Environment Ministry to Invest More than RD$25 Million in Quisqueya Verde

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARENA) announced that the government is supporting the environmental services and the promotion of sustainable forestry development in that it considers that an increase in forest covering is the best way to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. The government will carry out these commitments through the National Quisqueya Verde Plan as it celebrates World Forestry Day in Salto de Socoa, Monte Plata.

In 2008, some 6,412,541 trees were planted, through Quisqueya Verde, on 7,165,340 square meters of land from the main rivers and areas influenced by the dams.

The Ministry is intending to invest RD25 million each month in reforestation through Quisqueya Verde which is coordinating 255 reforestation brigades throughout all the provinces in the entire country.

Some 3,000 people have joined the reforestation effort within the last six months. In addition to planting trees, they will be cleaning and recuperating deteriorated spaces with the idea of turning them into ecological parks and municipal green recreational areas.

The brigades will work with the goal of planting 20 million trees by the end of 2009 in an area of 22,644,000 square meters of land. To meet this goal, the Environment Ministry has also significantly increased the production capacity of native and endemic species being grown in green houses and has asked 24 private producers to prepare 12 million saplings.

As part to the measures announced by President Leonel Fernández to intervene in the problem of overflow from Lake Enriquillo, special reforestation funds are being provided to plant trees in the towns near the flooding areas. This will be done by the brigades that will include a family member from each of the 700 families in the area that is affected by the floods.

Environment Minister Jaime David Fernández Mirabal, thanked President Fernández for reaffirming his concern and support for the forestry problem in the border area. The Environment Ministry is in charge of the border provinces with Haitian participation. This involves joint Haitian-Dominican brigades which will plant trees in their respective territory using the saplings provided by the Dominican Republic.

In 2008, some 6,412,541 trees were planted, through Quisqueya Verde, on 7,165,340 square meters of land from the main rivers and areas influenced by the dams. The reforestation efforts are sponsored by public and private organizations, non-governmental organizations and civil society.

World Forestry Day

Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Jaime David Fernández Mirabal, announced the building of an ecological, biodiversity park in Salto de Socoa, Monte Plata. They will use 18,870,000 square meters of land given to them by the State Sugar Producers Council (CEA).

During the celebration of World Forestry Day, Fernández Mirabal announced that the new park will be like a huge zoo with a large botanic garden for the animals and native plants that will inhabit the area.

“The idea is to integrate the natural resources of this province into a strategy of overcoming the poverty, violence and exclusion by taking advantage of sustainable production in this area which is a place where the forest meets the water,” he said.

In addition to the visit to Salto de Socoa in Monte Plata, a forestry production region, Minister Jaime David Fernández Mirabal led the World Forestry Day activities which included reforestation activities along the Eastern highway and Pico Diego de Ocampo in Santiago where he was accompanied by Manuel Estrella, Director General of the protected area.

Several organizations participated in the reforestation activity along the Highway including the Christian Education Center, the home school Villa Foundation, the Coral Infant School and a group of law students from the APEC University.

Other participants in the Socoa event included Charlie Mariotti, Senator from Monte Plata; Gary Contreras, Governor of the province; syndicate representative from Sabana Grande de Boyá, Marcos Tavárez and deputy Ministers from the Environment Ministry Bernabé Mañón and Eleuterio Martínez, from the Protected Areas Office; Daneris Santana from Marine and Coastal Resources Office and Martha Perez from the Office of Environmental Information.

The Campanita Children’s Choir sang the song “We’re Off to Plant Trees” at the event.

World Forestry Day was instituted in 1971 by member countries of the United Nations World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as a way of calling attention to the important role forests play in our lives and life on the earth.

According to United Nations data, half of the forests that once covered the earth have disappeared as a result of human activity such as agriculture, cattle grazing, mining, construction of large dams and natural phenomenon.

Forests help to regulate the water and climate cycle, create oxygen and return carbon dioxide into the atmosphere; they control flooding and keep the soil fertile as they help to control erosion.