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| Our
reader's opinion Playa Grande reader says that article on park has inaccuracies |
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| Dear A.M. Costa Rica: I enjoyed reading your article regarding Playa Grande. It certainly is an important issue on which resolution is long past due. However, the article contained a number of misleading and untrue statements which I would like to rectify. I would recommend that your reporter perform some investigative journalism and report the facts rather than repeating unsupported allegations. The environmental tribunal alleges that majones have been moved by property owners. If they are aware of such abuses, it is their responsibility to identify and correct majones that have been moved and prosecute anyone they can prove moved the majones. Surely if they are alleging such practices, they will be able to prove several examples of this to support their allegation. If they have no examples of majones moved in Playa Grande, they should cease making the accusation. Moving a majone is a very serious offense and carries with it very strong penalties. Property owners would be taking a huge risk by moving a majone, as it can easily be proved where the majone should properly be. Please investigate whether the tribunal has any evidence to support their allegation, and what actions they have taken to correct the situation. The facts are that the house shown in the picture is built outside of the declared park boundary, and the environmental tribunal is fully aware of that fact. The lot on which the house is being built does extend a few meters into the declared park boundary. However the house was set back a sufficient distance so that the entire house structure is out of the declared park boundary. This was done with full knowledge of the environmental ministry. The declared park boundary is 75 meters back from the 50-meter line. It is a very simple matter to take a tape measure and find out with irrefutable evidence whether the house structure is inside or outside the park. There is no need for
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false unsupported allegations to mislead
your readers. This house has been built in full compliance with all Costa Rican laws, and has the approvals of the municipality and the Secretaria Tecnica National Ambiental. There is nothing improper about this construction at all. Owners are entitled to build a house on their private property outside of the declared park boundary in accordance with all Costa Rican laws. It is unfair to group this house with other projects that may not have received proper permits, or are not developing the property in compliance with the law. Construction on this house has not been stopped. The Secretaria Tecnica National Ambiental has the authority that can stop this construction, but it has not, as it has stated the environmental viability for this lot was granted in full compliance with Costa Rican law. It is untrue to say that construction has been stopped on this house. The lot that the house is on does extend a few meters into the declared park boundary. However, the entire lot is still private property including that portion of the property that is within the declared park boundary. This property does not become part of the national park until that portion of the property is expropriated by the government. Thus it is misleading to say the property is within a national park. It remains private property. In addition, the lot that this house is on has never been noticed for expropriation. Nor has any lot in the second row been noticed for expropriation. This is despite the fact that the law that created the park was passed in 1995. Obviously there has been sufficient time to notify the owner of any intention to expropriate the first few meters of the lot. To the contrary, the environmental ministry has verbally stated that these second row lots will never be expropriated as they are of very low value in protecting the turtles, and would only add to the extremely high cost of expropriation. Even The Leatherback Trust has purchased these lots with the intention of constructing on them. The Environmental Tribunal states that these properties should not be sold prior to expropriation. This statement has no basis in law, equity or environmental protection. The law that created the park was passed in 1995. It is now 13 years later, and the property remains unexpropriated. The owner of the property is legally free to sell this property to anyone, and does not need to wait 13 years and counting for the government to expropriate the property. It is not fair for property owners to have this cloud over there private property for this period of time and be forced to hold it. The owner is free to sell it, and the buyer is free to buy it, and the buyer then assumes all the risks and rewards of the property. Selling the property to a new owner causes no damage to the environment and is not illegal, unethical or immoral. Furthermore, while expropriation of property in Playa Grande is currently the law in Costa Rica, there is no certainty that this expropriation will ever be completed, never mind when it will be completed. It has already been 13 years and the property has not been expropriated. The Leatherback Trust said it would raise donations to fund the entire cost of expropriation, and now has reneged on that commitment. Expropriation is also not scientifically necessary, and there are alternative solutions. The population of the leatherback turtle has declined by over 90 percent in the last 20 years despite little development in Playa Grande. Similar leatherback turtle population declines have also been seen in Costa Rica where there is absolutely no development. It is not development that is causing the decline of the leatherback turtle population. There are many turtle nesting beaches throughout the world where the turtles successfully co-exist with environmentally responsible development. The turtles can be adequately protected through lighting controls that are commonplace on turtle nesting beaches throughout the world. Access to the beach is already restricted and guarded during the night in turtle nesting season. Turtles nest on the sandy beach, and never enter the 75-meter zone slated for expropriation. The turtles can be adequately protected by restricting the park to the beach area. It is widely acknowledged that the turtles are being killed at sea by long line fishing practices. Expropriating property will not protect the turtles from that danger. While we would all love to save the leatherback turtle, there is little reason to believe that expropriating property will reverse this trend. Saving the leatherback turtle will require changes in international fishing practices. Expropriation is also prohibitively expensive. It is estimated to cost $300 to 700 million. Surely these funds are needed to fund worthwhile health care, education and other environmental initiatives. It would simply be irresponsible for the government to spend such a great sum of money for an ineffective environmental solution. Playa Grande land owners are pro-environmental and strongly support the leatherback turtle. Playa Grande land owners believe that expropriation is unnecessary, ineffective, prohibitively costly, and that better alternatives exist to protect the leatherback turtles. I would appreciate it if you would continue your coverage of Playa Grande, and further inform your readers of the facts regarding Playa Grande. Bob Reddy
Mr. Reddy is the CFO of Playa Grande Estates. EDITOR'S NOTE: The letter refers to an article that was published May 8 citing the Tribunal Ambiental as a source. Murder suspect coming home
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A man captured by police in Texas on a murder warrant was expected to arrive in Costa Rica Wednesday night, said a spokesman from the International Police Agency. The suspect, Marco Tulio Salas Lopéz, 33, is wanted by the Juzgado Penal de Upala on charges of first degree murder. Agents tracked him through New York, California and Texas for a number of months, said the police spokesman. Law officials arrested Salas April 1 in Amarillo, Texas, said the spokesman. |
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