SANTO DOMINGO. The Ministers of the Presidency, Joel Santos Echavarría, and of the Environment, Miguel Ceara Hatton, held a meeting with representatives of the Coalition for the Defense of Protected Areas (AAPP Coalition) and other environmental groups, in which they guaranteed that the Pedernales-Cabo Rojo Development will not affect the protected areas of that region of the country.
During the meeting, it was agreed to keep excluded the lands that are part of the Jaragua National Park, Sierra de Bahoruco National Park, Cabo Rojo-Bahía de las Águilas National Recreation Area with its four polygons: Cabo Rojo-Pedernales Beach, Bahía de las Águilas, Playa Larga and Playa Blanca, or other protected areas in the area.
The agreement also establishes that the properties located in the parcels to be contributed to the trust and that are within the National System of Protected Areas (Sinap), will be subject to a subdivision process in the Real Estate Jurisdiction, prior to or in conjunction with the contribution of the parcels to the trust estate, maintaining in all cases the lands located within the protected areas excluded from the trust estate and under the exclusive ownership of the Dominican State.
This was stated by the Minister of the Presidency, Joel Santos Echavarría, who specified that the agreement consists of a joint drafting proposal, in which the commitment to promote economic development and job creation is established not only for Pedernales, but for the entire Enriquillo subregion.
He indicated that, from the beginning, the Dominican government has been firmly committed to not developing protected areas, which is why they have never been included in the Pedernales-Cabo Rojo Development Plan. He expressed his gratitude for the willingness of the AAPP Coalition and other environmental groups to seek solutions for this important region of the country.
The guarantees offered by the Government were presented to the AAPP Coalition and representatives of other environmental organizations, through an agreement made at the facilities of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
In this way, it is guaranteed that the Pedernales-Cabo Rojo Development Master Plan will not affect the Sinap, after reviewing addendum three seeking to improve the protection of protected areas in terms of participation in its project.
In order to continue guaranteeing the conservation and preservation of natural resources, an Environment Commission actively participates during the development of said project, in order to ensure compliance with Laws 64-00 and 202-04.
The Pro-Pedernales Trust has several stages, which means that the licensing process for each stage is carried out separately
