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Wildlife

Legislators Approve Moratorium on Evictions in Coastal Communities
“Decision of the President is Only a Postponement of the Evictions, Not a Solution” Gerardo Chaves Cordero (CIMACO)

by Arianna McKinney
photos By Giordano Ciampini


"Downtown" Garza Beach is inside the Maritime Land Zone. Because there is no Regulatory Plan approved yet, the people that live inside the houses can not remodel or fix their homes.

The Legislative Assembly has approved in both the first and second debates a law that establishes a 24-month moratorium to halt evictions of inhabitants of special zones, including the maritime land zone. Although the 300 families who reside in the Ostional Wildlife Refuge can now breathe a sigh of relief, they do not believe that a permanent solution to their situation has been hammered out.

The moratorium was initiated by President Laura Chinchilla and Vice President Alfio Piva Mesén.  “We hope during the course of this year or the following months to present to the Legislative Assembly various law projects that contemplate the definite solution to this problem,” Piva Mesén explained in a press release.

He also indicated that during the moratorium, municipalities should organize land use through the approval of coastal regulatory plans. 

 
Ostional Beach during the first "arribada" in August, 2012

This measure comes at the same time that the Legislative Assembly is debating the Coastal Territories Law, known as Tecocos. Legislatures have been considering various changes to the proposed law in hopes of gaining a consensus to pass the measure, such as leaving out the protected wild areas, although the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge (RNSVO) would be included under a “special regimen.” 

In criticism of the moratorium, Legislator Jose Maria Villalta, Frente Amplio party, pointed out that the 24-month period coincides with when the president’s term will end, insinuating that the measure is an attempt to avoid pressure from the coastal communities. Villalta warned to digital newspaper elpais.cr that the moratorium “is not a real solution for the coastal communities but rather a trick to demobilize the fight they are giving in favor of the Legislative Assembly approving a law that resolves the problem in an integral and permanent way.”

Villalta also predicted that the Constitutional Court might suspend the moratorium as unconstitutional, leaving coastal communities in the same situation.

From a local standpoint, Gerardo Chaves Cordero, a member of CIMACO, the interinstitutional council of the Ostional Wildlife Refuge, affirmed that “the decision of the president is only a postponement of the evictions, so it’s not a solution. The real solution is that the legislators develop the TECOCOs law to approve a document that resolves the community problems right away and impedes environmental abuse in the coastal zone.”   

Chaves said that a coastal territory community (TECOCO) is a protected area similar to a wildlife refuge; however in addition to protecting the natural environment, a TECOCO also conserves the cultural practices that allow the human community to live in harmony with nature. 
   
The coastal communities issue is complex. Bobbi Johnson, secretary of the Nosara Civic Association, a non-profit organization that aims to protect the Ostional Refuge, said that no one among the NCA really understands what is going on with the proposed law or the moratorium. “I go to meetings and meetings and nothing happens or is explained,” she related.

It remains to be seen whether legal action will be taken to void the moratorium, or if the proposed TECOCOs law will be approved by the Legislative Assembly. 

 

More Regional News

Fined Foreigners Face Re-entry Ban

According to the new Ley de Transito (traffic law), foreigners who do not pay a traffic ticket before leaving Costa Rica will be denied re-entry into the country on their next visit – whether by land or air.

Samara Discusses Disaster Preparedness

Although, the red alert was lowered to yellow and shelters were shut down, many remain nervous with so many aftershocks – over 1700 by Tuesday 11- and the possibility of another big quake.

Psychologists Visit Nosara and Samara to Calm People’s Nerves

On Monday, September 10, a group of 10 psychologists from the University of Costa Rica (UCR) and the College of Psychologists arrived in the communities of Samara and Nosara to meet with the populace and school teachers with the goal of giving them post-earthquake therapy.

This Was the Anticipated Earthquake for Nicoya, but Seismic Potential Remains

The September 5, 2012 earthquake in Cangrejal of Samara had a magnitude and location in the place foreseen by the scientific work published by OVSICORI during the last fifteen years. 

Effect on Tourism in the Coast Should Be Minimal

Optimism abounds as people in Samara and Nosara have assessed damages caused by the 7.6 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday, September 5th with the epicenter in Cangrejal of Samara. Some have commented that it was fortunate that the earthquake happened during the day since injuries and structural damages were minimal.

Was This the Big One?

Three days after the 7.6 magnitude earthquake shook the country, a lot of information has been received  and processed by the Costa Rican Sismology and Volcanology Observatory (OVSICORI); nonetheless conclusions are few and progressive. 

Nicoya Requests Collaboration of Civil Engineers to Facilitate Home Inspections
240 Homes Affected

The Municipality of Nicoya requested the voluntary help of associated civil engineers to evaluate the damages suffered by houses and buildings alter the earthquake on Wednesday morning. 

Bridges over Rio Montaña and Nosara Not Seriously Damaged
RAASA Will Begin Work on Route 160 on Saturday, the 8th

After the 7.6 magnitude earthquake on September 5th, the National Roadway Council (CONAVI) assured that the bridges over Río Montaña and Nosara River not only withstood the strong shaking of the quake and aftershocks, but additionally the structures don’t show severe damages.

Not Everyone Can Return to Daily Life After Earthquake

Although aftershocks continue to be felt constantly—now numbering more than 1,000—people are returning to their normal lives. For many, this is easy to do since their homes and businesses didn’t sustain damage or the damage was minimum after the earthquake on Wednesday, September 5th.

Video of 7.6 Earthquake in Nosara

Samara Remains Under Red Alert After Earthquake
Medical Services Are Limited

Still under red alert, 236 men, women and children are sleeping and eating in three designated shelters in the district of Samara, the epicenter of the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that shook and shocked many on Wednesday morning, September 5th. 

President Chinchilla Came to Nicoya to Evaluate Situation
-Vice-Minister of Housing inspected damage in Nosara

Thursday morning, September 6th, President of the Republic Laura Chinchilla toured various parts of the canton in order to evaluate the situation 24 hours alter the earthquake with epicenter in Samara Beach

Engineers Survey Nosara Damage

Two engineers from the Architects and Engineer Federal College were present in Nosara this Thursday, September 6th, observing homes and surveying the damage resulting from the 7.6 magnitude earthquake, which struck in the morning hours of September 5th, 2012.

7.6 Earthquake in Cangrejal of Samara
Information from the National Seismological Network (UCR)

8 km to the northeast of Samara
15 kilometers deep
7.6 intensity on the Richter scale
Felt as far away as Nicaragua

7.6 Earthquake in Cangrejal of Samara
7.6 Magnitude Earthquake Damages Several Structures in Nicoya

This Wednesday, September 5th a powerful, magnitude-7.6 earthquake struck approximately 8 kilometers northeast from the town of Samara, generating a strong quake whose force was felt throughout the country, but mostly on the Nicoya Peninsula.

7.6 Earthquake in Cangrejal of Samara
Municipality of Nicoya and National Emergency Commission Assessing Damages in Nosara

At around 2 p.m. a meeting was held with representatives of the Municipality of Nicoya, who arrived in Nosara to evaluate structural damages in the town in order to report to the National Emergency Commission (CNE). 

46% of Ticos Lack Faith in the Police
Opinions in Nosara and Samara are Mixed

The absolute trust that the majority of Costa Ricans once had in the officers of the Public Force has been diminishing through the years, giving way to an increase in the perception of greater insecurity in the country, according to reports from the United Nations Development Program (PNUD).

Nosara Center Asphalt Project Still in the Works

The project to pave two kilometers in the center of Nosara is being held up due to a funding issue in the municipality, so it might be a couple more months before the project can be completed. 

Municipality Looks to Recover Green Zones and Public Areas

The municipality is trying to sort out registries of lands in Garza, Nosara and Samara that are improperly registered. The lands include green zones, public property and streets in Samara and Nosara, as well as concessionable lands in the maritime zone of Garza.

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