Impact of flooding the Macal River Valley?

[Jonathan Kelsey]

Doug -
I spent two years working on coral reefs in Belize as a Peace Corps
volunteer.  This Macal Valley is truly an amazing place.  I would urge as
many people as possible to submit letters to Fortis.  This project will
affect one-of-a-kind ecosystems beyond the river valley and reef, such as
the Crooked Tree migratory bird sanctuary, a Belize Audubon Society
sanctuary for the endangered Jabiru Stork, among untold others.  Not to
mention nearshore manatee habitats and on, and on.

I find it interesting that the letters are going to Fortis in Newfoundland,
a place where another brand of large-scale manipulation of an ecosystem for
"development's" sake ended up in catastrophe.

Please take a minute and submit a letter.

Jonathan Kelsey*



Doug Kent wrote:

>  Fortis, a Canadian logging company is trying to dam and flood 20 miles
> the Macal River Valley in Belize (see
> http://www.savebiogems.org/macal/). Any idea whether and how this might
> affect coral reef ecosystems in Belize?Thanks.Doug Kent

--
Jonathan D. Kelsey
*views are not representative of NOAA or the Department of Commerce
Coastal Management Specialist, Pacific Region
NOAA/NOS/Coastal Programs Division
1305 East-West Highway, 11th Floor, N/ORM3
Silver Spring, MD  20910
Phone: (301) 713-3155 x137   Fax: (301) 713-4367