Nature Air

Conservation organizations and conservationists from inside and outside Costa Rica have become a chorus of outrage against the threatened destruction of Las Baulas National Park and the Leatherback turtle nesting areas within its borders. Internationally renowned institutions have been communicating directly with the Costa Rican government and individual champions for conservation have been making their voices heard as well. We have been coordinating our efforts with PRETOMA.

We want to share with you excerpts from letters against this proposed legislation, in addition to comments from respected conservationists. They present an overwhelming endorsement of Peace With Nature as a way of life, not simply as an expedient political posture. The President appears to be the only voice in support of the dismemberment of Las Baulas and for the end of the Leatherback turtle!  We have indicated links where appropriate in order to provide you with additional background.

La Defensoría de los Habitantes protects the rights of all people living in Costa Rica. The Legislative Assembly appoints this Ombudsman. La Defensoria can recommend sanctions and/or the dismissal of public officials. In a scathing rebuke of Arias’ plan to dismantle Las Baulas, they stated,“ President Oscar Arias Sánchez’s Peace With Nature initiative – officially launched on June 6, 2007 – with its strong political commitment to fight against environmental degradation, must in turn find sustainable environmental options for the recuperation of the Leatherback Park’s existing ecosystems, something that the present bill fails to do. The bill presented by the executive branch does not take into consideration scientific or technical criteria. Changing the park’s boundaries and protection level would degrade its aquifers, wetlands, and Leatherback turtle nesting areas. ”

In a letter to Maureen Ballestero, president of the Legislative Assembly’s Environmental Commission, Conservation International (CI) reiterated its concern, originally voiced over a year ago, over plans to change the zoning and status of the Leatherback National Park. The conservation NGO sited the State Attorney’s office and Constitutional Court rulings that have each clearly defined the park’s boundaries, including the 125 meter beach front buffer zone critical for the protection of nesting sea turtles.

They state, “This type of initiative to downgrade the management level of a protected area is a very dangerous antecedent and opens the door for other protected areas to be segregated. The worldwide credibility that this little country has achieved, the product of visionaries and receptive governmental administrations, would be seriously compromised on an international stage.”

The Species Survival Commission of IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, also weighed in. “We note with grave concern the proposed changes to the legislative status of Las Baulas National Marine Park as outlined in Proyecto de Ley 17.383, particularly given the nature of the Park and the unique status it holds in ensuring the continued survival of the critically endangered eastern Pacific leatherback sea turtle. Moreover, we believe that downgrading the status of P.N. Baulas to that of Wildlife Refuge sends the wrong message to the rest of the world regarding Costa Rica’s longstanding commitment to the preservation of sea turtles and wildlife.

Carlos Drews, Coordinator of the Marine Program of WWF/Central America, sent a letter to Congress opposing the bill Nº 17383.  Their main argument is that due to climate change, sea level will increase one meter during this century and the beach will go back 50m.  For this reason, Baulas Park in its modified version (if the bill is approved) would be under water by the end of the century. This way the integrity of the most important nesting ground for the leatherbacks in the Eastern Pacific would be lost

Otton Solis, presidential candidate on the Citizens Action Party shared his opposition directly with Nature Blog. “ Be sure our Party (Citizens Action Party) is opposing any intention on undermining this or any other protected  area.”

Mario Boza, one of Costa Rica’s legendary conservationists, shared a reaction to a recent news story. “I am green with envy!  While the President of the U.S. and his family are visiting the national parks of this country, the President of Costa Rica sends Congress a bill to eliminate one of our national parks, Baulas. Saludos. Mario Boza”

Jim Spotila, president of Leatherback Trust, offers a practical solution. “I think the important thing here is that it would be very easy to acquire the land within Las Baulas park if the government had a $1/night tax on hotel rooms and 1$/day tax on rental cars. That would raise at least $10 million a year, a conservative estimate, and a 30-year bond could be done to raise $300 million that could be used to reimburse all landowners in all parks and have an endowment for the parks into the future. What is missing is the political will in the government to put the words of Peace With Nature into action.”

Pilar Santidrian Tomillo, Research Associate at Drexel University, voices her concern as a conservationist very familiar with Las Baulas. “I think it is important to know that Las Baulas holds about 50% of the Eastern Pacific leatherbacks, being the other 50% found in Mexico. The difference is the high concentration found at Las Baulas, where turtles concentrate in only 6 km of nesting beaches compared to the > 60 km of the four index beaches of Mexico. You would expect that protection of just 6 km, being of such importance for the Eastern Pacific, would be easy!”

Tex Hawkens, a friend of Nature Blog, who was directly involved with helping to launch Costa Rica’s national park system over forty years ago, offers a mix of concern and optimism. “There’s no doubt that many of the most important, pristine coastal areas are under siege, and it’s good that conservationists are drawing clear lines in the sand.  If the founders (Mario Boza and Alvaro Ugalde) say that there is significant risk to the most endangered of sea turtles due to possible conflicts of interest, I take their word for it.

Over the years, I have witnessed the steady growth of Costa Rica’s global leadership in conservation and sustainable development – even as more species are pushed closer to the brink of extinction by pressures to maximize profits. This willingness to find a way is an inspiration to other countries, large and small. Peace with Nature sets a high standard.

It is my personal view that the Costa Rican people have proven extremely capable of making their wishes known to their elected representatives, while seeing that differences are resolved for the Common Good.  This gives me hope that the great sea turtles will survive.”

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