:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/RGNFFMYWPFHAVA33HW635TJZSY.jpg "The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta will be larger: the protected area will have more than 570,000 hectares 1")
In order to protect the natural and cultural heritage of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Martahe Minister of the Environment announced that, in a joint effort with the four indigenous peoples who live there, enlarged by more than 172,000 hectares he nature park protection area.
“This is a historic decision with the four towns of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, with the aim of safeguarding the waterthe survival of peoples and above all protect it from mining and large-scale infrastructure and agricultural works in this national, not only environmental, but cultural reserve of the country. You have to do a responsible nature tourismand this activity must be articulated with the communities”, said Environment Minister Susana Muhamad.
The Environment portfolio also pointed out that the expansion of the protected area aims to protect the diversity and cultural practices of peoples. Kogui (Kággaba), Arhuaco (Death), Wiwa and Kankuamoin order to guarantee the survival of the country’s ancestral communities.
With the initiative, the municipalities to which the protection area of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Natural Park will be extended are: Aracataca, Ciénaga, Fundacion and Santa Martain the department of Magdalene; Dibulla (La Guajira); Beautiful city there Valleduparin the Caesar.
Thus, with an extension of approximately 172,458.3 hectares, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Natural Park will now have a protected area of 573,312.6 hectares.
“There is so much to do. Let’s start a ecological restoration process with communities and a process of regional dialogue because national parks belong to all Colombians. We are going to have a very active dialogue with the regional and municipal systems of protected areas, but in a very concrete way three major processes are to come: restoration, education and strengthening organizations and social dialogue”indicated the Director of National Natural Parks, Luis Olmedo.
Immediately afterwards, the Ministry of the Environment noted that with the expansion, resolution 0369 of 2022 is maintained, by which “the period of validity of the zone of protection and development of renewable natural resources and the environment is extended, close to the National Natural Park of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, declared by Resolution 504 of April 2, 2018″.
With the extension of the protected area, the Ministry of Environment has ensured that the national government’s commitment to protecting Colombia’s ancestral cultural and natural heritage is reaffirmed.
“We are very happy that the Colombian government has taken the act of expanding this protected area. This is something very important for the Sierra, for the conservation of biodiversity and its ecosystems; It is also a very articulated process with the communities”noted the coordinator of the Permanent Commission of Protected Areas of the Colombian Academy of Sciences and director of the Institute of Natural Sciences, Gonzalo Andrade.
Below you will find the map of the extension of the protected area of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta:
In other news related to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, National natural parks recently announced the next dates when it will be closed to the public Tayrona Parkas part of the strategy #Respiratayrona.
It is worth remembering that within the framework of this initiative “the area seeks with the different actors, the social integration, the appropriation of the environmental and cultural processes that take place during the closure, favoring the strengthening of actions such as the monitoring and research of fauna and flora, visitor safety strategies, management, prevention and control of the protected area”.
Thus, according to Parques, the next closures of the ecotourism area will be June 1 to 15 and some October 19 to November 2 of 2023.