The Presidency of the Republic has issued two decrees as a basis for its tourism development plan for the southwestern province of Pedernales. Presidency Minister Gustavo Montalvo, Environment Minister Bautista Rojas Gomez and Tourism Minister Francisco Javier Garcia were present for the announcement of the decrees that specify the areas designated for tourism development and create a trust and tourism cabinet for the development process.
During the presentation, Environment Minister Rojas Gomez said that this was an unconventional tourism proposal that ensured the environmental sustainability of the area, conservation of species and ecological processes.
The plan will be developed between Pedernales and the entrance to the National Jaragua Park, a UNESCO Jaragua-Bahoruca-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve area. The undeveloped beach of Bahia de las Aguilas is expected to be a focal point in the development.
The development plan includes the construction of a new road connecting the town of Pedernales with beach areas.
Montalvo said that the plan would benefit the southwestern provinces of Independencia, Bahoruco, Pedernales and Barahona. “The Tourism Land Use plan we are presenting is about sustainable and responsible management of one of our great natural resources for the benefit of the men and women of the south,” he said.
He said that visitors to the region would be able to go from the cool mountains to the beaches in 25 minutes, with the construction of modern roads that will take them from the National Jaragua Park to the Sierra de Bahoruco, opening up the option of touring the four provinces that make up the Enriquillo Region.
“The time has come for the south,” he stated. He said that the private sector would take part in the trust for ecologically sustainable tourism development. He announced the Pedernales domestic airfield would be expanded to accommodate larger aircraft. He said that the construction would create thousands of jobs for decades.
Barahona, the main city in the southwest, already has a major airport that has only occasionally been used for international flights, such as when cargo planes flew in to bring aid after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The Barahona airport is approximately 115 km from Pedernales, a travel distance of approximately 1:45 hours because sections of the road have pronounced curves.
Montalvo expressed his confidence that on 22 June 2015, the land court will finalize the decision that redeems the irregularly granted property titles, which will return these lands to the state. He said the development plan would be worked on closely with the Grupo Jaragua and Proyecto Araucaria.
The decrees are 186-15 that creates the Public Trust for the development of tourism real estate that will be known as the Pedernales Tourism Development Trust (DTPRD. This entity will oversee the development of the area between Pedernales and La Cueva, the entrance to the National Jaragua Park and the Bahia de las Aguilas beach.
Decree 212-15 orders the creation of the Tourism Cabinet to coordinate, analyze, define, follow up and evaluate strategies, programs and actions for the development of the Enriquillo Region. The Enriquillo region is made up of the provinces of Barahona, Pedernales, Independencia and Bahoruco, covering an area of 7,102 km2 or 15% of the national territory, with an estimated population of more than 112,000.
The tourism cabinet will be made up by the Minister of the Presidency (chairman), Minister of Tourism (coordinator), Minister of Environment, Minister of Economy, Planning and Development, Minister of Hacienda and Minister of Public Works.
http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2015/06/19/377044/gobierno-lanza-plan-de-desarrollo-de-baha-de-las-guilas-y-regin-sur
http://www.ambiente.gob.do/Transparencia/Proyectos/Proyectos/Areas%20Protegidas/Resumen%20Ejecutivo%20Proy%20Araucaria%20XXI%20SNIP%203139.pdf