| PAGE HOSTED BY "DEFENSORES DEL MEDIO AMBIENTE DE LOS TUXTLAS, A. C." ( DEMATAC ) |
| What is PROFEPA? PROFEPA, (Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente) is an administrative organ of SEMARNAT (Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales) with technical and operational autonomy, in charge the enforcement of policies and regulations of SEMARNAT. SEMARNAT, (Secretaría del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales) (Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources)is a federal government agency whose main purpose is to create an environmental protection policy reversing the tendencies of ecological deterioration and establishing the foundations for a sustainable development in the country. Brazo Fuerte translates as "powerful arm". Also a nickname used in Los Tuxtlas for the collared anteater, a native of the tropical forests of southeastern Mexico. |
| Collared Anteater - Brazo Fuerte |
| Board of Directors |
| Communication Abigail Antonio Zuñiga |
| President Oscar Castelán |
| Sacha Becker |
| August 28, 2006 Representatives of PROFEPA, with the Board of Directors and Guardians of “Brazo Fuerte”, met in the Hotel Las Brisas for the official presentation of credentials. It was agreed to hold a reunion to formulate a plan of activities on September 6th at 5:00 p. m. in the Hotel Las Brisas, Catemaco, Veracruz. |
| September 6, 2006 |
| In this reunion a program for the present month was initiated, including the following activities: September 19, 2006, 9:00 a. m.: Comité “Brazo Fuerte” will conduct an inspection by motor launch of the shores of Lake Catemaco, departing from Bahia Escondida, and on September 20, 2006, 10:00 a. m.: Comité “Brazo Fuerte” & IVEA will visit two communities in Catemaco, Veracruz for the purpose of promoting environmental education. In addition, support was provided to the citizens affected by the planned amplification of the malecón in Catemaco, in the form of an official letter to the governor of the state of Veracruz, Fidel Herrera Beltrán, voicing concern regarding the project. |
| August 21, 2006 The committee, with the support of DEMATAC, presented a complaint in the offices of PROFEPA, Catemaco, Veracruz regarding persons that are illegally occupying the island "Isla de Muertos" on the Rió de Las Palmas, Laguna Sontecomapan. They are building wooden houses, raising cattle and sheep, and possibly illegally felling trees and damaging the mangroves that surround the island. The Committee Brazo Fuerte requests PROFEPA to inspect the area and conditions existent. |
| July 19, 2006 Training course for the Comité de Vigilancia de Catemaco, "Brazo Fuerte" |
| June 20, 2006 |
| El Comité de Vigilancia Ambiental Participativo – PROFEPA de Catemaco, performed the second cleaning of mangroves in the Laguna de Sontecomapan. The cleaning consists of cleaning the young mangroves of an excess of seaweed that can cause the mangrove plants to double, break and die. In addition to the committee members, Ing. Antonio González Azuara, Director of the Reserva de la Biosfera – Los Tuxtlas, members of the Cooperativa de Pescadores Rivera de Sontecomapan, Tú Decides Veracruz, y DEMATAC participated. |
| IMPORTANT NOTICE This page is hosted by DEMATAC as a courtesy to the "Committee for Environmental Vigilance - PROFEPA", “Brazo Fuerte”, for the purpose of providing information about the Committee and its activities, for the members and for the general public. The Committee is autonomous, and is not affiliated with DEMATAC. |
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| Septiembre 20, 2006 |
| The Adult Education Institute of Veracruz (IVEA) in coordination with “Brazo Fuerte” visited three Catemaco communities: Playa Azul, Tebanca y Laguna Escondida, for the purpose of environmental education. The plan is to continue these visits in different communities of Catemaco throughout the remainder of the year. |
| October 18, 2006 Members of the committee “Brazo Fuerte” (Dora Luz Santiago, Clara Enrique, and Sacha Becker), with Salvador Castillo Rivas, Coordinator of PROFEPA, made an inspection tour of Lake Catemaco by boat. They found the beaches to be clean, with the exception of the beaches of La Victoria and Mimiahua, The committee is planning, in the next few months, a second tour using two boats, for the purpose of collecting trash found on the beaches and to talk with residents regarding the importance of maintaining the beaches in cleaner condition. |
| October 24, 2006 A meeting was held in the University Veracruzana campus in Catemaco where the final arrangements were made for a program of environmental education is to be presented for the children at the "Quimica Maria Teresa Garcia Cadena" Kindergarten, the 25th of October, at 9:00 a. m. |
| Comité Brazo Fuerte presented an interactive program of environmental education with the children at the “Jardin de Niños (kindergarten): Quimica Maria Teresa García Cadena, about nature, the flora and the fauna, and our relationship to them. The young members of the committee, students of “Técnico Superior Universitario en Manejo de Vida Silvestre” of the University Veracruzana, Campus Catemaco, are: Gloria Vidal García, Adriana Catana Reyes, Cristabel Pérez Poxtan, Laureano Cirilo Pérez Cinta y Abraham Martínez Orduña, directed by Clara Enríquez Cardoza. The program was a success and plans are being made to repeat programs in other schools. |
| January 4, 2007 A meeting was be held at 5:00 p. m. in the Restaurant "La Casa de los Caballos", Catemaco, Veracruz, for the purpose of electing a new president. Edith Carrera, the previous president, has resigned for personal reasons. We thank Edith for her support and for her excellent work during her presidency. Jessica Hitandegüi Swanson Santiago was elected president of the Committee. |
| October 25, 2006 |
| Jessica Hitandegüi Swanson Santiago, founder and President of Defensores del Medio Ambiente de Los Tuxtlas, A. C. (DEMATAC), promoted the creation of the “Comité de Vigilancia Ambiental Participativa - PROFEPA” (Committee for Environmental Vigilance) for Catemaco, Veracruz, "Brazo Fuerte". The meeting was held in the Restaurant La Ceiba in Catemaco. |
| Elected were the seven members of the Board of Directors and the 17 guardians that make up the Committee. A training seminar is scheduled for later this month and in August we anticipate the formal presentation of credentials. |
| June 2, 2006 |
| March 10 & 11, 2007 DEMATAC and El Comité de Vigilancia "Brazo Fuerte" will present a dance marathon (Maratón de Salsa) to raise funds to be used for environmental conservation in Los Tuxtlas. |
| 1 de febrero, 2007 "Brazo Fuerte" made an inspection tour of the Laguna de Sontecomapan in response to various complaints from residents of the area regarding illegal tree cutting and hunting, with Inspectors from PROFEPA in Catemaco. Evidence of illegal tree cutting was found, along with construction of a dock in the federal zone bordering the lagoon, without the proper permits. The inspectors will notify the proper authorities. |
| Noche de Salsa "Baila por la Tierra" 10 de marzo, 2007 |
| The Comité de Vigilancia Ambiental Participativa de PROFEPA “Brazo Fuerte” and DEMATAC hosted a “Night of Salsa” at the Lions Club, Catemaco, Veracruz. This had originally been planned as a dance marathon, but lack of participation forced a change of theme. In any event, the evening was a success and enjoyable for the participants. First place for the best dancers was won by Dolores del Rocío Catemaxca Montiel and Mario de Jesús Jiménez Sandoval, winning prizes consisting of an expense paid weekend at “Bahía Escondida” and one month of free classes at the dance academy “ARA” in Catemaco. The second place winners were Soe del Carmen González Joachín and Rubencio Adal Jiménez, winning one month of free classes at the dance academy “ARA”. We sincerely want to thank the Catemaco Lions Club for the use of their premises and Cundo Pereyra for supplying the tables, etcetera; plus all our sponsors. Without them, the event could not have taken place. A special thanks to Alfredo Ávila Carrillo of Restaurant La Casa de los Caballos, Catemaco, who helped us in many ways; plus Juan Raúl Luna Garcia and Daniel Hernández Berlín, for their help with transport and the preparation of the hall. |
| Hunting Crocodiles March 23 & 24, 2007 |
During approximately two months DEMATAC, due to a report from Oscar Castelan, one of
our active members and a member of the environmental committee “Brazo Fuerte”,
administrated the capture and relocation of four crocodiles located in “La Lagartera”, in
the Club ADM ( Minatitlán Sports Association - principally a golf course). Representatives
of the club want the crocs removed as they believe they are a danger to members and
visitors.
Friday, March 23 was set as the date for the capture of these animales that inhabit the
wet areas that are a part of the club. The biologist Jesús Cota was in charge of the
capture, acompanied by Oscar Castelan.
The first day was spent exploring the club grounds to determine what areas the crocs
frequent during the night.
The following night they were able to capture one crocodile; a female that measures about
one meter in length, of the species Crocodylus Moreleti. The cature of the others was not
possible because they are considerably larger and special traps will be required. A later
date will be set for the attempted capture of the remaining animals.
The captured female will be placed in the "UMA" management area “Cañahuatal” located
in the municipality of La Antigua, Veracruz. We hope that when the others are captured
they can be relocated to the same place.
our active members and a member of the environmental committee “Brazo Fuerte”,
administrated the capture and relocation of four crocodiles located in “La Lagartera”, in
the Club ADM ( Minatitlán Sports Association - principally a golf course). Representatives
of the club want the crocs removed as they believe they are a danger to members and
visitors.
Friday, March 23 was set as the date for the capture of these animales that inhabit the
wet areas that are a part of the club. The biologist Jesús Cota was in charge of the
capture, acompanied by Oscar Castelan.
The first day was spent exploring the club grounds to determine what areas the crocs
frequent during the night.
The following night they were able to capture one crocodile; a female that measures about
one meter in length, of the species Crocodylus Moreleti. The cature of the others was not
possible because they are considerably larger and special traps will be required. A later
date will be set for the attempted capture of the remaining animals.
The captured female will be placed in the "UMA" management area “Cañahuatal” located
in the municipality of La Antigua, Veracruz. We hope that when the others are captured
they can be relocated to the same place.
| Reunion Abril 18, 2007 A meeting was held with DEMATAC and Brazo Fuerte to establish a date for a cleanup campaign of the beaches at La Victoria, Pozolapan and Mimiahua. The date set is May 7th at 10 in the morning, departing from the Malecon in Catemaco ,in front of the Restaurant "La Ceiba"; and with the support of two "tele-secundaria" schools, one from La Victorio and the other from Pozolapan. |
| Reunion with the Delegado de PROFEPA May 25, 2007 |
Brazo Fuerte held a reunion with the Delegate from PROFEPA, Lic.
Francisco Briseño Cortés, in the offices of La Reserva de la
Biosfera – Los Tuxtlas. The committee expressed its concern over
the constant burning of the Catemaco Municipal Dump and the
Delegate demonstrated his interest in resolving the problem. Brazo
Fruete also suggested a change in the vehicle provided for the
PROFEPA Inspectors In Catemaco. The vehicle they are presently
using is a Dodge Ram 8 cylinder, which is prohibitively expensive
to run, especially considering that the Los Tuxtlas area is
extensive.
Francisco Briseño Cortés, in the offices of La Reserva de la
Biosfera – Los Tuxtlas. The committee expressed its concern over
the constant burning of the Catemaco Municipal Dump and the
Delegate demonstrated his interest in resolving the problem. Brazo
Fruete also suggested a change in the vehicle provided for the
PROFEPA Inspectors In Catemaco. The vehicle they are presently
using is a Dodge Ram 8 cylinder, which is prohibitively expensive
to run, especially considering that the Los Tuxtlas area is
extensive.
| Beach Cleanup Campaign May 8, 2007 With the participation of the Telesecuandaria de La Victoria, Ofilio Montaño and the Telesecuendaria de Pozolapan, Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz, DEMATAC and Brazo Fuerte organized a beach cleanup campaign in La Victoria and Pozolapan. |
| La Victoria , with students, their teachers, and the Director, Rodolfo Seba Quino |
| Pozolapan, with students of Grupo Tercero "A" and the Profesora, Selene Hatziry Sena Cruz |