Consortium.
The importance of conservation in the area was acknowledged by former President Leonel Fernandez, who granted it the status of Reserve in 2009. This was a major achievement for Grupo Jaragua, which had been lobbying for protection of the area.