Roy,

There are some other jewels in the DR. But I agree with you that making this place into a national reserve with some well managed tourist operation to defray the costs of maintenance would be a worthwhile endeavor.

Roy Stone, Atabey, the government and the private sector have actually joined forces to keep the population stable, and even encourage the youngsters to relocate to La Romana. The 'grandfathered' policy seems to be working, since Mano Juan still has around 400 inhabitants, the same as nearly 20 years ago. This could be lower, but a resident population is needed to serve the thousands of tourist who visit Saona daily.

Thank you for the additional and up-to-date information DT.

Likewise. - thanks!
My understanding is, the only tourists are day-visitors, that there is no overnight accommodation. Hence in my view, there is no need for any permanent population at all. Those serving the tourists could also commute from La Romana.
Preserving the environment in this country is a greater challenge than most, given its small size and large, under-educated peasant population, making a living on squatted land and living in un-planned, un-regulated housing, and having more and more unplanned children thy can't afford. Hence very strict controls are needed.

@RoyStone..no need for "any permanent population there"? Maybe the villagers there feel otherwise.

No doubt, cibaeño75,
but squatters rights should not prevail over the general good. Compulsory accusation, with appropriate compensation, is often used to make freeways, airports, even shopping malls. Preservation of irreplaceable natural environment is just as valid if not more valid.

On this score Roy stands on good ground. Squatters have taken many areas of public lands and until the DR commits to eliminating this problem vast problems will persist across the DR. But as DT has stated, Grandfather clause appears to be working.

Grandfather clause is a contractual or statutory provision exempting persons or other entities already engaged in an activity from rules or legislation affecting that activity. It is an exemption based on circumstances existing prior to the adoption of some policy and was used to enfranchise illiterate whites in US south after the Civil War.

A grandfather clause allows the current status of something pre-existing to remain unchanged, despite a change in policy which applies in the future.

If the numbers are stable, and I wouldn't mine if incentives were offered to encourage faster depopulation, I see no problem.

Again, the real problem is inland in the mainland.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-16676530

In pictures: Brazil police move in to evict squatters

The problem exist in many countries in Latin America. Here's ex-President Lula.

Lula warns Brazil land activists

Squatters on vacant lots of land in Sao Paulo on Monday

As Lula spoke, squatters invaded vacant land in Sao Paulo

The Brazilian president has urged land activists to behave "responsibly" amid a wave of land invasions in April.

Speaking on his twice-monthly radio show, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said agrarian reform should be carried out lawfully and as peacefully as possible.

Frustrated by what they see as the slow pace of change, activists have invaded dozens of properties this month, which they have dubbed "Red April".

On Monday, hundreds of squatters were evicted from buildings in Sao Paulo.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3643297.stm

Saona island is a national park and as such, should be free of human activity.
In order to preserve and enhance the beauty of it, it should be gradually depopulated by government purchasing private property and giving incentives to move over to the mainland.
Thise incentives could be in the form of a little money and title to a new house in La Romana.

There has been a population living on Saona for Centuries before it was made into a National park and many of the families hold title to their property.

To demand that they be moved is the epitome of Eco-Fascism.

Remember that one of the main reason for the economic morass that is the D.R. is the total disregard of private property rights.

I just wounder how you can get a property title to land inside a natioal park.....

stillhere, with friends in high places, and / or enough money, anything is possible.

RonEvane, states
"Saona island is a national park and as such, should be free of human activity."
I agree totally with you on this one.

Compulsory acquisition of land occurs in every developed country and is not Eco-Fascism when the inhabitants are appropriately re-located and compensated if appropriate. In this country, many do not have titles and acquired the land through squatting, with no regard to zoning, environmental considerations or even safety.

{"To demand that they be moved is the epitome of Eco-Fascism. "]

Ever heard of "eminent domain". If the government deems it prudent and necessary, It can evict them, asap. ...But they, (Saona inhabitants), must be compensated for their trouble.

anthonyC,
where did you get this tendency to call anything you don't like, Fascism - the NRA?
Regardless the United States Bill of Rights 2nd Amendment that you gun-loving anti-environmentalists love so much, does not grant a right to squatting or fu(king the environment, and has no jurisdiction here anyway.

Written by: RoyStone,

"Regardless the United States Bill of Rights 2nd Amendment that you gun-loving anti-environmentalists love so much, does not grant a right to squatting or fu(king the environment, and has no jurisdiction here anyway"

Sweety Pie.
I am sure I spend more time and know more about nature than you can ever learn from watching an occasional Nat Geo Documentary.

Many of the Villagers own the land they live on Saona. They are generations of families. When they created the National Park instead of Compensating the inhabitants they agreed to allow them to continue living on their land.

And yes people like you are eco-fascists. You have no problems stealing from people to further your feel good, agenda.
I wonder who you would react if some government peon knocked on your door and told you they are kicking you out in order to protect some slug of snail.

Here here Mr. C. I didn't want to get into it but you enunciated my thoughts to the tee.

{"I wonder who you would react if some government peon knocked on your door and told you they are kicking you out in order to protect some slug of snail."}

Excuse the butting in, please.
In the grander scheme of things, a slug or snail will always be much more important to the biosphere and ecosystem than your puny mind can comprehend.
If you knew enought about nature and the vital biological niches occupied by all creatures, the answer to the question posed by you, would be obvious. But since you don't, it can easily be deduced your brain isn't much more complex than that of a slug or a snail's.

Written by: RonEvane,

Excuse the butting in, please.
In the grander scheme of things, a slug or snail will always be much more important to the biosphere and ecosystem than your puny mind can comprehend.

What a bunch of self-absorbed crap.
90% of all the animal life that ever existed on this planet is now extinct. For centuries we have seen animals become extinct and yet we all survive without skipping a beat.

People like you who put the supposed "rights' of a lowly slug or snail over that of a human being are some of the lowest form of life on this planet. You better hope that if you are ever the victim of a disaster and need rescue that those sent aren't the type who would save a dog or cat over a human.

Personally, I would call for the Harpooning of every Dolphin and the Choking of every Gorilla if I thought it would save the life of one innocent human being!

Ron,
AnthonyC is a gun owner, and if I remember correctly, enjoys killing wild animals for fun. Need I say more?

anthonyC,
Drawing on your superior knowledge of nature and biology, and the importance you place on human life, what is the dolphin and gorilla equivalent of the potential human lives you terminate every time you jerk-off over the sight of a Colt-45?

Written by: RoyStone, 26 Jan 2012 7:21 PM
From: Australia
Ron,
AnthonyC is a gun owner, and if I remember correctly, enjoys killing wild animals for fun. Need I say more?

Yep.

Just like Killer Whales, Dolphins, Chimpanzees.....Shall I go on?

So AnthonyC considers human life sacred? Really? If he did, he'd be campaigning against the proliferation of guns, not for it.

So "90% of all the animal life that ever existed on this planet is now extinct." - yes but that took 4 1/2 billion years. AnthonyC and his NRA buddies want to hasten the process. With a bit of luck he will do so, by pulling the trigger of his beloved Smith & Wesson, while giving it a head-job.

AnthonyC I'm very impressed that you consider human life so precious, and that just one life is worth more that all the dolphins and gorillas on the planet. Well according to the World Health Organization, 1 innocent child dies every 5 seconds as a result of hunger. We are all keen to know what things you are doing about it.

AnthonyC,
We are also keen to know how you obtained your self-proclaimed superior knowledge of nature. Was it from your observations though telescopic sights?

{"Personally, I would call for the Harpooning of every Dolphin and the Choking of every Gorilla if I thought it would save the life of one innocent human being!"}

Of course, you would! That's what makes you who you are. You're such a misguided hypocrite! ..But I wouldn't expect any different from an NRA stooch like you who hasn't a clue about the horrific number of children and other innocent people who die each year from mishandling firearms. . . You owe it to yourself and family, to prevent a tragedy from a gun going off when not supposed to. It'll be too late then to say you're sorry!
To call you an animal would be insulting my friends, the apes!

{"AnthonyC is a gun owner, and if I remember correctly, enjoys killing wild animals for fun. Need I say more?"}

He's been warned!... Lets hope his folly doesn't end up killing a human being, especially one of his own!

Quite right, Ron, but the
"number of children and other innocent people who die each year from mishandling firearms"
is exceeded by the number of deliberate homicides done with guns.
(Just wait for it - here comes the pathetic "guns don't kill people - people do" excuse, maybe followed by "if they didn't have a gun, they'd use something else" standard brain-dead NRA bull$hit. - Geee can't argue with that!)

This is just a bad idea of moving these people out Saona, the goverment try this in LOS HAITISE, and built a town to remove them from the park. built the town,never finished and 14 year later the town is not yet done. check out the link http://g.co/maps/sqrs3

Town have no mayor, no political representative, the street are not pave, no land to work and over 2000 families from los haitise were move here in 1998. for all of you who are thinking of moving these folk from they land. the people living a La Pista will tell you otherwise. if someone can find this town on a map let me know,,i map it on GE

Wow


What a bunch of Sanctimonious, Pussies Roy and Ron are.

Roy. Let me relate a (kind of) funny story...My cousin, AKA, " El loco", Jose, would proudly display his .45 Smith& Wesson, whenever and wherever he went.
One late afternoon, (as he tells it), a couple of guys, (as he came home from work) held him up and took his pistol. He went ballistic, (as I interpret it), And swore revenge. Not long after, he borrowed a gun and went looking for the ladrones, who had the balls to steal from him.
Well it seems, the word got out that he was in hot pursuit of these "criminals" who waited for him, in the same place and time, to relieve him of the second firearm.
This time, though, they took him to a desolate place and told him to say his last prayers.
As he tells it, he fought for his life but got the worst of it. The "criminals" took his jewelry, his wallet and all his clothes. Butt-naked, they tied him to a tree, and left him there until days later, when he was found and taken to the hospital. He swore never to own a gun, ever again!

Anyone remember Bikini? (the atol, that is)

Interesting, Ron.
There is no doubt that owning and carrying a gun increases rather than reduces your chance of being shot. A criminal about to commit an assault is in a high state of alert and at a distinctive advantage. He has a gun for 2 reasons. One is to intimidate you into handing over your wallet. The second is a means of defense should you decide to put up a fight. If he thinks you are armed then he will shoot you before you can shoot him. Chances are, his original intention was only to rob you. If he really wanted to kill you, he would do so before you even suspected anything and reached for your gun.

lets hope the solar works better there than the rest of the world. Have to have batteries with heavy metals to store the electricity and after seeing how the country dispose trash they will end up in a waterway after they stop working

sweetbabyj, if most of the electricity is only required when the tourists are there during the day, then the amount of storage may not be much. This may be one of the few situations where solar power is actually the most cost-effective and environmentally-responsible option.