We’ll leave Valle Nuevo National Park if paid: land barons

Santo Domingo.- The Guzman family, which claimshaving more than 8,100 hectares in Valle Nuevo (Rancier) National Park(central) on Tuesday proposed a system of payment for environmental services tothe farmers who’ve been ordered to abandon their plantations.

Family spokesman Jose Delio Guzman deniedthat agriculture in the areas of Monte Llano and El Castillo in Valle Nuevo hasexpanded, as recently reported.

He said a fee would be charged to those whouse the water, with the funds to be used to pay the villagers to conserve thepark and development ecotourism.

He said that they are willing to adopt the EnvironmentMinistry’s regulations aimed at protecting Valle Nuevo, as long as they respectlandowners’ rights and through dialogue.

Interviewed by elnacional.com.do, the Guzmansshowed satellite images which purportedly shows that farming hasn’t expanded inrecent years as the Government claims.