Environmental Mediation in Misiones
The province of Misiones in Argentina is home to an ancient, endangered species of trees called Araucarias. A particularly rich abundance of these dinosaur-era trees can be found in the area of San Pedro, a small town located on the Brazilian border, in the northeast of the province. Over the past 50 years, this sparsely populated area has grown dramatically in size, attracting large numbers of farmers who, unrestricted by zoning laws, often made their homes among the Araucarias.
The trees, which are very sensitive to changes in their habitat, did not adapt well to their new human neighbors. Many Araucarias deteriorated rapidly. In some cases powerful storms uprooted weakened trees, which fell on barns and homes in San Pedro. In 1986 the provincial government passed a law that declared the Araucarias protected monuments, but the law did allow trees to be cut down if they threatened the life or home of a San Pedro resident. Since then, municipal authorities have often sided with those living under the trees, ordering that teetering trees be chopped down and discarded.
A recent government order to cut down 247 Araucarias prompted fierce opposition from local and national environmentalists, who argued that the city should focus on saving the rare trees. They advocated an urban planning effort to relocate residents living in close proximity to the Araucarias. The fate of the 247 trees was passionately debated, with coverage in the local media.
Within this context, Foundation for Democratic Change in Argentina (FCD – Fundación de Cambio Democrático), at the request of the Ministry of Ecology, facilitated a resolution to this complex environmental crisis. Acting quickly, Center staff met with residents of several neighborhoods throughout San Pedro to explain mediation processes and request their participation in community sessions that would aim to settle the dispute. FCD also spoke with the mayor of San Pedro, the Minister of Ecology, the Undersecretary of Economy of San Pedro, the General Director of Lands in Misiones, various environmental groups, the fire department, teachers and school administrators, park rangers, and the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, identifying major points of contention and getting the various interests to commit to full participation in the process.
The mediation was enormously successful. During four intensive sessions, 55 participants representing different interests came together to discuss the two most pressing issues: the security of community members and the preservation of remaining Araucarias. The participants arrived at a binding solution that stipulated that dead and dying Araucarias would be cut down and donated to public building projects, while healthy trees would be actively conserved. Most importantly, the agreement established an Urban Planning Commission and suspended residential visas until zoning laws are enforced. The Ministry of Ecology and the Misiones Lands Department agreed to spearhead the design of a new urban planning project. FCD is working with the community to implement the agreement.
Gachi Tapia, former director of FCD, believes the work blazes a trail for future environmental mediation in Argentina: "When we finished our work, all the people told us wonderful things about the knowledge they had acquired through the mediation process. I was really moved, it was very hard work . . . This is the first mediation experience in environmental issues undertaken in this country, and there exists no other precedent of this magnitude. We believe that this experience will open up a new path in the resolution of conflicts by these means in public contexts."
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