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Save Rio Tigre Committee Asociación Conservacionista de Dos Brazos de Rio Tigre PRESENTS RIO TIGRE ENDANGERED! Updated September 2009 Osa Peninsula - Costa Rica PENINSULA de OSA One of the most biologically diverse places remaining on Earth. Although much of the Osa remains natural and is protected by Corcovado National Park and the Reserva Forestal Golfo Dulce, Unsustainable Development threatens to endanger the Osa Peninsula as it has already done to the Nicoya Peninsula to the north. OSA PENINSULA & GOLFO DULCE A complex and fragile relationship • 13 major ecosystems • 50% of the species known in Costa Rica, including: – – – – – 5000 species of plants (2 to 3% endemics) 375 species of birds (18 endemics) 124 species of mammals 8,000 species of insects 117 species of reptiles and amphibians • Largest population of endangered Scarlet Macaw in Central America • 5 species of cats including Jaguar, Puma and Ocelot • 25 species of Dolphins and Whales • Important nesting sites for endangered Sea Turtles OSA PENINSULA & GOLFO DULCE Eco-Tourism for Every Interest • Search for birds and frogs in Dos Brazos • Hike on local trails • Try gold panning in Rio Tigre • Snorkle or scuba over Pacific coral reefs • Ride the the waves in any of the surf spots in the area • Take a Dolphin watch cruise • Look for turtles on the beach • Explore mangroves in a kayak • Discover pristine beaches and forests • Gaze at the stars • Participate in various yoga groups • Go horseback riding Following the Rio Tigre, the route to Dos Brazos is the only road going deep into the heart of the Osa. From Dos Brazos, nested into the Reserva Forestal Golfo Dulce, Corcovado National Park is but a 30 minute walk away. A few months ago, one company received final approval for gravel mining in the Rio Tigre, and it is already a complete disaster… UP RIVER FROM METAL BRIDGE – CHECK IT OUT WHEN YOU PASS BY In December 2008, we learned that five other companies are engaged in the legal process to acquire sand and gravel mining concessions in the Rio Tigre… MINING CONCESSIONS ON RIO TIGRE 4 new applicants, 1 pending, 1 approved GALLARDO CONSTRUCTORA HERMANOS BRENES SA ASOCIACION DE DESARROLLO INTEGRAL DE PUERTO JIMENEZ PENDING: IMPACTO AMBIANTAL DE SETENA PALMA TICA SA AGROINDUSTRIAL LA UNION SA DOS IGUANAS VERDES SA DOS BRAZOS DE RIO TIGRE MATERIALES DE OCCIDENTE SA APPROVED WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A HUGE OPEN MINE IN THE HEART OF THE OSA!!! A MAJOR ECOLOGICAL DISASTER 40% of the river will be mined! The impact of one concession now — let alone five additional concessions within the year — is more than the river can handle. A SERIOUS SOCIAL & ECONOMIC DISASTER Three companies will be affecting the immediate surroundings of our quiet village, Dos Brazos de Rio Tigre. One concession extends to the border of the Reserva Forestal Golfo Dulce! ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS Sedimentation and changes in river turbidity, temperature, speed and oxygen balance will affect the entire river ecosystem and food chain with direct repercussions on… THE GOLFO DULCE and THE FLORA AND FAUNA OF THE ENTIRE WATERSHED! Sedimentation is rapidly increasing as the approved concession works. Coral reefs recovering from the heavy logging and mining days are again under assault. The Golfo Dulce is threatened by concessions on the Rio Tigre Hunted to near extinction, neotropical otters still live in the Rio Tigre. Most of their diet is freshwater shrimps and fishes. Many of these need to migrate to the sea as part of their life cycles. Neotropical Otter, Nutria Lontra longicaudus A CITES Appendix 1 Endangered Species FAUNA • • • Macroinvertebrates: essential components of any ecosystem, they are very important to maintain water quality and are highly affected by Gravel Mining (cf. Will Flower report). Fishes, freshwater shrimps, birds, bats, spiders, amphibians, reptiles, etc., feed on Macroinvertebrates Freshwater shrimps and some fishes need to go to the sea for their first molt and will be directly affected by sedimentation and turbidity. DISAPPEARANCE OF VEGETATION ALONG THE RIVER’S BANKS • • • Reduction of organic particles, reduced quantity of prey and microhabitat diversity Vegetation is used by amphibians for breeding vocalizations and protection during the day. Protective vegetation is used by mammals to access river. DISAPPEARANCE OF SMALL PONDS AND WET AREAS ALONG EDGES OF RIVER • Amphibians species use these temporary slow moving ponds for reproduction. EROSION UPSTREAM CREATING LANDSLIDES AND ADDITIONAL SEDIMENTS QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF WATER REACHING AQUIFER IS AFFECTED POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION OF THE RIVER BY HYDROCARBONS AND OILS GOLFO DULCE: SEDIMENTATION IN MANGROVES AND REEFS SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS DOS BRAZOS DE RIO TIGRE • Dos Brazos is a beautiful peaceful little village surrounded by luxurious nature and primary forest attractive to eco-tourists. • At the door of Corcovado National Park and within the Reserva Forestal Golfo Dulce, we have dozens of kilometers of beautiful natural trails. • The two rivers joining in the village (“Dos Brazos”) are our main attraction. Extending deep into the rainforest they boast amazing waterfalls and natural pools where it easy to observe large numbers of frogs and lizards along the river’s edge as well as evidence of the cats that use the rivers and local trails. • MINAET is about to open a new entrance into Corcovado National Park in the village. With close and easy access from Puerto Jimenez, it will surely become a primary access to the Park. DOS BRAZOS’ REVENUES ARE MAINLY BASED ON ECO-TOURISM AND ARTISANAL GOLD MINING 193 villagers depending directly on Eco-Tourism and Artisanal Gold Panning Dos Brazos de Rio Tigre IF CONCESSIONS ARE APPROVED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD NOISE, DUST, DANGEROUS ROADS, CONTAMINATION, LANDSCAPES DESTROYED END OF THE VILLAGE PEACEFULNESS AND RELAXING BANKS ALONG THE RIVER = DEATH OF A NATURAL PARADISE NO TOURISM, NO PARK ENTRANCE = DEATH OF THE TOURISM BUSINESS NO MORE GOLD PANNING NO RESOURCES FOR A LARGE PORTION OF THE POPULATION = DEATH OF THE VILLAGE SOLUTIONS HALT THE APPROVAL PROCESS ON ALL CONCESSIONS TO ALLOW A THOROUGH SCIENTIFIC REVIEW The potential for irreparable damage to the river ecosystem is too great to allow end-to-end extractive activities. The entire watershed and all it nourishes could be destroyed! Gallardo CONSTRUCTORA HERMANOS BRENES SA ASOCIACION DE DESARROLLO INTEGRAL DE PUERTO JIMENEZ PENDING: IMPACTO AMBIANTAL DE SETENA PALMA TICA SA AGROINDUSTRIAL LA UNION SA DOS IGUANAS VERDES SA Dos Brazos de Rio Tigre MATERIALES DE OCCIDENTE SA APPROVED IF ANY CONCESSION IS APPROVED REGULAR MONITORING & CONTROL MUST BE ENFORCED Monika Springer, M.Sc. Aquatic Entomologist - University of Costa Rica CONDUCT A THOROUGH INVENTORY OF THE WILDLIFE BEFORE ANY ACTIVITIES IN THE RIVER COMMENCE (To obtain baseline data for future monitoring) IMPLEMENT PERIODICAL MONITORING BY SPECIALIZED PROFESSIONALS An excellent tool: biomonitoring of the Macroinvertebrate fauna Monitoring the aquatic wildlife and riparian environment with its fauna Every 6 months In three sites: river above the concession, within and below the concession PRESERVATION OF RIPARIAN VEGETATION CONSERVATION OF ONE OF THE BANKS OF THE RIVER (To allow the movement of species including migratory shrimps and fishes) CONTROL OF SEDIMENTS RELEASE MONITORING OF SOUND ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES TO NOT ALLOW WORK VEHICLES IN THE WATER. THEY SHOULD WORK ON THE DRY BANKS AVOID ROADS WITHIN THE RIVER BED STRICT MONITORING OF VEHICLE MAINTENANCE (Adequate distance from the river course to wash vehicles and change oil, etc) WHAT WE HAVE DONE GEOLOGY & MINES • • Made copies of entire files of each company. Met with Geology & Mines Lawyer, Rosa Maria Ovares, to review the issues and discuss the status of each company. SETENA • • Made copies of entire files of each company. Met with Engineer responsible for revising files, Oscar Umaña, to review the issues. ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS • • We are working with UCR scientists and specialized researchers to put together a scientific file on river impacts and how these will affect the Rio Tigre drainage. Photos and video with GPS data points of entire river. SOCIAL IMPACTS • • • Census of Dos Brazos de Rio Tigre. Map of the village with GPS location of each building. Petition opposing the concessions signed by villagers. COMMUNICATIONS and MEDIA • • • • • Press: Two articles in The Tico Times: www.ticotimes.net Attended the RainforestAid 09 Music Festival June 19-21, 2009. Websites under construction: riotigre.tripod.com and www.ascodobrarti.org Have river photos posted on Facebook and are blogging on that site and others. Possibility of doing a professional documentary. WORK IN PROGRESS We have retained M.Sc. Alvaro Sagot Rodriguez, an accomplished environmental attorney and professor. Don Alvaro’s fee to watch movements of each concession, basically his retainer, was paid through donations by local property owners and their families. He will continue to assist though the process, and to submit our statement of scientific findings for additional fees. Elaborating the best strategy to win. Analyzing each Company’s files and reporting irregularities. Maintaining a continuous surveillance of each company file at SETENA. Relaying information to relevant ministries. Defending our position all the way to the Costa Rica Supreme Court if needed. WORK IN PROGRESS • We have put together a team of professionals and naturalists, including two residents of Dos Brazos with considerable biological and environmental education experience. • M.Sc. Eduardo Chacón Madrigal, our contracted biologist, is finalizing his environmental impact evaluation. This report incorporates recent biological studies of riparian flora and fauna conducted in Costa Rican rivers, and data specific to the Rio Tigre. • Bruce Melton, the hydrologist/engineer we brought in from Austin, Texas has completed his hydrological assessment. This report is now being reviewed by a Costa Rican hydrologist who was not available when we needed to get things started. • These near-final draft reports are being studied by our attorney. Additional information is being added as requested, including details concerning the anticipated social and economical impacts of the extraction operations. The safety of school children, noise and dust pollution, and other social impacts are as important as the biological impacts. • We have acquired the Environmental Impact Statement of the active concession and are reviewing it for irregularities and deficiency in government monitoring of the ongoing extraction activities. WORK IN PROGRESS • The first edition of Rio Tigre Endangered! was sent to nearly 100 people. This second edition has been sent to an additional 50+ people. A version in Spanish is now being shown locally and being distributed. • Our website features a secure PayPal ‘Donate’ button accepting debit/credit cards. • We have raised $7948 as of September 1, 2009. • We continue seeking donations from Dos Brazos guests, visitors and property owners. • We continue contacting Costa Rican and international conservation organizations for their assistance. • We have started local public relations including public presentations, brochures, and preparing for media coverage of the issues. WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN IMMEDIATE FUTURE • Secure additional funding for lawyer and scientists and to develop cooperative relationships with other conservation groups as needed — to WIN! HELP US REACH OUR GOAL Our opponents are big companies with huge budgets, and likely have powerful political connections at upper levels of government. We are a small but serious and determined association of villagers and conservationists. We Can SAVE THE RIO TIGRE! THE AMAZING OSA INHABITANTS, VISITORS, AND NATURE LOVERS AROUND THE GLOBE WE ARE ALL CONCERNED! WILL YOU LET THIS HAPPEN??? HELP US SAVE THE RIO TIGRE HELP US PRESERVE THE OSA PENINSULA DONATE NOW Ventanas en Corcovado Foundations, an Arizona 501©3 charitable organization, is accepting tax-deductible Rio Tigre donations with debit/credit cards through our website using PayPal. Click below. Checks can also be sent to Ventanas en Corcovado Foundations 733 S. Kenyon Dr. PLEASE SEND CHECKS TO: Tucson, AZ 85710 Ventanas en Corcovado Foundations write ASCODOBRARTI in memo section 733 S. Kenyon Dr. Tucson, AZ 85710 Write ASCODOBRARTI in memo section In Costa Rica Asociación Conservacionista de Dos Brazos de Rio Tigre Banco Nacional de Costa Rica Account Number 100-01-094-003571-4 Swift Number BNCRCRJS