Environment ‘fails to halt devastation’ of Barahona’s highlands

Barahona, Dominican Republic.- Barahona Ecological Society (Soeba) on Wednesday warned that the Environment Ministry has failed to deal with the ‘grave’ deforestation caused by burning trees in the province’s highlands.

Soeba spokesman Angel Peña said the organization will ask Province Environment director Luis Piña where to confront the attacks on the woodlands, and cited the secluded town of Polo, “where huge devastations are made to plant grains,” while illegal hunting takes place throughout the mountainous region.

"The hunting is mostly for endangered species such as crowed doves, parrots and others done in a criminal manner," the ecologist said.

He also accused the company Kapangim of extracting hundreds of tons of calcium carbonate at Las Filipinas, and asked Environment to halt the operation, noting that the permit was issued to exploit only at Los Cheches. "But after that, a permit was issued to extract 2,500 cubic meters, supposedly for testing. That was three to four months ago."

Peña said the company doesn’t have the Environment Ministry’s mining permit since it’s now when they are requesting it. "If they manage to get that permit, then they’ll destroy the entire area which we call Los Cheches at Las Filipinas, where they aim to have get 700 hectares, starting where there’s a rain forest and a place which is a source of water."

Source: elnuevodiario.com.do