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bayberry
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Posted: Mon Jan 22nd, 2007 09:02 pm |
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The Knowltons and Carmen Drouyn Alvarez appeared in court on Culebra this afternoon. There is dispute as to whether the first part of the new road is a public right of way or over private property belonging to Mark Knowlton & Bryce Thompson. (The more northern loop is definitely on Knowlton/Thompson property). The judge ruled that until that public road issue is settled, NO ONE may work in any manner on the roads, nor may any person use the new road except presumably on foot or horseback. He did order the chain to be opened so that CARMEN can get to her property. There will be another court hearing here on Culebra on February 5th, when the plaintiffs have been ordered to bring lawyers and official surveys.
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Diving Debbie
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Posted: Mon Jan 22nd, 2007 11:43 pm |
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| Do you mean that Carmen is allowed to access her property by vehicle now on the road she cleared???
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admin
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Posted: Tue Jan 23rd, 2007 02:49 am |
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| you don't want to know the answer. it's not been a very good day in Culebra.
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bayberry
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Posted: Tue Jan 23rd, 2007 10:02 am |
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| Good question. The court order says "nothing whatever is to be done until the dispute is settled" (rough translation) but that the chain must come down. It would seem that the judge feels that this new road should not be used by ANYONE until a decision is rendered as to its legality.
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admin
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Posted: Tue Jan 23rd, 2007 11:48 am |
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Here is the press release from Coralations -- many kudos and big hugs and thanks are due to Maryann for being right beside us to help.
Complaints were filed in the municipal court of Culebra by property owners disputing deforestation located upland of a sensitive turtle nesting beach on Culebra. Marcus P. Knowlton and partners, filed a complaint against Carmen Drouyn for plowing two roads through their property. Carmen Drouyn filed a complaint against the Knowltons for fencing off their property to prevent the bulldozers from causing more impacts. Drouyn argued that she was “re-plowing” an historic public right of way to her finca. Judge Hose a Millan Ortiz ordered the access open, and then indicated that no more work could be done in the area until the controversy was resolved. Judge Millan ordered property owners to present survey information and rescheduled another court date on Culebra for Febuary 5th before a decision can be made regarding the public/private nature of the road in question.
The road spans 14m in places with obvious impacts to intermittent creek beds. The deforestation threatens bodies of water at the base of both sides of the hill. On the bay side, the clearing threatens a creek on its way to Federal Refuge wetlands. On the ocean side, the erosion threatens pristine waters and a Leatherback sea turtle nesting beach, listed as Critical Habitat. Volunteers patrol this beach annually to help the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources monitor the turtle nesting.
Locals indicate that there has never been a public hearing for this project and adjacent property owners have never been notified of a re-zonification of this property.
Mary Ann Lucking, Director de CORALations, filed a formal complaint yesterday with the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources for violations of erosion control. Lucking stated: “In the past our organization has had to sue government agencies for illegal ARPE permits granted for the Vista Bahia project which posed a threat to another important sea turtle nesting beach on Culebra. Vista Bahia was given ARPE permits, without ever passing through the Planning Board. It is my hope that in this case, the agencies will move pro-actively to with the community of Culebra to protect their spectacular beaches and protect these nesting turtles for future generations.”
The agencies with jurisdiction to protect Playa Brava and the bay from the impacts from this upland erosion include: The Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, the Culebra National Wildlife Refuge and U.S. Fish and Wildlife, The Authority for the Conservation and Development of Culebra, the US Environmental Protection Agency, The Environmental Quality Board of Puerto Rico, the Planning Board of Puerto Rico and ARPE, who have according to the developers, already issued permits for this project.
Photos and Documents: http://coralations.phanfare.com/album/196751
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admin
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Posted: Tue Jan 23rd, 2007 12:42 pm |
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and here it is in Spanish for our local readers.
Propietarios de tierras en Culebra radicaron querellas en la Corte municipal de Culebra denunciando la deforestación de terrenos altos que colindan con una importante playa de anidamiento de Tortugas marinas en Culebra. El Sr. Marcus P. Knowlton y sus socios radicaron una querella en contra de la Sra. Carmen Drouyn por abrir un camino ancho a través de su propiedad. A su vez, Carmen Drouyn radicó una querella en contra de Knowlton por poner una verja en su propiedad para impedir que los tractores causen más daño. La Sra. Drouyn argumentó que ella estaba “reabriendo” un acceso histórico público hacia su finca. El Juez José A. Millán Ortiz determinó que el acceso cerrado se tiene que abrir pero que no se pueden hacer más trabajos en el área hasta que se resuelva la controversia. El Juez Millán ordenó a los dueños de las propiedades a presentar los informes de agrimensura y pautó la próxima cita en corte para el día 5 de febrero.
El camino en cuestión es sumamente ancho – más de 14 metros – e impacta obvias quebradas intermitentes. El remover la vegetación amenaza cuerpos de agua en la base a los dos lados de la loma. En el lado de la bahía, amenaza los pantanos del Refugio de Vida Silvestre; en el lado del mar la erosión amenaza la playa donde anidan tortugas marinas y designada como hábitat crítico. Voluntarios culebrenses anualmente patrullan esta playa con el Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales (DRNA) para monitorear los nidos de la tortuga tinglado, en peligro de extinción.
Entendemos que nunca hubo vistas públicas relacionadas con este proyecto y los propietarios vecinos nunca fueron notificados de una rezonificación para el proyecto de Drouyn.
Mary Ann Lucking, Directora de CORALations, radicó una querella en la oficina de los vigilantes del DRNA porque no se implementaron medidas de control de erosión. Lucking declaró: “En el pasado hemos demandado a las agencias gubernamentales por aprobar permisos para un proyecto de construcción ilegal que amenazaba otra playa de tortugas en la isla. (Vista Bahia en Mt. Resaca..permisos de ARPE, pero no num. en el JPA!)
Mi esperanza es que en esta ocasión las agencias trabajen pro-activamente con la comunidad de Culebra para proteger sus tesoros naturales para futuras generaciones.”
Las agencias con responsabilidad de proteger a Playa Brava y la ensenada del daño de la erosión incluyen: DRNA, Refugio de Vida Silvestre de Culebra, Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de Estados Unidos, Autoridad de Conservación y Desarrollo de Culebra, Agencia de Protección Ambiental de
Estados Unidos (permisos de NPDES para descarga de aguas de tormenta), Junta de Calidad Ambiental de Puerto Rico (Plan CES), ARPE y la Junta de Planificación de Puerto Rico, que esperamos investigue los permisos otorgados a este proyecto.
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Island Woman MJ
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Posted: Tue Jan 23rd, 2007 07:01 pm |
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It just makes me want to put an ad in the NYT's saying...the free illegal ride on environment abuse on Culebra is over. If you want to spoil a beautiful place, please go elsewhere or know you are in for a fight that will not be won for the wanton destruction of land and sea for your profits. We may be small, but we'll fight big.
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Jim
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Posted: Wed Jan 24th, 2007 03:47 am |
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| As Benjamín Pérez says "Whatever it takes"
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ascendent
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Posted: Fri Feb 16th, 2007 10:22 pm |
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JIm petersen: I lost your email address. please resend. Sorry we didn;t get to talk more when I was there. gary Eichelberger
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Jim
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Posted: Sat Feb 17th, 2007 02:34 am |
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Gary,
theculebracalendar@yahoo.com
or me personally
oceansafariculebra@yahoo.com
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