Expert sees Gov. contradiction in protecting highlands

Santo Doming.- Dominican Republic Academy ofSciences president Milciades Mejia on Monday said government agencies contradicteach other on how to deal with the area of Valle Nuevo Constanza.

He said while the Environment Ministry strivesto eliminate all forms of farming in the area, agro sector agencies provide varioustypes of technical and financial assistance to squatters farming there.

Mejia said while the Academy strongly supportspresident Danilo Medina’s effort to recover the country’s main river basins,they suggest a meeting of the National Environment Council, to send a signal toall agencies that the decision to rescue Valle Nuevo is State policy.

Interviewed on Telesistema Channel 11, theexpert noted that when institutions which fight to preserve the environment concentratedall their efforts to protect Los Haitises National Park, government agenciessuch as the Agricultural Bank, and the Dominican Agrarian Institute, amongothers, were offering loans to farmers to plant crops in the protected area.