A housing cooperative from Villa Traful must pay 365 million pesos in the next 15 days to advance on a native forest, an area categorized as “yellow zone” by the Neuquén Forest Directorate. In addition, they must plant 6,500 trees in that sector in one year.
As indicated by the Ministry of Production and Industry of the province, the violation was committed in January 2023 on an area of approximately 4.5 hectares by the Villa Traful Housing and Consumer Cooperative Ltda.
The organization was formed Ten years ago in order to access housing. Today it has 40 partners.
«In 2015 the Land Directorate gave us ownership of a lot at kilometer 40 on Route 65, which is under the yellow color of Bosques. Everything around it is green. A year later, we made an agreement with the Directorate of Forests from which we had to present documentation and They committed to making the category adjustment and the change of land use«said Sofía Leal, one of the members of the cooperative.
The following years there were all kinds of comings and goings. «In 2017 they gave us technical approval and in 2019, they marked the trees to be able to make the streets. We move forward with the felling with that authorization. And it turns out that in 2022 they tell us that until Traful has an updated Urban Code and a new territorial development plan they were not going to give us the category adjustment,” said Leal.
He assured that the previous mayor, Omar Torres, authorized them to clean the lots by turning over trees. For three months, he said, There were no inspections by either the Forest Directorate or the Police.
«In Traful all lands are public and the one who transfers land is the Province. Lots are delivered for development and obviously surveys must be made. For every tree that is torn down, three must be planted. This is already known. In this case, the excessive fine is proportional to the lack of compliance by the public official because they did not comply with the agreement signed in 2016. We have been advancing to the extent that the Forestry Directorate has given us authorization.“Leal said while ensuring that they will appeal the measure.
He also mentioned that two other lots adjacent to the route that were also donated to two families already have the category adjustment. «This fine arises because we began to request reports on the provisions on subdivisions in Traful«, he indicated.
He also questioned the obligation to plant 6,500 trees since “they do not enter the property.” «The company CN Sapag in charge of the 30-kilometer route has to forest 8,000 species in 5 years. In one year, we have to pay 6,500 for having turned 120. We do not refuse the forestation but the fine is absurd as well as the fact that they continue to refuse to make the category adjustment.
