Return to 2000 Archives Menu

Return to Main Archives Menu

TAPIR TALK Digest 13 April 2000 - Vol. 4, No. 16
The Tapir Preservation Fund
The Tapir Gallery: http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/
Tapir Talk Archives and Info: http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/tt.htm
E-mail: tapir@tapirback.com

__________________________________________________________________

Contents of this issue
1. Chalillo Dam Scheme pushing ahead in Belize habitat (link to report)



From: "The Belize Zoo" <belizezoo@btl.net>
To: "Tapir" <tapir@tapirback.com>
Subject: Re: Tapir Talk Digest - 13 April 2000 - Vol. 4, No. 16
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 15:00:12 -0700

As some of you are aware, I have been actively trying to stop the
development of a dam project within the Central Maya Mountains of Belize.
This habitat is a stronghold for the Central American tapir, and the only
area in our region where a sub-species of Scarlet Macaw, Ara macao
cyanoptera, exists unmolested by poaching or habitat
alteration/encroachment. The area slated for development has an extremely
high biodiversity. Creating a dam, which has shown to be economically not
viable from three consulting reports, is a step backward for those of us
working to preserve natural resources. To learn more about the economics of
the dam, CSF (Conservation Strategy Foundation) has a web page with a report
on line. To become proactive about the dam, www.nrdc.org will provide a
look at this project. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) was
successful in stopping Mitsubishi from turning the breeding grounds of the
Grey Pacific Whale in Laguna San Ignacio, Mexico into a salt mine. They
have other environmental victories
under their belts, and I am optimistic that their involvement can be a
pivotal move in turning the dam issue into a dead issue. To provide an idea
of the sensibilities of the power company involved in this dam project, Duke
International (out of Houston), I understand from a Wildlife Conservation
Society (WCS) zoologist that one of their "environmental" officials
contacted Joe Fragoso, inquiring about his interest in undertaking tapir
studies, i.e. radio telemmetry work in the area which would be impacted
upon. Apparently they asked him if he could "radio track the animals while
the dam was being constructed". As I previously stated, a link up with NRDC
will provide information as to how to assist in opposing this project. My
thanks for any concern shown. Sharon Matola

NOTE: The URL given above is for the main CSF site. I could not find the
link to the report from there, but earlier they also gave this information
to find it:

Chalillo Dam Analysis, 28 pages
You can now download the Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF) study by
Reid, Bowles and Pendleton. There are two ways to get the file.
1. You can go to http://www.conservation-strategy.org and click on
Projects. At the moment, this is the only one of CSF's projects summarized
on this page, so you can't get lost. At the bottom of the file there is a
button to download it.
2. Perhaps easier, you can click on
http://www.conservation-strategy.org/csf_chalillo_dam_analysis.PDF. The file
can be read with the Adobe Acrobat Reader.

For those who cannot use PDF files and want to read this, please contact me
(Sheryl tapir@tapirback.com) and I'll see that you get a copy in ascii or
some other format. For future reference, you can also link from the Tapir
Gallery - follow the Belize link at the top of our main page - unfortunately
our server for the site is down right now. Thanks.

Sheryl

=========================================================
TO POST TO THE GROUP

Reply to tapir@tapirback.com - include the words "Tapir Talk" in the subject
line.

This is also my personal e-mail. If you would like mail to go to Sheryl Todd
rather than to the group, DO NOT include the words "Tapir Talk" in the
subject line and/or please indicate in the body of > the letter that it's
personal.

To be removed from the list, write to the same address and ask to be
removed. You will receive confirmation of removal.

=========================================================



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sheryl Todd ~ The Tapir Gallery
President, Tapir Preservation Fund
TPF is a 501 (c) (3) charitable corporation
http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/ tapir@tapirback.com
Tapir Talk info & archives: http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/tt.htm
IUCN/SSC Tapir Specialist Group
Deputy Chair, Tapir Specialist Group / Co-Editor TSG Newsletter
P.O. Box 1432, Palisade, CO 81526 USA
Phone (970) 464-0321 Fax (970) 464-0377
"Information and funding to assist conservation of tapirs and their habitats"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~