APAMO Calls for Action and Accountability in Wildfire Crisis  

The Association of Protected Areas Management is calling on the relevant authorities to hold irresponsible individuals accountable for starting fires that eventually grow out of control. We spoke with Jose Perez, the Executive Director at APAMO, who says that while some of these fires began through natural causes, some were started because of reckless human behavior. He also noted that a great deal of financial resources will be needed to conduct recovery work in protected areas.

 

Jose Perez, Executive Director, APAMO

“I believe that what we have noted that the negligent use of fires by all sectors of the society has contributed significantly to these fires considering that this year the conditions have been extreme, nevertheless we believe that different sectors, the ordinary citizens who visit the Pine Fidge and leaves behind unattended fires, to the agricultural sector, I think has led to some of these fires and because of the extreme conditions has really overwhelmed not only the respective government entities. This year it has actually impacted directly the protected areas and it has really burned our areas. Thankfully for the network we have had three of our members on the frontline but we had two other who were willing and able to support these rangers in particular fighting these fires. The damage has been significant, it has to be assessed, but in the words of Ms. Maria Garcia who is the chairlady of Itzana Society in San Antonio it hurts when you hear these animals growling and crying being burnt and suffocating. And I think indeed this is an opportunity for those agencies responsible for doing the work we do sometimes it takes these events for you to know the work that is being done in silence, the management of these protected areas which are the bloodline for the tourism sector, but it takes these events to know the value of the work these comanagers are doing. So financing is always lacking. We always have a way for getting the work done, but it requires more equipment, it requires more man power, more rangers on the ground. They are the eyes our there. So substantive financing will be required to do recovery.”