Osa Vive’s First Meeting in 2019
OSA VIVE’S FIRST MEETING IN 2019 Fighting the environmental damage caused by irresponsible real estate developments in the southern part of the country is the “Osa Vive!” Association, which residents of Ojochal de Puntarenas and representatives of organizations in the area founded last Friday, May 18. . Nearly 80 people thus committed themselves to the defense of their surrounding forests and mountains, which for years have been victims of massive logging, land surveying and contamination of water sources with sediments as a result of the works carried out in the region. . The residents of Ojochal believe that the development practices of the “Ventana del Pacífico” company are harmful to the environment and threaten nearly 2,000 hectares of territory that includes jungle, mangroves, sections of the Paso de la Danta Biological Corridor (CBPD), beaches of nesting turtles and the ocean that allows whales to mate and procreate annually. Prior to the founding assembly of “Osa Vive!” A visit was made to the affected areas to verify that enormous earthworks, landscape modifications and provoked forest burnings are being carried out. During the meeting, activists and residents of the community shared the episodes of environmental destruction they have witnessed and testified about the threats they have received. A concerned resident of Ojochal commented that phases 9 and 11 of the real estate project are under construction in the area surrounding her house, and that she is concerned about the depth of the excavations. She added that in recent years there have been at least four fires on the land that is being excavated today, one of which forced an evacuation and burned for seven days. “That area was a melina plantation and that is a very difficult tree to eradicate, so they cut them down, then they burn and then the bulldozers come in,” she said. “Where there were trees now there is only dust and the rivers run red with mud.” Company admits having only municipal permitsDuring this meeting, representatives of the developer company “Ventana del Pacífico” appeared and when they were asked if they had permits from the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (Setena) or the Ministry of Environment and Energy for these interventions, they stated that they only had with municipal permits for earthworks. The environmental lawyer Edgardo Araya, who accompanies this process of community organization and who will represent “Osa Vive!” in the legal processes that he will undertake to defend his forests, he commented that after verifying the community’s complaints, the competent authorities in the Minae were informed and that he hopes that they will soon intervene in the area, suspending real estate activities and guaranteeing compliance with national regulations on environmental matters. Araya also commented that as far as it has been investigated, the company “Ventanas del Pacífico”, which presents itself as a real estate company concerned about the environment, is not registered in the country. In fact, he commented, the only company that has managed something on environmental issues in that area is “Eternal Life in the Tropic S.A”, which is viable for the installation of power lines. According to the National Registry, that company has around 100 lots in the area, some of which have already been sold, despite the fact that everything indicates that there are no environmental permits for subdivision and construction. “This could have implications for the credibility of the country to attract healthy investments to the country,” said the lawyer. The association “Osa Vive!” He indicated that he will continue to watch over the well-being of the region’s forests and will take the corresponding legal actions. ORIGINAL ARTICLE FEATURED ON ADIARIO: Vecinos se organizan contra daños ambientales en Ojochal de PuntarenasCerca de 80 personas fundaron la Asociación “Osa Vive!” para defender el bosque y montañas de la zonaColaboración — 21 de mayo de 2019 Combatir el daño ambiental causado por desarrollos inmobiliarios irresponsables en la zona Sur del país es la razón de ser de la Asociación “Osa Vive!”, que personas vecinas de Ojochal de Puntarenas y representantes de organizaciones de la zona fundaron el pasado viernes 18 de mayo. Cerca de 80 personas se comprometieron así con la defensa de sus bosques y montañas circundantes que por años han sido víctimas de la tala masiva de árboles, levantamiento de tierras y contaminación de fuentes de agua con sedimentos producto de las obras que se realizan en la región. Los vecinos y vecinas de Ojochal responsabilizan a la empresa “Ventana del Pacífico” y a su propietaria, Sylvaine Pilault, de amenazar cerca de 2000 hectáreas de territorio que incluye selva, manglar, secciones del Corredor Biológico Paso de la Danta (CBPD), playas de desove de tortugas y el océano que permite a las ballenas aparearse y procrear anualmente. Previo a la asamblea fundacional de “Osa Vive!” se realizó una visita a las zonas afectadas para constatar que se realizan enormes movimientos de tierra, modificaciones del paisaje y quemas de bosque provocadas. Durante la reunión, activistas y vecinos de la comunidad compartieron los episodios de destrucción ambiental que han presenciado y brindaron testimonio de las amenazas que han recibido. Judy Zaun, vecina de Ojochal comentó que en la zona aledaña a su casa se encuentran en construcción las fases 9 y 11 del proyecto inmobiliario, y que le preocupa la profundidad de las excavaciones. Agregó que en los últimos años ha habido al menos cuatro incendios en esos terrenos que hoy se excavan, uno de los cuales obligó a evacuar y ardió por siete días. “Esa zona era una plantación de melina y ese es un árbol muy difícil de erradicar, entonces los cortan, luego se queman y después, entran las excavadoras”, comentó. “Donde había árboles ahora sólo hay polvo y los ríos corren rojos de barro”. Empresa admite tener solamente permisos municipalesEn el transcurso de esta asamblea se presentaron representantes de la empresa desarrolladora “Ventana del Pacífico” y cuando se les consultó si contaban con permisos de la Secretaría Técnica Nacional Ambiental (Setena) o del Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía para estas
OSA VIVE: Why We Started & How To Help
OSA VIVE: WHY WE WERE STARTED & HOW TO HELP Environmental Destruction. We can stop it, but we need you. Our organization, Osa Vive was formed in 2019 to stop illegal development. Chopping trees, then burning and bulldozing the waste into the rivers of Ojochal was a common protocol for one developer. We saw our rainforest, wildlife, rivers, reefs and mangroves quickly being destroyed. Laws, police interventions and legal rulings were ignored and did nothing to deter them. In that year, one particular fire lasted over a week, causing people to evacuate their home while hundreds of acres were destroyed. That large parcel is still being developed today, unless this greed can be legally and morally stopped. This environmental disaster was literally the fire fueled Osa Vive to become a registered Costa Rica nonprofit association. Despite extreme harassment and threats, we have filed lawsuits against this business and the government agencies that turned a blind eye. Legal issues and Covid delayed our plans, but now we’re moving forward stronger than ever. By winning in the courts, we will set an example for other businesses and individuals working in a destructive manner that the community won’t tolerate this kind of irresponsible development. Today, we focus on Ojochal, next we help face the problems of the entire Costa Ballena. Our purpose: Promoting legal, responsible and sustainable growth, while monitoring illegal environmental destruction that is making more than a minimum impact ecologically. We’re not against growth if it’s done while abiding by the laws that are in place to protect the environment. Thankfully, our attorney Edgardo Araya is one of the best environmental lawyers internationally. He is just beginning here and is ready to take on other cases in other areas of the coast. You’ve heard about the problem. Now, let’s talk about the solution. We need your help. Here is how: FUNDRAISING AND DONATIONS. Plan a fundraiser. We are a verified nonprofit organization so all donations are tax write-offs. Easily donate online. Volunteer. Bring your fresh ideas to us. Join Osa Vive as a member or contributor. Commit to attending or zooming in for our meetings. Fluent Spanish speakers are also needed to help with follow-up for legal processes and the government agencies. Share. Submit relevant articles or information to our website or Facebook page. Spread the word by sharing our content with your social network. Monitor. Send photos and details about environmental damage to us. Report illegal activities to the authorities. Our website features exact instructions on what to do for each infraction. Network. Connect and relate your experiences with a like minded community on our anonymous public forum on the website. Directory. Suggest or add businesses that have ecologically evolved. Partner with us. Unite Nonprofit Organizations. We are already working with Coral Reefs Costa Rica, Inoceania, Reserva Playa Tortuga and ASANA. If you belong to one of these groups, attend our meetings to see how we can combine efforts. Should you know of another organization with similar goals, let us know. Media. Send us your publicity contacts with local and international media. We need to get the word out. TOGETHER, let’s protect our precious jewel, the Costa Ballena and its rainforest, rivers, mangroves, reefs and wildlife. WE can stop the destruction with your help. Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man. – Stewart Udall Ready To Help Us? Our work is funded by people like you. If you are feeling called to support us today, click the link and help make a difference. Donate Today
Protecting Costa Rica’s Forests and Our Quality of Life
PROTECTING COSTA RICA’S FORESTS AND OUR QUALITY OF LIFE There are many reasons to visit or move to Costa Rica: a stable and peaceful democracy with good health care, a tropical climate and wonderful people. And on top of that, Costa Rica has incredible natural beauty and abundant wildlife. Costa Rica has geology to thank for its stunning biodiversity. Three million years ago a land bridge formed between North and South America, allowing plants and animals from the north to move south and those from the south to move north. As a result, Costa Rica has a double dose of diversity. Consider: Costa Rica is only 5% the size of the United States, and yet it has more species of trees and frogs than does the entire United States! In the 1940’s 75% of Costa Rica was covered with rainforest. Then much of the forest was quickly cut down to grow crops and raise cattle, causing the loss of 50% of the country’s original forests between 1940 and 1983. Almost alone among tropical nations, Costa Rica chose to stop the deforestation and began working to reforest the country. By 2010 forest cover had rebounded from a low of 21% up to 52%. There is still work to do but Costa Rica’s achievement to date is remarkable. Why did Costa Rica commit to reforesting the country? And how did they do it? Costa Rica understood the negative consequences of deforestation: increased greenhouse gas emissions, problems with water quality and management, decreased soil fertility and loss of biodiversity. And Costa Rica recognized that healthy forests full of beautiful tropical animals and plants would bring more tourism dollars to support the Costa Rican economy. Knowing how much the country had to gain, Costa Rica had to figure how to make reforestation a reality. Several factors contributed to the reforestation of the country but two policies from the mid 1990’s stand out, one carrot and one stick. The carrot: Costa Rica began to pay landowners for preserving their land. This system is called Payment for Ecosystem Services, or PES. Landowners are paid for managing their lands to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, protect water resources, protect biodiversity and preserve scenic natural beauty. Suddenly landowners could benefit financially by preserving their lands (and selectively harvesting specific trees, which the program allows). The average payment of $64 USD per hectare per year has incentivized landowners to protect their forests rather than cut them down. The stick: It became illegal to cut down forest trees without approval from environmental authorities. If anyone wants to cut a forest tree they are legally obligated to contact MINAET and ask for permission. (A future Osa Vive article will provide more detail on this topic.) Thanks to these and other environmental laws and policies, in less than 30 years Costa Rica has seen a significant increase of its forests and the animals that live in them. And reforestation has paid off financially. International visitors are flocking to marvel at Costa Rica’s bountiful nature, bringing 2.2 trillion colones (roughly 3.8 billion USD) to Costa Rica in 2018. Those who live here also benefit from reforestation: we are blessed with an abundance of wildlife every day. But these positive changes are not guaranteed or permanent. Unscrupulous people still cut trees without permission, often knowing that they are acting illegally (hence the sound of chain saws on weekends and holidays, when enforcement is particularly unlikely). People illegally cut forest trees for various reasons: for local use, to open up views, to sell as lumber and for real estate development. Other environmental laws are also routinely violated, including those protecting streams, regulating earth movement, and prohibiting burning. Sadly, there are simply not sufficient funds to properly enforce all of Costa Rica’s excellent environmental laws. Costa Rica has worked hard to rebuild its forests. Those of us who live here have an incredible quality of life thanks to Costa Rica’s efforts. We owe it to our host country – and to ourselves – to help make sure their reforestation efforts are a permanent, ongoing success. Osa Vive is dedicated to ensuring that development occurs in accordance with all Costa Rican environmental laws.