Apparently, the increase in the cost of propane gas in real terms has caused a return to the use of charcoal in many homes. While the price of propane was maintained for a long time at RD$25 pesos per gallon, in real terms, the gas is almost 50% more expensive than it was last year when the dollar was at 50 to one. As a result, charcoal production is up by 158 thousand sacks over the past three months. And vegetable charcoal is also being exported to places like Haiti, Puerto Rico and St Maarten. These are figures from the deputy Minister of Forestry Resources and the CEI. The preferred tree for this production is the mesquite and other dry-forest trees such as “bayahonda”, guaconejo”, “quiebra hacha”, “candelon”, “palo amargo”, “pini-pini”, “palo duro”, and “canilla de Chivo” which can be “farmed.” Under the Program for Dry Forest Management, vegetable charcoal is legally produced in Azua, Barahona, Pedernales, Bahoruco, Independencia, and San Juan de la Maguana provinces. In Bonao, Mr. Raul Martinez Mora produces charcoal on his acacia farm. Nationwide, there are 30,000 acres (11,300 hectares) of charcoal production. According to the reports, some 15,000 people are now living in these dry forest areas without ruining the environment.