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多明尼加政府4年前為保護稀有鳥類和鬣蜥蜴設立的生物保育區，現在為了農業開發面臨被破壞的命運。7月16日下午，多明尼加政府農業研究所將推土機和其他重機械駛入保育範圍，開始大肆夷平Loma Charco Azul生物保育區。
6月，恩里基洛湖氾濫成災，造成數百個家庭無家可歸，多明尼加農業研究所為此開墾Loma Charco Azul生物保育區。雖然此處土地貧瘠難以耕作而且沒有灌溉水源，仍有105公頃土地被挪為耕作用地。
國際鳥盟多明尼加分會Grupo Jaragua和當地居民極力想阻止推土機進入保育區。對於政府突如其來的違法入侵，他們試著向媒體和其他環團表達反對立場。多明尼加國家環保律師協會已經準備訴諸法律，他們認為政府此舉已經違反國家環保法規編號64-00，為多明尼加所有的保護區開了危險的先例。
儘管Grupo Jaragua持續和環保律師辦公室合作，企圖停止森林砍伐的行動，但截至17日早上已有7.2公頃的土地被摧毀。
Loma Charco Azul生物保育區位於聯合國教科文組織所認列的Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo生物圈保護區內，是稀有鳥類和動物的棲息地，也是野生動物基因交換的重要廊道。
Loma Charco Azul生物保育區同時也是Sierra de Bahoruco重要鳥類棲地的一部分，34種伊斯帕尼奧拉島特有種鳥類中有32種生活在此，更是14種受威脅鳥類和30種新熱帶候鳥的重要棲息地。
受影響地區包含瑞克岩鬣（Cyclura ricordii）僅存棲息地的一大部分。瑞克岩鬣只生活在多明尼加共和國西南邊，被國際自然保護聯盟瀕危物種紅色名錄列為極危物種。Loma Charco Azul的丘陵地則是瀕危鳥類栗胸鵑的棲息地。栗胸鵑是一種活動範圍很有限的伊斯帕尼奧拉島特有種鳥類。
旅居多明尼加共和國的紐約市立大學生態學家和博士候選人Yntze van der Hoek表示，「當地媒體對此議題未多著墨，希望透過國際的重視對多明尼加農業研究所施加壓力，停止他們的破壞行為。」。Yntze van der Hoe說，「Grupo Jaragua和相關環團需要更多的支持，才能繼續捍衛伊斯帕尼奧拉島的生物多樣性熱點。」
On the afternoon of July 16, the Dominican Agrarian Institute, a government agency, moved bulldozers and other heavy equipment into place to start dismantling part of the protected area called Loma Charco Azul Biological Reserve.
The action is one of the special projects of the Dominican Agrarian Institute in response to the flooding of Lake Enriquillo in June that forced hundreds of families from their homes.
But the area is arid and there is no irrigation in place, making it difficult to farm. Nevertheless, about 105 hectares are slated for immediate clearing.
Grupo Jaragua, which is the BirdLife affiliate in the Dominican Republic, and local residents of Duvergé Township, are in emergency alert trying to stop the bulldozers, notifying the media and other environmental groups of their deep concern over this sudden government-backed intrusion on both conservation practice and environmental law.
The National Institute of Lawyers for the Protection of the Environment is preparing legal action against this measure, as they claim it contravenes the National Environment Law 64-00, and sets a dangerous precedent for all protected areas of the Dominican Republic.
Grupo Jaragua is in constant communication with the Environmental Attorney's Office to attempt to halt the forest clearings. Yet area of roughly 7.2 hectares was destroyed early in the morning of July 17.
The Dominican Agrarian Institute, responsible for the destruction, has shown a permit for this activity signed by the Minister of the Environment Dr. Bautista Rojas Gómez.
The Loma Charco Azul Biological Reserve is located in the Sierra de Bahoruco mountain range in southwest Dominican Republic. The reserve covers 17,400 hectares and was established as a result of the partnership between Grupo Jaragua, American Bird Conservancy, the Dominican government and the Dominican Environmental Consortium.
The importance of the area for conservation was recognized by former President Leonel Fernández, who granted it the status of Reserve in 2009. This was a major achievement for Grupo Jaragua, which had been lobbying for protection of the area.
Serving a double function as habitat for rare birds and animals and as a connecting wildlife corridor, the Loma Charco Azul Biological Reserve is located within the larger Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve ratified by UNESCO.
Also part of the Sierra de Bahoruco Important Bird Area, the reserve provides essential habitat for 32 of the 34 Hispaniola restricted-range birds, 14 threatened bird species and over 30 neotropical migratory birds.
The impacted area is the largest portion of remaining habitat for the Ricord’s Iguana,Cyclura ricordii, found only in the southwest of the Dominican Republic and listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species maintained by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
The hills of Loma Charco Azul are also habitat for the Endangered bay-breasted cuckoo, Coccyzus rufigularis, an endemic bird with a very limited distribution in Hispaniola.
“As local media have done little to call attention to this matter, global attention might be necessary to increase pressure on the Dominican Agrarian Institute to put a stop to their destructive practices,” says Yntze van der Hoek, an ecologist and doctoral candidate with the City University of New York’s College of Staten Island, now a temporary resident of the Dominican Republic.
He told ENS, “Grupo Jaragua and their allies will need all the help they can get to fight for continued protection of one of Hispaniola’s key biodiversity hotspots.”
※ 全文及圖片詳見：ENS
