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 To participate and receive frequent updates, follow the Facebook page Amigos de la Sierra de Bahoruco NEW Interview for Nightly news (NoticiasSIN) Yolanda León 10 May2015 Article on Mongabay.com 29 Apr 2015 Multimedia story: By Marvin del Cid/ Diario Libre The invisible boundaries of Sierra de Bahoruco NP (English version courtesy of VCE) 26 Mar 2015 Videos: Patricia Solano - Nightly News SIN: Predation of Sierra de Bahoruco 15 dic 2014 No control of biocides 27 ene 2015 Paid one-page add, Diario Libre 11Nov2014  Newspaper articles Cancelan Director Provincial de Pedernales Diario Libre 3 dic 2014 El Permiso que deforestó Diario Libre 25 nov 2014 Medio Ambiente suspende funcionarios Pedernales Diario Libre 24 Nov 2014 Article by Mario Dávalos in Wildlife Photographic eMag Report Monitoring and mapping broadleaf mountain forests of southern Sierra de Bahoruco, Dominican Republic  Presentations Destrucción del hábitat de Bicknell en la vertiente S de la Sierra de Bahoruco Videos Jornaleros en el PNSB Más niños trabajando en el PBSB El Despojo del PNSB: Sector Los Arroyos The Destruction of Sierra de Bahoruco (Spanish, with English Subtitles) Niños sembrando y fumigando en el PNSB El avance del conuquismo en la Sierra de Bahoruco La Destrucción de la Reserva de Biósfera Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Articles  Artículo sobre esta tragedia del VCE  Artículo del Laboratorio de Ornitología de Cornell geografiafisica.org Hay que detener la ocupación del PNSB |
The Tragedy of Sierra de Bahoruco
We are deeply worried about the accelerated destruction that is currently undergoing the sourthern slope of Sierra de Bahoruco National Park (Pedernales Province), one of the core zones of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo for Dominican Republic, and Important Bird Area (IBA), a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) and a Zero Allienza Site (AZE). The aggressive expansion of agriculture in the park is simply incompatible with the preservation of tis unique forests and their associated biodiversity.
The importance of cloud and humid (or broadleaf) forests of Bahoruco is extremely high; there is only a narrow band left (less than 2 km wide) located between the pine forests at the top of the sierra and farms on lower areas. These forests are essential for sustaining the water cicly of a binational watershed: Pedernales river which benefits many communities from Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Also, this Sierra harbors most of the endemic, migratory and restricted range species of Hispaniola, many considere globally threatened.
The current area of concern is affected by an aggresive expansion of farmland, since at least 2008. The scale and speed of deforestation wihin the boundaries of the park (just on the southern slope) amounts to 35km2 and continues to grow). In particular, we are very worried about the production systems set in place. In Los Arroyos, the abundant and cheap labor offered by haitian workers from neighbouring villages, a few Dominican entrepreneurs have set up extensive plantations, mostly of avocados for the export market. In other areas, such as near Las Mercedes, smaller farms with short cycle crops (predominantly beans, pigeon peas, corn, carrots) continue to grow. There, Dominican patrons have appropriated park land and are leasing it to haitian farmers for 20% of their crop (the 1 out of 5 system, as its locally known). All of these crops have been planted in steep slope areas, with shallow soils over limestone rock, which makes them very vulnerable to quick erosion and permanent degradation.
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Maps (click on each to expand)
Whats left of the cloud/humid forest of southern Sierra de Bahoruco
Los Arroyos and Las Abejas
Recent and accelerated destruction near Las Mercedes
Letters to the Ministry of the Environment
From Grupo Jaragua
From Vermont Ecostudies
From Cornell Lab of Ornithology
In the DR's press:
More...
Posición de la Diócesis de Barahona frente a Desalojos Sierra de Bahoruco 1
3 Jun 13
¿Por
qué es un crimen lo que está pasando en Bahoruco? |
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Last updated: 11 may 2015 Send comments or questions about this page to: yolanda.leon[at]grupojaragua.org.do
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