Deforestation near Puerto Plata

[Aguayo]

Lately I'm seeing more and more hills deprived of its threes around Puerto Plata (near the Riu hotels and Maimon bay).
I don't see much cattle grazing there nor new cultivations of any kind so I can't understand why are they cutting down the threes? I don't think those threes have wood good for anything.

Does somebody know why they are cutting down the threes?

Do they want to emulate Haiti?

Thanks in advance for any insights,
Ben

[Ladybird]

I dont know how they can do that, you cant cut without a permit and you are supposed to replace what you cut. The permits are very hard to obtain

[MommC]

blame it on the charcoal makers!! (Yes they are trying to make it like Haiti- that's why they've 'crossed' the border-no trees=no charcoal).

[George Holmes]

Not charcoal - too far from Haiti to do that economically - some cross border charcoal making does go on in the SW border, but doesn't come far into the DR.

DR charcoal production is strongly linked to the price of cooking gas, so as this has been lowish for the last 15 years or so, charcoal burning has been low. Watch out for the future as the IMF is recommending that the subsidies on butane are removed.

The permits are hard for poor people to get, and rich people know they can cut without needing a permit, but they do need un chifleo.

I would put my money on rich people developing cattle ranches - just watch what happens long term.

[Aguayo]

Cattle ranchers was my first suspicion, but still I see no cattle there.
I'm looking from my hill with a telescope and taking daily pictures, so I can compare easilyt how deforestation goes.

Getting cutting permits for a few threes is not so difficult as some say, I know for experience, since I got one already for replacing two old and sick threes with palms, but for burning or cutting down a full hill unpunished I suspect one needs to be a well connected dominican.

[MommC]

When we were in Costanza this past winter, we could see the 'smoke' from the charcoal pits in the hills far away.
I do believe there is a lot more charcoal usage in the DR than some would admit. We know folks that cook almost exclusively with charcoal. Yes the price of propane is subsidized but if you don't have funds to buy it you use charcoal.

[Funnyyale26]

Y la secretaria de medio ambiente? bien gracias, esos Marico***...Ojala que siga asi y que decaiga el turismo a ver si es chicle lo que maca la chiva coño.

[NALs]

Originally Posted by Funnyyale26

Y la secretaria de medio ambiente? bien gracias, esos Marico***...Ojala que siga asi y que decaiga el turismo a ver si es chicle lo que maca la chiva coño.

Why are you always taking things to the extreme and wishing a damning scenario?

What about the secretary of the environment?

When trees are being cut illegally, the secretary will know about it after the fact, not before.

Right now on the San Bernardino mountains in Los Angeles a giant fire is engulfing the flora and possibly fauna that inhabits that natural stretch of land. Usually, fires like those occur due to arson as well as dry bush rubbing on each other as the hot Santa Ana winds sweep through the mountain sides creating enough friction to cause a spark.

Do you think the department of the environment of the state of California will know of potential fires prior to them occurring?

Do you wish all of Los Angeles burns tonight, all because the Department of Environment was not able to predict this new fire that engulfs the mountains of San Bernardino?

You are too negative.

-NALs

[Berzin]

Aguayo, its TREES, not THREES.

[SamanaJon]

Maybe the Luz y Fuerza people can buy an old steam generator that can be modified to burn wood/carbon. They can use the steam in a small turbine which would make electricity and combine this with the new wind turbine juice produced, in order to lower electrical cost to their customer base in Las Galeras.. What do you people think? If they are just burning the wood out in PP area, why not use it to generate steam/electricity? Perhaps we can get a "brilliant politico" to take up this venture. Oh, I forgot, no such creature as a brilliant politico in the DR, Oh well.. This place in on its way to becoming another "HAITI".