International

U.S. Senator Proposes Bill for the Reforestation of Haiti

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Dick Durbin, U.S. Democratic Senator, after many trips to Haiti, proposed a bill that aims to reduce deforestation, one of the major causes of environmental degradation in the country.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin introduced a bill to stop the deforestation of Haiti. M Durbin, Democratic Senator from Illinois, is the assistant majority leader in the senate, during his many trips to Haiti, he noted with excitement the degrading state of the country's environment.

In the opinion of the Senator, Deforestation in Haiti has serious economic and environmental consequences for a country like Haiti can not afford it. "In the 1920s, Haiti was forested to more than 60%. But at the end of 2006, less than 2% of forests have survived, "he said. The bill of the senator from Illinois will require that the U.S. Government agrees with Haiti to develop sustainable agriculture and environmental protection.

On the other hand, this bill, while aiming the restoration of natural forests in the country, must at the same time help reforest Haiti and helping to develop viable proposals that take account of forestry and agricultural practices widely accepted and sustainable , improving forest governance in order to engage and to protect local communities, strengthening coordination between the Haitian ministries and private organizations, development of performance measures in the short and long term to balance the results, to include technology to monitor conservation efforts.

Related 05.26.2011: Members of U.S. Congress Outraged Over IDP Camp Destructions in Delmas
Related 05.19.2011: U.S. Revokes Prevals' Visas and More than a Dozen Other Officials
Related 05.11.2011: Republicans Tell USAID Admin: "Efforts in Haiti have been a failure"
Related 04.26.2011: Timberland Pledges to Plant Trees in Haiti
Source: Le Matin