Nature Air

The threat to Las Baulas National Park continues and Nature Blog has joined forces with PRETOMA, a Costa Rican organization with incredible marine conservation credentials. We strongly encourage you to visit their web site and learn more about their important work.

PRETOMA promoted a rally this past Saturday, July 25^th, in Nicoya. We will see if any other media picks up this story, which is why it is extremely important for you to spread the word about this looming threat to the preservation of all Costa Rica’s national parks.

The following is a brief summary of the day’s event provided to us courtesy of PRETOMA:

“On July 25, over 30 conservationists from San José, together with over 300 community members from towns around Leatherback Marine National Park, gathered in Nicoya, Costa Rica for a demonstration against bill 17.383 to downgrade the park to a wildlife refuge. President Arias and other top ranking governmental officials attended the festivities celebrating the 185th anniversary of the region’s annexation from Nicaragua, and they walked right into a full-blown demonstration against the bill.

Posing as an educational group from the University of Costa Rica, demonstrators gained access near the event’s main stage where they unfurled banners and, brandishing megaphones and microphones began voicing their support for the continued protection of the park and their opposition to this government’s propensity to cater to private development interests. In addition to the demonstration, park supporters will send 300+ individually signed letters – collected at the event – to members of the Legislative Assembly.”

Prior to the rally, PRETOMA sent out a mass communication in Spanish to alert people to the event to offer some background. They were kind enough to provide us with English highlights of that document:

Arias…Leave the Leatherbacks in Peace

During Oscar Arias’ administration, private development interests have been encouraged to mount interminable attacks against Costa Rica’s Leatherback Marine National Park, located along the country’s northern Pacific Coast. Over the past few years, multiple bills have been written, each one proposing to rezone the park and open its beaches up to coastal construction projects. Thankfully, through the diligence of the Legislative Assembly’s Environmental Commission, every one of these bills has been tabled.

Desperate to exploit their individual intentions, developers have presented a new bill (17.383), which proposes to degrade the national park to a mere national wildlife refuge. The bill is backed by President Oscar Arias Sanchez himself, who has ordered the members of his National Liberation Party to support it. By showing his support and handcuffing his fellow party members to act otherwise, Arias intends to push the bill through the Environmental Commission and plenary vote before the country’s national elections take place in February. Doing so would guarantee that the incoming government does not meddle with his intentions.

How can we help stop Oscar Arias?

We simply cannot accept the president’s excuses and claims that circumvent compliance with the Constitutional Court’s rulings. Costa Ricans must demand the immediate consolidation of Leatherback National Park and that the executive branch proceeds with the expropriations according to the law. Show your repugnance by asking the Legislative Assembly’s Environmental Commission to table this bill.

Tell President Oscar Arias to:

“Leave the Leatherbacks in Peace”  

PLEASE VOICE YOUR OPPOSITION TO BILL 17.383. Email Senora Hannia M. Duran at the Legislative Assembly: hduran@asamblea.go.cr

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