In December 2003, the Platform in Defence of the Badlands of Guimaras and Camino de El Socorro has presented arguments to the Master Plan, which has been on public exhibition period. Here we present:
The Civic Platform in Defence of the Badlands of Guimaras and Camino El Socorro positively assessed the completeness and documentation in general seems to show the planning document intended for the scope of the present Special Nature Reserve. But despite this recognition, and point beyond any claim of an ad hoc basis, the platform wants to attention around the following three axes, whose importance we think strategically.
1. On territorial planning and the encouragement of citizen participation
The Badlands of Guimaras and its immediate surroundings, particularly the cultural landmark that represents the Relief Road, have been for the last fifteen years of remarkable civic engagement by very significant part of sectors of the local community. From environmental groups like the association Tabone collective cultural heritage of Guimaras, the association county east of Tenerife to a specific entity as and the undersigned (Platform in Defence of the Badlands of Guimaras and Camino El Socorro), many people come actively involved in advocacy and environmental education on natural and cultural values \u200b\u200bof the area, sometimes independently, and others in close cooperation with the government. In particular, during the period between October 2000 and November 2001, then assumed the threat of the imminent realization of the old idea of \u200b\u200bexpanding the industrial area of \u200b\u200bGuimar attracted a high degree of citizen mobilization, some central landmarks of this broad effort local groups and independent people can be, the recent period, commissioning and maintenance of a documented site (elmalpais.com), the holding of a popular demonstration in Guimaras attended by some five hundred people, and, above all, the realization of a Popular Legislative Initiative ( ILP) in order to extend the Special Natural Reserve to the border area of \u200b\u200becological sensitivity, suggesting that the combination of Big Mountain and its cast is protected as it really is: a coherent geographic unit.
This movement by local citizens who are integrated, as you can imagine, we are not dedicated to this issue in a professional manner, on the contrary, our work is done outside of working hours, so unselfish and amateur. Once achieved the goal of completing all the formalities of the ILP and pending discussion and possible adoption by the Parliament of the Canary Islands, does not fall within the remit of professionals in the conservation movement daily monitoring of the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands, to name a case. Therefore, we want to draw attention to the low level of stimulation of participation that has led the authority responsible for planning the development of natural areas. We feel that at least the aforementioned entities must have been further back directly, in fair consideration to civic engagement in the conservation of the Badlands, copies of the draft Master Plan, and even the opportunity of open discussion with the writing team, thereby facilitating its study and debate. Unfortunately, there are still severe deficits consistently referred to the impetus of a democratic culture, open to participation and civic engagement.
2. About planning of the entire
Güímar badlands
Even with the delimitation of the Special Natural Reserve in its current form, we believe that should be considered globally as a geographical unit Malpais reaches its northern edge to the Camino de El Socorro. Given this basic physical reality, which is the fact that the Canary Islands Parliament declared admissible at the time the People's Legislative Initiative to expand the Reserve (which is expected to be discussed in full throughout next year 2004), we believe that the Plan can not ignore these factors. We are aware that their own writing team and Country Planning Department can not set policy determinations on a sector that still (hopefully for a little while longer) is not declared a Protected Natural Area. But this should not in any way preclude assume basic questions such as:
also study and analyze, at least in the Information Document, the northern third of the Badlands is not yet protected (and not coincidentally was declared at the time by the administration as environmentally sensitive area). Can not be ignored at this point, the importance of the relationships between ecosystems of the Reserve in its current boundaries and the rest of the Badlands ecosystem located between the northern edge of the countryside and protected and the Camino de El Socorro. It is inexcusable to collect the importance of the bands of sand, fairly well documented in scientific work known y accesibles, que evidencian el papel de la entomofauna de la zona en la polinización de la flora de la totalidad del Malpaís.
Se deberían realizar, de igual modo, simulaciones o previsiones sobre las consecuencias que tendría la urbanización industrial de la zona situada entre el borde norte de la actual Reserva y el Camino de El Socorro; tanto debidas a distintas formas de contaminación (acústica, atmosférica, de vertidos sólidos, etc.), como por la interrupción del aporte de arenas, las afecciones paisajísticas, y los efectos a largo plazo de la desaparición de los hábitats de nidificación de las principales especies polinizadoras the flora of the Badlands. A job that takes pride seriously can not tiptoe through such issues as if they were a minor added risk.
should be considered, in general, the interest of the area between the northern edge of the current Reserve and the Camino de El Socorro as a study, a true natural laboratory, the recovery processes ecosystems in areas with varying degrees of degradation The timing and intensity.
3. On citizen participation in decision making affect the future management of protected natural areas: the need for a specific Board
Güímar badlands We return on this last point to a question raised at first, but now referred to as an opportunity to make things better in the future. As is known, after the first Act Natural de Canarias (1987), the then National Interest Natural Area of \u200b\u200bthe Badlands of Guimaras had for several years with a specific Board responsible for management, as well as the figure of a director Spot conservative. At the Board there was an experience that today can be assessed as satisfactory, local community participation, both at institutional and representatives of people and civil society groups (environmentalists, hunters, advocates of cultural heritage associations, etc.).
must show that we are dealing with a very unique case, perhaps one of the few (in the Canary Islands, perhaps in the whole European experience) that most of the local community from a wide range of sectors social (which go far beyond the usual conservation groups, without underestimating the importance of), evidenced in many ways his desire to preserve and even extend protection on a series of natural and cultural landscapes which enjoys close ties and emotional knowledge. The community itself has been able inter alia to place in the Canary Islands Parliament an initiative to expand the boundaries of the present Reserve to consolidate its historical desire to protect all of the Badlands, through the aforementioned ILP. We are not, therefore, to the case of a protected natural area or neighboring residents whose inhabitants see it as a constraint (subjective or actual) of their rights, but rather the opposite: to a community that is committed to actively and constructively for the conservation and rehabilitation.
competent public administration before the opportunity to channel that energy deal, in the direction of involving the local community in the governance and management of the Special Natural Reserve current (and foreseeable future expansion.) But it is essential to the approval of a body close to the local community where they can be well represented their different sectors.
We would suggest a single example of the virtuosity that would provide the badlands of a specific Board: phenomena that adequately identifies the Report Information the Master Plan, as the "new tradition" of running across the slopes of the volcanic cone of Montaña Grande during the Pilgrimage of El Socorro, could well find a more appropriate channel to take strong action, well discussed and agreed, to contribute to go eradicating this dangerous aggression landscape.
The existence of a recent historical precedent, as the Board noted and the Badlands of Guimaras, of happy memory, is an additional factor that can not be overlooked. Resign from the administration of this opportunity can be assumed, however, the risk of fueling public frustration and increase the dangerous trend despreocuación respect to matters pertaining to the community.
Güímar, December 1, 2003
On behalf of the Platform in Defence of the Badlands of Guimaras and Camino de El Socorro:
Acosta Jose Mesa.
UPDATE:
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