Cedo strikes back!

[jerry]

Oh Ya brother...Stewart don't let them force you too move this great news!
http://www.cedointercultural.org/content/view/92/94/lang,en/

Conservation News: Essential Rocky Habitat Saved from Destruction
After three years of legal battles the Mexican Secretary of the Environment determined that the Sandy Beach Resorts Marina, between Sandy Beach and La Cholla, could not be authorized to continue. The project would have destroyed vital rocky reef habitat. The legal process was led by CEDO, commercial divers from Puerto Peñasco and the Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA). The basis for this decision was the lack of hard scientific evidence to state that the project would not have significant impacts on the environment. This ruling will stop the destruction of a shallow rocky reef that has immense ecological and social importance, including being used as a marine reserve by local commercial divers to promote sustainable fisheries, elevated levels of biodiversity, presence of several protected species and its proximity to the Upper Gulf Biosphere Reserve. This is a great sign the Mexican government is adequately enforcing environmental law.
- Read about our Conservation and Research programs here.

 

[Kenny]

Oh Ya brother...Stewart don't let them force you too move this great news!
http://www.cedointercultural.org/content/view/92/94/lang,en/

Conservation News: Essential Rocky Habitat Saved from Destruction
After three years of legal battles the Mexican Secretary of the Environment determined that the Sandy Beach Resorts Marina, between Sandy Beach and La Cholla, could not be authorized to continue. The project would have destroyed vital rocky reef habitat. The legal process was led by CEDO, commercial divers from Puerto Peñasco and the Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA). The basis for this decision was the lack of hard scientific evidence to state that the project would not have significant impacts on the environment. This ruling will stop the destruction of a shallow rocky reef that has immense ecological and social importance, including being used as a marine reserve by local commercial divers to promote sustainable fisheries, elevated levels of biodiversity, presence of several protected species and its proximity to the Upper Gulf Biosphere Reserve. This is a great sign the Mexican government is adequately enforcing environmental law.
- Read about our Conservation and Research programs here.

Wouldn't that be the same "vital rocky reef habitat" that Sub argued with me about? You know, to him it was just some rocks, not a "reef".

 

[jerry]

That was a great fight Kenny.What the hell happened to Sub?He was an uber dick I guess it takes one to know one! When is a reef a reef.Well I guess some real estate ****heads just found out the answer!

 

[Kenny]

That was a great fight Kenny.What the hell happened to Sub?He was an uber dick I guess it takes one to know one! When is a reef a reef.Well I guess some real estate ****heads just found out the answer!

Sub was interesting, a union man, who backed people that break unions..strange.
Hey! Do you think he got one of those great deals of his, and when he got there, it was one way. Mmmm now where would that be Jerry:lol:

 

[InkaRoads]

He might be in Fiji or Tahiti, searching for lost reefs, or maybe down by St. Tomas relaxing away from the reefs in question
One thing is for sure seems like PP will noy be getting a marina any time soon!!! :eek3:

 

[rockyptjoe]

I always thought that a massive breakwater would have to be built for the marina to work where it was supposed to go in. The tides and wind driven waves would have filled in the channel every month.

Anybody have any ideas as to what they're going to do with that huge hole they dug next to the Reef? Make it into a huge swimming pool? A "Wave Park"?:razz::-o:wink:

 

[rockyptjoe]

Sub was interesting, a union man, who backed people that break unions..strange.
Hey! Do you think he got one of those great deals of his, and when he got there, it was one way. Mmmm now where would that be Jerry:lol:

Hey....stop picking on my "bud"...Sub.....I don't think he's been on here much! Why don't you send him a PM....and stir him up....as if we didn't have enough in the "Rants"!!:wink:

 

[Kenny]

Hey....stop picking on my "bud"...Sub.....I don't think he's been on here much! Why don't you send him a PM....and stir him up....as if we didn't have enough in the "Rants"!!:wink:

Hey! Sub and I have had a lot of fun from way back before you were on the forums if I'm not mistaken. Heck, there are times when we see eye to eye on unions for instance, but then he takes a sharp right turn, and logic falls :-o off his truck.

 

[rockyptjoe]

Hey! Sub and I have had a lot of fun from way back before you were on the forums if I'm not mistaken. Heck, there are times when we see eye to eye on unions for instance, but then he takes a sharp right turn, and logic falls :-o off his truck.

I was on the "old" forum too....but not as active(hell, I don't even remember my login on there...but that's probably senility related!!)....was more active on another one (jetski related) where I "ran" into Sub......

I try not to get into discussions on politics and religion with my friends....;-)

 

[La Huerita]

If anyone needs a little more background on the marina story I've got some info about it on RPTides. And a nifty pic of the Sandy Beach Resorts master plan, too, that shows what the marina area was supposed to look like. I wonder if SBR will try again?

It seems like SEMARNAT has finally grown a pair and may be doing the job it was created to do. A couple of months ago or so they also gave the ax to plans for two massive resort developments in the Loreto, BCS area. A lot of big money was behind those. Is a new day dawning for responsible development in Mexico, or am I being too hopeful? :wink: :mexico:

Oh, yeah, almost forgot the URL for the marina/CEDO story:
CEDO Victorious in Sandy Beach Resorts Marina Controversy

 

[jerry]

From reading your article I'm wondering if this was the real smackdown we hope it is; or a case where if the developers pay for huge studies that show it's ok to build this nightmare some of that money finds its way back to SEMARNAT resulting in a more 'reasonable' decision reversing the stop order ? That's sort of how it works in Cochise County sometimes.

 

[Stuart]

Oh Ya brother...Stewart don't let them force you too move this great news!
http://www.cedointercultural.org/content/view/92/94/lang,en/

Contrary to your belief, Jerry, nobody "forces" me to do anything in regard to editing content on this forum. It's a non-paying position and I'm certainly not in any developer's pocket.

Why I would consider moving/deleting a post about CEDO and the environmental impact of developers on Rocky Point? Personally, I think it's good news for the environment. As a sportsman and one who has a strong interest in conserving fishing resources for future generations, I welcome this news.

As a realist, this news is about as signficant as a fart in the wind. Once developer dollars start flowing strongly again, this ruling will mean nothing. Overall, Mexico's record on protecting the ocean and its resources is nothing short of horrendous. Yes, they pass laws and rulings, but then turn their heads the other way, take the cash, and do absolutely NOTHING to enforce them. Shark Norma is a perfect example. Longlining dorado in Guaymas is another. The list goes on.

You can bet your bottom dollar that the reef is a goner as soon as somebody with enough money to build the marina comes along. I've said many times that I doubt I'll ever see the marina in my lifetime.

 

[La Huerita]

My cynical side tends to agree with you, Sr. Poobah, but I'm marginally hopeful. There are another 45 big resorts under SEMARNAT's microscope now, according to the Baja Nomad forum, and since FONATUR is downsizing in a major way and FONATUR has been one of the main players blocking environmental concerns, maybe-- just maybe-- there's room for that spark of hope.

You know that huge planned development called Penasco Bay, where the Marriott is supposedly going in? The one proposed by Grupo Questro? Well, what Grupo Questro did to the estuary in San Jose del Cabo was a sin. Not just a terrible thing, but an outright sin. There's no reason to suspect they'll be any more caring about Penasco's ecological issues, but I don't know enough about their plans to make a real judgment. The one thing I DO know, which applies to all the runaway development in Penasco and other sensitive environments, is that there isn't enough water to support it all. And desalination plants are not a perfect solution: All that salt/effluent removed from the water has to go somewhere, and generally it's just pumped back into a wetland, estuary, tidepool area, etc. That's not good for our ocean either.

End of rant. Oh. Should I have posted this under rants and raves? :???:

 

[Stuart]

End of rant. Oh. Should I have posted this under rants and raves? :???:

It's fine here. And as you said, "marginally hopeful." Hope is a good thing, it gives us something to look forward to. I use a different term - "cautiously optimistic."

But, then my cynical side takes over and says look at the Mexican track record to date on conservation. I start building that mental self-preservation to limit the amount of hurt I feel when I envitably have to say to myself "You fool; I told you so!" For one who truly loves the ocean and its creatures, you can only imagine the rage I feel everytime I see a turtle or billfish hooked on a longline.

As a boater, I would love to see a decent marina in Penasco. A marina, in and of itself, is not a detriment to the environment. If anything, it's an incubator of life. Both marinas in San Carlos are good examples. They are full of baby fish and all kinds of critters that grow in the sheltered waters of the marina, then move out to sea at some point. No fishing is allowed in the marina. And the fuel dock at the marina is one of the best run operations (environmentally) I've seen. They go out of their way when filling your boat to make certain no fuel gets spilled into the ocean.

For Penasco, the issue seems to be creating the marina. I've driven down into the pit they've already carved at the upper end of Sandy Beach. At this point, all they've done is move some sand around -- which nature does quite well on her own. Given time, the pit will fill itself back in and you'd never know there was going to be a marina there at all.

 

[Kenny]

I've driven down into the pit they've already carved at the upper end of Sandy Beach.

That used to be one of my favorite spot's. You could drive right over to the edge of the mountain until they put a fence up. I'd say it was least 4 years ago when the did that. You could drive right over there after passing through the paved R V Camp deal. You could camp over that way as well. No facilities, but hey, it was one of the few places that for ten bucks, you had very few people, great snorkeling off the rock's, and fishing too.
One more thing. There was, and probably still is white Sage that grows around there, and when you burn it, it smelled like the Sea of Cortez...honest

 

[jerry]

Contrary to your belief, Jerry, nobody "forces" me to do anything in regard to editing content on this forum. It's a non-paying position and I'm certainly not in any developer's pocket.

Nothing against you Stewart but from our experience with the last forum if somebody drags a 20 dollar bill through Tylers trailer park they might just get way.

 

[La Huerita]

I have nothing against marinas, either, and I agree about the San Carlos ones. As a landlubber, I like to wander around them from time to time admiring the boats, watching the sea life, etc., and it's a nice view to have from your window, too. The issue is where to build one that will do the least harm and make the most sense. Have you read about the travesty that was built as part of the Nautical Ladder at Santa Rosalillito? You can only scratch your head and wonder what the heck they were smokin' when they came up with that one.

Prepare for the worst, hope for the best... That way if the outcome is bad you won't be shocked and if it's good you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Roberto]

I have heard repeadedly that the shrimp boats are to be removed from Penasco, permanently. Anyone have any info. I always thought the harbor would be then turned into a Marina. ??

 

[Kenny]

nothing but sand, nothing.

When I was a little kid back in the 50's, Sandy beach was where some of the adventurous guy's from Hugh's Aircraft in Cali where my dad worked used to go. If fact it was a nut named shorty and a crazy man named Jim who told my dad and uncle about Cholla bay and Sandy beach back in 54. Talk about the wild bunch!
We stayed in Natcho's hut's in Cholla back then, (Brown kicked Nacho out later on) but we were over there a lot, and there was nothing but sand, nothing.

 

[Wood Spinner]

Wondering about the Marina at the Myan. Has CEDO said anything about that? Do any of you think this will come to pass any time soon.