Plan Sierra makes forest grow

[NewsWhore]

About 28 years ago, then President Antonio Guzman and some of his advisors came up with an idea to reforest the Dominican Republic. The result was the launch of Plan Sierra, located in the Central Mountain Range, around the town of San Jose de las Matas. At the time the mountains were suffering from serious attacks by "slash and burn" farming methods, and on any given day palls of smoke could be seen all over the valley. Now, according to Arturo Grullon and Simeon Abreu, things are different. Twenty-eight years ago the forest cover of the mountains was estimated at just 22%, and now, thanks in very large part to Plan Sierra, the forest cover is at 41%. Forest fires are also pretty much a thing of the past, according to Grullon, the president of the board of directors. The Plan has changed the way people think, and now farmers manage the forests wisely, guided by business principles. The Celestina Project, the San Ramon Association and the Dominican Forest Co-op are just three of the Plan's main initiatives. As an NGO, Plan Sierra has withstood attempts by politicians to infiltrate and corrupt its goals, according to Simeon Abreu, the executive director. The aims for the next ten years are to reforest another 150,000 'tareas' (about 9,500 hectares), continue training for woodworkers, and reduce poverty levels in the region.

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