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Wildlife

Interview with Legislator Claudio Monge (PAC)
“The MOPT is not interested in budgeting money for Route 160, there are no mega tourism developments there"

By Wilberth Villalobos Castrillo

Claudio Monge, legislator for the political party Partido Acción Ciudadan, toured several communities in the canton of Nicoya. VON took this opportunity to ask about the reasons why the project on Route 160 is not moving forward, and if the government really is interested in paving this road.

VON: Why is it that Route 160, which connects Sámara and Nosara, has not been paved yet?

CM: This is one of the questions that we always ask ourselves, in regards to paving. Our colleagues at the Municipalidad have also raised the very same question. I've asked them why Law 8114 has not been applied; this Law sets a fuel tax, and this tax is used precisely in developing the road network.

VON: However, even though they wanted to do so, the Municipalidad is unable to pave Route 160 because it is a national route and therefore, it is the MOPT's duty... 

CM: Yes, this project must be included in the MOPT's budget; the funds are derived from the same Law, 8114. As the road network becomes more extensive, the Municipalidad should receive more economic resources.

VON: Do you think the MOPT is simply not interested in paving Route 160?

CM: Being a national route, I believe the MOPT has not devoted enough attention to it. This has to do with solving problems in a comprehensive way; it has to do with all the coastal region being involved in the projects at hand because, the kind of development we will get, will depend on the type of properties that are established once these projects are approved.

VON: So, why is the paving project stalled?

CM: The MOPT is not interested in budgeting the large sums of money, millions of colones, that they would have to budget for this route;  if no mega tourism development project will be built there. They will not build a road such as this one for fishermen, sustainable tourism businesses or other small-scale businesses.

 
   
 

VON: Do you think the opposite happened with Route N01, on the North Inter-American Highway, that connects Cañas to Liberia?

CM: Of course! You can see for yourself how the economic interests play out.  The expansion of the route that connects Cañas to Liberia has already been approved; it will have four lanes and a cycle path, because it is closely linked to the recent expansion of the Daniel Oduber International Airport and to the development of several tourism mega projects. In addition, there is great interest from the government to develop two projects for geothermal power generation, such as the Pailas 2. These projects are already at the Asamblea Legislativa and, in order to develop them, the road extension is needed to accommodate the large number of vehicles and transportation that will be involved in these projects. As you can see, this is all related to a matter of economic interests.

VON: So, in order for Route 160 to be paved, do you feel it will be necessary to have a mega project in Sámara or Nosara?

CM: Absolutely, because we are speaking of multimillion investments. I am not against mega projects being built, provided that they are developed within the law and as long as they do not affect wetlands or the country's environment.  

 

More Regional News

Extra protection from the Tourist Police for Holy Week

On Wednesday, March 21st, the Tourist Police met with the community of Nosara to present their updates. Among the good news, the chief of Guanacaste, Luis Chavarria Castrillo, said that Nosara is a priority for them, and due to this, in the month of February they transfered a new patrol vehicle from the delegation of Flamingo to Guiones Beach for patrolling along with the two existing motorcycles.

Attorney Files Appeal Against Nicoya's Regulatory Plan

A negative impact upon the environment and nesting turtles, 20 and 36-meter constructions along the coastline, the destruction of forests and water reservoirs; this could all happen if Nicoya's Regulatory Plan is approved just as it was presented on February 25th, Nosara residents reported.

“Law of Costal Territories is Respect Toward Private Property,” Carlos Gongora (ML)

The next fraction leader of the Movimiento Libertario (Libertarian Movement) party, Carlos Gongora, highlighted the importance of the Community Costal Territories Law (Tecocos) project since it is part of the “fundamental ideological principle of the liberals and it is respect toward private property.”

Thefts in Nosara and Garza Foiled

The police and OIJ are looking for suspects in two recent robberies, one in Nosara and one in Garza. On Saturday, March 17, during a Saint Patrick’s day party in Nosara, one party-goer decided to take a nap in her car. Around 11:30 p.m. she woke up to find a man inside her car, stealing her purse and wallet. She started screaming and honking the horn to scare him and he ran into the jungle with her belongings.

Second Field Fire in Two Days

It has been a busy weekend for the Nosara firefighters. This Sunday March 18 they responded to a field fire in Santa Marta. The fire was started when a small garbage fire caught wind and spread into a field and up a hill.

Esperanza Field Fire Burns Two Acres

A fire set to clear pasture space in Esperanza burnt out of control in the dry season weather. Nosara firefighters were called to the scene at 12pm on March 17, the fire, which had been burning for an hour, had spread through dry undergrowth.

Fire Consumed Large Part of Nosara’s Garbage Dump

A fire at the garbage dump in Nosara devastated a third of the land where the zone’s waste is deposited. According to the owner of the garbage dump, Arnulfo Espinoza, the fire “started by itself,” presumably by “a glass” that heated up a dry leaf.

Nosara-Samara
Communities Voice Concerns about Proposed Regulatory Plan
Commission Will Hold Meeting to Review Observations on March 23rd

The regulatory plan commission received so much feedback about the proposed regulatory plan for the Canton of Nicoya, especially from the communities of Nosara and Samara, that they plan to hold a special meeting on Friday, March 23rd beginning at 9 a.m. in the Municipality to address concerns, according to Juan Carlos Oviedo Quesada, coordinator of the regulatory plan commission and Maritime Land Zone coordinator for the municipality.

OIJ Investigates Compay's Death

Nicoya's Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) is investigating the causes behind the death of 36-year old, Alexander Antonio Matarrita Castellón, known as ‘Compay’, who passed away on Thursday, March 8th at 11:00 a.m. at Hospital México, after being in a coma since February 21st.

Lack of Water Affects Several Areas in Nosara Town

Since December 2011, 600 residents of Los Arenales and San Pedro are suffering due to lack of water. According to Christoph Hubmann, President of Nosara's rural ASADA, there is not enough water in the four tanks that supply the precious liquid to those neighborhoods. San Pedro is the area that has been most affected.

Coastal Territories Law Will Reward Illegal Activities at Ostional's Wildlife Refuge

Community leaders, environmentalists and tourism entrepreneurs have reported that the Coastal Territories Law suggests awarding properties to individuals, real estate companies and developers and political entrepreneurs who have committed irregular acts with properties within the Ostional Wildlife Refuge and the Maritime Terrestrial Zone (MTZ).

Nosara Red Cross
Emergency Doctors

Four Days with the Nosara Red Cross. If a medical emergency happens, Nosara can feel like an isolated place. The nearest hospital is 37 miles (60km) away in Nicoya, the two private health clinics are only open during the day and rarely deal with emergencies.

Sick of Dust
Lack of pavement on roads negatively affects health
• 186 from Nosara have respiratory problems per month

The excess of dust particles in the air has more than 6000 people in the Canton of Nicoya tired and sick during Guanacaste’s summer or dry season. 

Project to Asphalt Route 160 Not Progressing
• Asphalting the Roadway Promised Since 2007

The longing of the inhabitants of Samara and Nosara to see Route 160 paved remains an unfulfilled promise of the government. Marcos Avila, president of the Nosara Development Association, manifested that since 2010 the plans for the route have been known; however he feels that the process is proceeding very slowly.

OIJ Assigns More Investigators to Nicoya Coastal Towns
• New Mobile Forms Allow People to File Complaints Locally

Eight months after a tourist from Argentina was shot in Samara on June 16 in order to rob her of a laptop computer, her murder remains under investigation, but the event served as a catalyst for greater attention to security along the coast. 

34 Families in Cuesta Grande Without Water Since November
• Local ASADA’s Legal ID is Expired and it Can’t Operate

Since the month of November of 2011, 34 families from the communities of Cuesta Grande and Terciopelo have their faucets dry. This is due to not having a connection to AyA’s system, and the source from which they have been taking water has been going dry.

More Speed Bumps for Samara? 
CASATUR proposes six new speed bumps to increase safety for pedestrians

Though they may be a nuisance to drivers, these bumps in the road are a means of slowing down traffic and reducing potential danger to pedestrians and bicyclists. To that end, Samara’s Chamber of Tourism, CASATUR, has recommended to MOPT the installation of six more speed bumps in strategic locations...

Proposed Regulatory Plan for Canton of Nicoya Available for Your Inspection
• People Have Until March 9th to Voice Questionsand Concerns 

Time is ticking. Inhabitants of the Canton of Nicoya were given just 10 working days to review the proposed regulatory plan, ask any questions they may have and respond with observations or concerns after the plan was presented during a public audience at the Polideportivo arena in Nicoya on Saturday, February 25th.


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