Focus on protected areas

Eleuterio Martinez, the new deputy minister in charge of Protected Areas at the Ministry of Environment has announced that one of his first tasks will be to seek a series of changes to Sectorial Law 202-04 on Protected Areas. As reported in Diario Libre, he said, "What we have is madness. There are many protected areas that are only protected on paper. Now we have to see how these areas can be managed." Martinez was involved in the creation of 55 of the 68 protected areas defined in 2004. He said that another of his first tasks would be to salvage the Los Haitises National Park, because it is a vital source of drinking water production for the country. He said that both the Jaragua and East national parks, two protected areas where major hotel developments were being contemplated by the Ministry of Tourism under former minister Felix Jimenez, would be placed at the service of Dominican society and the greater Dominican interest. Martinez first became involved in the environment as a guide to protected areas. He said he would be found more on site in protected areas, than at the office.
Eleuterio Martinez was appointed as part of the new Environment Minister Jaime David Fernandez team that took office last week.

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