NewsWhore
10-17-2008, 05:20 PM
The Ministry of Environment has ordered all block or concrete constructions recently built on Saona Island in the National Park of the East to be demolished, as reported in Clave newspaper this week. Saona, a 112km2 island, receives 400,000 visitors a year and has a population of just 180 inhabitants. Only wooden structures are permitted. All concrete constructions on the island are banned by Environment Law 64-00. Residents of the island told Clave they knew the constructions were in violation of the law.
Deputy Minister for Protected Areas Eleuterio Martinez says that Environment Minister Jaime David Fernandez has sufficient political will to apply the Environment Law. He stressed that national park management in the DR is subject to internationally agreed standards. "We have to comply with these whether we like it or not. It is the same for the DR, Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba or the US and Europe," he said. He expressed disappointment at the situation where Navy and Ministry of Environment employees appeared to be "little more than ornamental figures" on the island, failing to enforce the law. These have now been dismissed.
Clave also reports that the administrator of the National Park of the East, Israel Cruz Martinez was fired when he protested against the demolition of the concrete structures on the island. Army Lt Andy Ubiera was appointed as his replacement.
Upon being notified of the construction projects, the Ministry of Environment ordered their demolition. One 600m2 construction prepared for 16 hotel rooms was demolished by a team sent from Santo Domingo. The Ministry of Environment told Clave that while the hotel was going up on land owned by Major de la Cruz, the latter did not have the money to build the hotel. "We were told that Franklin Martinez, who owns hotels in Bayahibe, and the Italian ambassador are the investors in the construction site," reports Clave.
The Commune of Savona in Italy and the Ministry of Tourism recently announced advances in the construction of facilities donated to the community. As reported in Clave, the two 16-room hotels that were under construction on the island had Ministry of Tourism approval. The relationship between Savona and Saona dates back to Christopher Columbus's second voyage to Hispaniola in 1494. Michele da Cuneo of Savona, who was on that trip with Columbus, named the island in honor of his hometown. Cuneo became the first governor of the island, which was an important cassava production point. Cassava was the indigenous bread that the Spaniards valued because it did not spoil easily.
See www.clavedigital.com/ (http://www.clavedigital.com/)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#4)
Deputy Minister for Protected Areas Eleuterio Martinez says that Environment Minister Jaime David Fernandez has sufficient political will to apply the Environment Law. He stressed that national park management in the DR is subject to internationally agreed standards. "We have to comply with these whether we like it or not. It is the same for the DR, Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba or the US and Europe," he said. He expressed disappointment at the situation where Navy and Ministry of Environment employees appeared to be "little more than ornamental figures" on the island, failing to enforce the law. These have now been dismissed.
Clave also reports that the administrator of the National Park of the East, Israel Cruz Martinez was fired when he protested against the demolition of the concrete structures on the island. Army Lt Andy Ubiera was appointed as his replacement.
Upon being notified of the construction projects, the Ministry of Environment ordered their demolition. One 600m2 construction prepared for 16 hotel rooms was demolished by a team sent from Santo Domingo. The Ministry of Environment told Clave that while the hotel was going up on land owned by Major de la Cruz, the latter did not have the money to build the hotel. "We were told that Franklin Martinez, who owns hotels in Bayahibe, and the Italian ambassador are the investors in the construction site," reports Clave.
The Commune of Savona in Italy and the Ministry of Tourism recently announced advances in the construction of facilities donated to the community. As reported in Clave, the two 16-room hotels that were under construction on the island had Ministry of Tourism approval. The relationship between Savona and Saona dates back to Christopher Columbus's second voyage to Hispaniola in 1494. Michele da Cuneo of Savona, who was on that trip with Columbus, named the island in honor of his hometown. Cuneo became the first governor of the island, which was an important cassava production point. Cassava was the indigenous bread that the Spaniards valued because it did not spoil easily.
See www.clavedigital.com/ (http://www.clavedigital.com/)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#4)