NewsWhore
02-23-2011, 03:00 PM
Monte Plata Senator Charlie Mariotti has once again raised his voice in protest against deforestation and other types of population pressure on the Los Haitises National Park and the Yamasa hills that are the watersheds for the Ozama and other important rivers.
Mariotti spoke out against the wholesalers of root crops such as "name" (taro) and "yautia" (malanga) food staples that date back to pre-Columbian times. He told Hoy newspaper reporters and TV viewers that there are more than 150 streams and underground waters in the area, which provide the water for the Ozama River and several of its tributaries. He said that a combination of poverty and the demand for these staples has pushed people into the park where they engage in slash-and-burn farming before moving on to newer lands. As a result of the deforestation, the area is losing its ground water and erosion is setting in. Mariotti announced a program called "Green Force" that will be composed of 50 teachers and 600 students who will work with the rural population with the aim of forming a real cooperative to sell their products.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#3)
Mariotti spoke out against the wholesalers of root crops such as "name" (taro) and "yautia" (malanga) food staples that date back to pre-Columbian times. He told Hoy newspaper reporters and TV viewers that there are more than 150 streams and underground waters in the area, which provide the water for the Ozama River and several of its tributaries. He said that a combination of poverty and the demand for these staples has pushed people into the park where they engage in slash-and-burn farming before moving on to newer lands. As a result of the deforestation, the area is losing its ground water and erosion is setting in. Mariotti announced a program called "Green Force" that will be composed of 50 teachers and 600 students who will work with the rural population with the aim of forming a real cooperative to sell their products.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#3)