BajaNomad

Update Marina Project LA Bay

Aqsurfer - 7-6-2004 at 04:34 PM

WiLDCOAST has been asked to update the readers of BajaNomad.com on the status of the legal actions taken by the Ejido Tierra y Libertad of Bahia de los Angeles to halt a proposed 504-slip marina.

Wildcoast is working with the Environmental Law Institute of Northwest Mexico (Derecho Ambienta del Noroeste A.C.) and has filed an injunction against the proposed 504 slip marina for Bahia de los Angles on behalf of the Ejido Ejido y Libertad.

The injunction has been filed. And for the information of Bajanomad--no information about the marina was ever made available to anyone in the community. This project was secretly approved by the Fox administration, after the developer, Tere Grossman, pretended to be an opponent of the Escalera Nautica project.

WiLDCOAST is a registered 501 ? 3 in the state of California and donations are tax-deductible. Donations will be used to pay for the costs of the legal actions (lawyer fees and travel to Mexico City). At this moment we have a strategy to file four more legal actions if we lose on the injuction. All private donations will be matched by a grant from the Global Green Grant Fund.

A recent legal action against the existing marina in Santa Rosalillita that we initiated with Mexico's Group of 100 resulted in a $80,000 fine against the project developer.

The work of Wildcoast to preserve Baja California has been reported on by the Wall Street Journal, CNN, Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, National Public Radio, BBC and National Geographic.

WiLDCOAST understands the feeling that many Bajanomad readers have about Americans interfering in Mexican economic and political issue. However, Wildcoast only responded to a request that our Mexican partners made to obtain funding to carry out this legal campaign.

WiLDCOAST has worked hard over the past few years to promote economic development in Baja including the development of La Unica Ecotourism Camp in LA Bay (and a new partnership with Baja Discovery) and a micro-credit loan program that provided 4-stroke engines for whalewatching guides in San Ignacio Lagoon.

More importantly, we fully believe that Mexico will never advance economically or have a real democracy unless communities have the opportunity to define their own future and defend themselves against illegal projects.

We look forward to hearing from you.


Marina in Bahia de Los Angeles

Mike Humfreville - 7-6-2004 at 05:21 PM

I have personal opinions about what I would like to see in Bahia de Los Angeles but I feel that, as an individual who pays only marginal attention to the matters that influence a place and people I spend a lot of time with, I should not try and have any influence over what could cause changes, good or bad, for the village and bay.

I have read on a limited basis information and links posted by and about WiLDCOAST. From what I read both from your posts and private individuals, and from what I've been informed by locals at the bay, the locals don't mind the new activities as long as they're involved and the fishing industry isn't destroyed. But when the big bucks developers start moving without the knowledge or permission of the locals, something should be done, even if it's only to bring the information to the attention of the locals for their interpretation.

In so many ways we see signs and actions of ecological improvement in Baja, e.g., turtles on the Viscaino peninsula which was posted recently. I know most of the folks acting to improve ecological conditions in Baja are serving others first. Both that support and some blending of global measurement and analysis with local acceptance and informedness are important items and at the top of many of our lists.

I would also suggest that this information might be better placed on nomads General Baja Discussion forum because it is an issue of wide interest and some of might not see it here on the political page.

Thanks for the information.

[Edited on 7-7-2004 by Mike Humfreville]