More than Monarchs
Documenting Local Stories in the Disappearing Monarch Forests of Mexico
Dec 29, 2006
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To:
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Attorney General, PROFEPA
PROFEPA Central Offices
PROFEPA, State of México |
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From:
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AGUA BOSQUE
Agrarian Community
Crescencio Morales
Michoacan State |
Re:
LIVELIHOOD
(General Complaint)
IN THE YEAR 1979, I WAS 9 YEARS OLD AND I WOULD ACCOMPANY MY UNLCE TO THE FOREST TO GATHER SOME WOOD TO BUILD A HOME FOR HIS FAMILY.
I REMEMBER MY CHILDHOOD, MY COMMUNITY WAS VERY BEAUTIFUL AND THE FOREST WAS FILLED WITH SMALL TREES, MEDIUM TREES AND BIG TRESS. WHEN I WENT BY IN THE TRUCK I LOOKED AT THE TREES AS THEY MOVED AND I THOUGHT THEY WOULD FALL ON ME.
I HAD NOT HEARD OF LOGGING NOR DID MY FAMILY DISCUSS IT. IN 1999 THE DEFORESTATION BEGAN STRONGLY AND NO ONE COULD DETAIN THEM FOR ANYTHING, ONE TIME WE TRIED TO TALK TO OUR COMMUNITY LEADER ABOUT OUR IDEAS AND TOGETHER WITH HIM INVITE EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE TO DEFEND OUR FOREST BUT HE TOLD US THAT IT WAS NOT NECESSARY BECUASE THEY WERE ALREADY TAKING CARE OF THE FOREST AND THE LOGGING AND THAT THEY WOULD STOP IT AND SINCE THE COMMUNITY RESPECTED HIS WORDS
WE TRUSTED HIM. WITH THE PASSING OF TIME WE REALIZED THAT OUR FOREST WAS A DISASTER CAUSING MUCH SADNESS. IN 2006 OUR FORESTS ARE NOW BALD.
IF MY WORDS WERE TO REACH PEOPLE WHO HELPED HIM WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING THAT CAN STOP THE LOGGING SINCE EVERY YEAR IT IS WORSE AND ALSO WE HAVE REALIZED THAT OUR COMMUNITY AUTHORITIES INVITED OTHER PEOPLE TO COME AND LOG AND THAT IS BEING SEEN IN THE FOREST.
I ASK IN THE NAME OF MY COMMUNITY TO BE LISTENED TO SINCE WE ARE BEING LEFT WITHOUT A SINGLE TREE AND EVERY DAY WATER IS BEING CONSUMED.
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