NOTICE OF IMPORTANT MEETING APRIL 9, 1:00PM

[Lee Zeltzer]

NOTICE OF IMPORTANT MEETING APRIL 9, 1:00PM

April 9th at 1:00P.M. at the main school house in Caldera there will be a forum to approve or reject the proposed dam by Genesis-Cerro Grande. The dam will directly destroy the tourist development and nature Reserve Rio Encantado on both sides of the river Caldera before the town of Caldera, plus several water systems that rely on the area of the proposed dam. Please attend the meeting to show support for the rejection of just one dam, whereby already 90% of the water in THE RIVERS OF CHIRIQUI has been given as concessions for hydro construction.

[Jim Tosch]

Friend of mine bought land on a river but was able to kill the deal when he found someone had the rights to divert 90% of the river flow. A few year later they did exactly that.

[Jim Tosch]

Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see. Quotes for somebody.

[Doug Johnson]

I don't have an opinion because I don't know enough about the proposal.  The creation of a new lake anywhere is contentious because somebody's land becomes useless lake bottom, while somebody else ends up with lakeside property. Suitability, as well as the environmental impact, must be the highest concerns.

Are there no benefits?  What about water management in a region where lack of water during the dry season is more than a nuisance?  Panama's growth and development require increasing use of electricity and generating it through hydroelectric means is one of the few ways to generate power without any emissions.

It may well be that this particular dam may be a poor idea, but there are good reasons for building dams in the right places.

[Lee Zeltzer]

Doug, the water is lost from its original path and usually rerouted leaving what were riparian areas as desert. Farmers and ranchers lose their income. The electricity, if even generated is not usually for local use but for exportation. Often these projects are only for carbon credits.

Add to that the destruction of the environment for the construction and any environmental benefit is lost. Solar, wind and other options are more capital intensive but have a small negative impact.

[Bonnie Williams]

Thanks to all of you for the clarification.

[Keith Woolford]

The company GENISA is currently in such deep shit over the Barro Blanco project that this proposal may not go anywhere at this point. In any case, it might be a good idea to look for some hieroglyphs down in the valley that need to be protected.

[Dean Hoover]

My understanding is that the meeting is a public hearing about this hydroelectric project and its impact.
The proposed dam would be upriver from the lovely Rio Encantado resort/preserve through which the Rio Caldera flows.
River water flow to Rio Encantado would be significantly reduced.
The proposed dam is just downriver from the Boquete Canyon Village community.
The resevoir created by the dam would fill some portion of the Rio Caldera canyon in that development.
This raises serious concerns about the effect that the resultant manmade "lake" would have on canyon wall integrity there.
Existing homes and property might be placed in jeopardy.
I do not see how the Government of Panama might construe attending this public meeting and voicing these legitimate concerns would constitute "political activity" justifying deportation.

[Bill]

I would agree that destroying a nature preserve, endangering homes, and potentially impacting water availability are not political issues.  They are issues that will affect Panamanians and gringos in that area equally.  If these issues are voiced properly at this meeting, there shouldn't be any "political" ramifications, but if it looks like a bunch of angry, demanding gringos then heaven only knows how it could get interpreted.  Tread lightly.

It's hard to see how a dam is going to help anyone in that area, and it's almost as hard to see how it will help Panama in general.   In the past, you could just follow the money to see how decisions were made on these kinds of things, but there is a breath of fresh air in Panama City and money may not be the king that it once was.

[Roger Bellido]

Bill

I like when you say     "... a bunch of angry, demanding gringos..."   The best way to avoid that perception from locals and authorities if you get more involved with your communities.   The more you participate in the community the better.   You will be seen as persons also interested in the welfare of the community.  But if you stay out of the radar in things like thisthe perception could be that you are not part of the community and now you want to show up. 

[Bonnie Williams]

I have read repeatedly on this forum and elsewhere that it is illegal in Panama for expats to engage in political activity and that the penalty for engagement in political activity is deportation. Wouldn't participation in this meeting and similar ones potentially be in violation of that law?