The Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with largely deforested Haiti, is in contrast a country with some of the largest remaining wilderness areas in the region.

The controversial new law would have removed protection from all the coastal areas of Parque del Este, which was nominated for inclusion as a World Heritage Site, and Jaragua National Parks, a United Nations designated Biosphere Reserve which contains the most extensive and pristine coral reefs of the DR.

Endangered ecosystems would have disappeared, including coastal wetlands, important bird areas, as well as globally significant sites for the critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus.)

In addition to thousands of Passport activists, 97 leading scientists from around the world, and leading international environmental organizations voiced opposition to the law, which placed at risk some of the premiere marine and terrestrial ecosystems in the Caribbean, including Jaragua, El Este and Lago Enriquillo national parks.

Thanks to the local and international efforts, the President of the Dominican Republic "observed" the law, sending it back to Congress with a number of changes that removed many of the most serious threats to the national park system.

The new law, passed by the Congress is a great improvement over the original proposal, and spares the majority of the protected areas in the Dominican Republic.

Nonetheless, the law still includes a number of problematic provisions, and we will continue to support the groups in the Dominican Republic in their efforts to overturn these provisions.

 View current campaigns