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Developer tries to Bulldoze Renowned Research Institute

Longstanding Mexican Conservation and Research Institute Under Violent Attack from Developers. Please sign the Petition.

Bulldozers belonging to the development Fuentes del Mar from the company Clifton Meridian have destroyed established roads, demolished parts of CEDO, and constructed new fences on CEDO property in Puerto Peñasco. CEDO need YOUR help to deal with this emergency situation! Our immediate needs are for financial support to pay for legal fees. We will follow up this notice with more detailed information on how we plan to prevail against this attack and how you can help.

CEDO's Mission
The mission of CEDO, the Intercultural Center for the Study of Deserts and Oceans, is to advance and share knowledge about the Upper Gulf of California and surrounding Sonoran Desert and promote conservation and sustainable use of its natural and cultural resources.

Make a donation:
http://www.cedointercultural.org/demodonatetext.htm

- July 13, 2006 -
On July 13 CEDO obtained a temporary injunction to stop further damage to CEDO facilities and and to re-open the road but the future is still unclear. We thank you for your continuing support in our time of need.

- July 11, 2006 -
Bulldozers belonging to a wildcat developer with no apparent legal claim are destroying established roads, demolishing parts of CEDO, and constructing new fences on CEDO property in Puerto Peñasco. Despite a
26-year history of working with the Peñasco community, CEDO's present and future are threatened by these actions and the irreperable damage, both physical and emotional, being wrought to the facility and programs at this moment.

We need your help to deal with this emergency situation! Our immediate needs are for legal and financial support. We will follow up this notice with more detailed information on how we plan to combat and prevail against this attack and how you can help in the fight.

Please visit the following online campaign: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/CEDO7

Please visit the following online campaign:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/CEDO7

For Immediate Release:
American Developer tries to destroy Longstanding Environmental Organization
The Centro Intercultural de Estudios de Desiertos y Océanos (Intercultural Center for the Study of Deserts and Oceans, CEDO) has worked for 26 years in service of the communities and environments of the Northwestern coast of Mexico. On July 8, 2006, the developers of the Fuentes del Mar project, the Clifton-Meridian company, invaded and started to destroy the property of one of the most important educational and tourist attractions of the Northern Gulf of California, without appropriate authorization or notification.

CEDO A.C. is a Mexican non profit organization that along with its U.S. sister organization CEDO, Inc. is dedicated to research, environmental education, sustainable development and conservation. CEDO Intercultural initiated its work in 1980 on a property located in the Las Conchas community in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico. The property was specifically donated for the research, education, and other activities that CEDO carries out in the region. Within this property, CEDO has built an earthship of recycled materials, a beautiful mural, mounted a whale skeleton, started a botanical garden, and has developed exhibits and resources for schools and the general public.

In complete disregard of the importance of CEDO to local and international communities, and to Mexico, this Saturday, July 8th, the developer of the Fuentes del Mar project (working with the Seawater Foundation, formerly Desert Development Foundation) invaded the CEDO property, erected a chain link fence across it, and effectively cut off the only access to the front door, thereby threatening CEDO’s operations. Las Fuentes del Mar wants to build 38 condominiums around CEDO’s main building. On Monday, July 10th, the developer bulldozed the mural and wall that delimited the property that CEDO has been using for 26 years.

The implications of this act of destruction for CEDO and the community are grave. CEDO’s daily activities have been impaired dramatically. Access for emergency or service vehicles (gas, water) has been cut off. There is no space to load/unload educational and research equipment. The Gran Desierto Botanical Garden is targeted for removal. The main entrance to the CEDO grounds has been destroyed along with CEDO’s plans to develop a museum and center for sustainable education.

For the community the implications are equally dire: the precedent of a single rogue developer, operating outside the rules and regulations of the region, destroying dedicated roads and a long-standing Mexican institution is not the path Puerto Peñasco should follow. As the second fastest growing tourist destination in Mexico, it is important that developers learn to follow the rules and respect local cultural and social institutions.

The importance of CEDO as a tourism attraction is enormous. CEDO has transformed into an institution that offers natural history talks, eco-adventures and other activities centered on the environment and history of the region, enjoyed by an average of 15,000 people per year. It is one of the few local cultural attractions. CEDO has also become a strong voice for the conservation of coastal resources, wetlands and the region’s fisheries. This community needs government officials at all levels to act now and prevent this resource from being destroyed.

Finally, regardless of the invasion and illegal destruction that is occurring right now, CEDO will not be deterred. On July 10th, CEDO staff started a summer camp for kids from Puerto Peñasco’s elementary schools. We are also continuing our environmental education program and research on small-scale fisheries and coastal wetlands of the region. CEDO’s commitment to the environment, social justice, and the community of Puerto Peñasco is stronger than ever.

Contactos - Contacts

Alejandro Castillo López,
Coordinador de Conservación Costera
Coordinator of Coastal Conservation, CEDO

alejandro@cedointercultural.org
638-382-0113
520-829-4501