Forest Dept. says seismic testing excludes communal lands

The Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management, SATIIM, lashed out at a government decision on Monday to grant permission to U.S. Capital Energy to conduct seismic testing in the Sarstoon Temash National Park. SATIIM said it felt betrayed by the Prime Minister at the secret manner in which the permit was granted. But SATIIM’s co-management agreement over the park expired in 2008. News Five contacted the Forest Department who did not give an interview and instead issued a release saying that it has reasonably consulted SATIIM. The Department says that along with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, it has been engaging SATIIM since 2006 on the issue. The Department says it has made available to SATIIM copies of all documentation that U.S. Capital has provided in its request to enter the park, but that it received only one official response objecting to the permit. According to the Department, with regular testing, there will be minimal damage to the park’s eco-systems. Finally, the Department says that the permit granted excludes the communal lands claimed by Conejo Village.