The Federal Office of Environmental Protection (Profepa) temporarily closed the activities in forest lands in an area of 4,880 square meters, in the municipality of San Felipe, Yucatan.
The land is within the polygon of the State Reserve of Dzilam de Bravo, and was closed for lack of authorization for a change in usse of land from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
According to a statement from Profepa, an inspection carried out by the agency’s personnel revealed the removal of forest vegetation in an area of 4,880 square meters where trees and mangroves were cut down.
There was also the opening of a road (street) for the establishment of human settlements without authorization.
The site was closed down before further damage to the environment was made.
Among the affected wild vegetation were specimens of red mangrove (Rizophora mangle), white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa), black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) and botoncillo mangrove (Conocarpus erectus), species that are subject to the category of Endangered (A) in accordance with the official Mexican standard NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010.
The State Reserve of Dzilam is a state protected natural area declared by an agreement published in the Official Gazette of the Government of the State of Yucatan on January 25, 1989, as well as Agreement 71 published on December 29, 2005, that includes the municipalities of Dzilam de Bravo and San Felipe in the state of Yucatán.
It is considered a priority site for the conservation of wetlands, housing a significant diversity of flora and fauna, as well as providing shelter and food to a large number of animal species; for what was declared a wetland of International Importance or RAMSAR site, on December 7, 2000.
The alleged perpetrators may be entitled to a fine equivalent to 100 to 20 thousand times the Unit of Measurement and Updating, in accordance with article 157, section II, of the General Law of Sustainable Forestry Development (LGDFS) and will be forced to carry out the correspondant restoration activities of the affected site, regardless of the penal sanctions.
The Federal Penal Code in its article 418 establishes a penalty of six months to 9 years in prison for anyone who disassembles or destroys the natural vegetation; cutting, starting, felling or burning trees, or changing the use of forest land.
TYT Newsroom with information of yucatanalamano.com
