Help Save the Most Important Leatherback Nesting Site in the Eastern Pacific

[Omaha Steve]

Easy E form.

http://www.seaturtles.org/actionalertdetails.cfm?actionAlertID=126

Help Save the Most Important Leatherback Nesting Site in the Eastern Pacific
Ask Costa Rican President Oscar Arias to Act Now!
Posted March 15, 2007 by Costa Rican Sea Turtle Conservation Network with Sea Turtle Restoration Project

Add your voice to the thousands of citizens and scientistst worldwide concerned about the plight of the critically endangered Pacific Leatherback sea turtle.

Background
Over 200 sea turtle scientists and conservationists are adding their voices to the international call urging the President of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias Sanchez, to save critical leatherback sea turtle nesting habitat from destruction. A letter from the concerned scientists and conservationists, who attended the 27th International Sea Turtle Symposium in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA (22-28 February, 2007), was delivered to the President's office in mid March 2007.

The scientists and conservationists are calling on the Costa Rican President to begin acquiring lands within the boundaries of Las Baulas National Marine Park.

Uncontrolled development of infrastructure on sea turtle nesting beaches is an urgent issue to address, given the already known negative impact that these actions have on these animals and their nesting habitat".

Leatherback sea turtles are critically endangered; their populations have declined over 90% during the last 20 years, and could be extinct in the Pacific within the next 15 years.
Las Baulas National Marine Park, in Guanacaste, was created by Executive Decree in 1991 and later by Law in 1995, with the purpose of protecting one of the last populations of leatherback sea turtles in the Eastern Pacific, a species classified as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).

Costa Rica has a great responsibility, as it hosts Las Baulas National Marine Park, the most important leatherback nesting beach in the Eastern Pacific
Members of coastal communities have learned to make a living through ecotourism and non consumptive use of turtles, and all this could be lost only to satisfy the interests of foreign investors.

Las Baulas National Marine Park includes a 125 meter linear strip of land above the high tide line which is to be protected from any sort of development. Given that 75 meters of this strip is in private hands, the law stipulates that the Ministry of the Environment and Energy must proceed to acquire these lands (Law of Creation Las Baulas National Park #7524 of July 10, 1995).

A legal process was initiated for this purpose in December of 2004, yet due to bureaucratic processes and wrongful interpretations of the law, the government has yet to acquire these lands. As a result, development pressures, mainly by foreign investors with real estate dreams, have grown exponentially, in particular with the recent proposal to develop this strip under a self proclaimed "sustainable" zoning plan.

Nonetheless, experts from the Costa Rican Sea Turtle Conservation Network have expressed their concern in the sense that developing this highly sensitive beach will severely impact its quality as prime leatherback nesting habitat.

Just slightly over a year ago, the Attorney General confirmed that these lands belonged to the National Park (C444-2005, Received MINAE January 12 of 2006), and thus the Ministry of the Environment and Energy must proceed to abide by the Law and acquire the properties within its boundaries.

The international community has provided about five million dollars for the process. Any further delays to proceed will further threaten the strict protection of Las Baulas National Marine Park, as well as the last remaining population of leatherbacks in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.

What You Can Do!
Please send the email below to President Oscar Arias.

(You can personalize this message (best) or send "as is.")

Dear President Arias Sanchéz,

I am extremely concerned about the fate of Las Baulas National Marine Park, the most important nesting habitat in the western hemisphere for the critically endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtles.

Despite protection as national parklands in 1994, the area above the high tide line at Las Baulas has not been annexed into the park and continues to be threatened with development.

I care deeply that Costa Rica honor its commitment to protect Pacific leatherbacks. A recent ruling by the Costa Rican State Attorney provides the legal basis to immediately annex the lands and stop the development threats. I urge you to proceed with this process immediately.

Please let me know if you will agree to commit to protect these important national park lands.

Please enter your your name, street address, and e-mail address (you will not receive any unsolicited mail by givng us this information). This information will be added to your message. Note that messages that do not include all of this information cannot be accepted as official sign-ons.

[MasonJar]

1. Done. Thank you for posting this so that I had the opportunity to respond

to protect another innocent species crowded out because of the arrogance of mankind...that is mankind gone totally berserk.

[Omaha Steve]

2. Last year for mother's Day....

I surprised my wife. She adopted a FULL nest. She loved it.

http://www.worldwildlife.org/turtles/

or

http://www.cccturtle.org/

or

http://www.adoptaseaturtle.com/