Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico – On a working tour of this municipality last Friday, Governor Enrique Alfaro Ramírez gave the green light for work to begin on a Master Plan for the restoration of the Estero El Salado in Puerto Vallarta.
The estuary’s rehabilitation plan, which represents an investment of 25 million pesos, was agreed upon through public consultation with the neighbors, universities and environmentalists, who demanded that the works respect the ecological balance of the Protected Natural Area.
“This investment is being made to recover our environmental capital in Puerto Vallarta, after all the work we did to expand the protection area of this estuary, now it is time for the recovery work, for equipping the facilities that are already here, so that the Estero El Salado will be a space that the people of Puerto Vallarta can enjoy, while protecting the environment and the ecological balance,” explained the Governor.
Governor Alfaro added that this intervention will be an important step in the preservation of the estuary.
The first phase contemplates the rehabilitation of the entrance in order to improve security and universal accessibility; improving the entrance bay for the ascent and descent of people, creating a new multi functional plaza, tending to the walkways & docks, and the implementation of a management policy.
The second phase is the area of the observation tower, which will be completely renovated. The new tower will have an elevator and a forklift with a universal access approach for people with disabilities. The perimeter fencing will also be renovated.
The estuary’s landscape and habitat characteristics are favorable to tropical birds, clusters of colorful crabs, amphibians and reptiles – including crocodiles – and other wildlife species.
For his part, then municipal president, Arturo Dávalos Peña, said that the Estero El Salado is a natural lung that the municipality has in the urban area, and that for that reason environmental groups and citizens defend its preservation.
“Today we are going to start works that are going to be very important and that are going to detonate so that citizens, tourists, boys and girls can come to take tours… and how great that it is also self-sufficient… but what this is all about, is that we are going to take care of it, to ensure that it is functional and that it continues to be protected,” emphasized the former mayor.
Jaime Alberto Torres Guerrero, director of the Estero El Salado, said that the area is now ready for intervention, as is his team, who will supervise the works in the master plan.
More Information:
• Among the objectives of the project are: to preserve the natural area, to carry out scientific research, and to promote care for the environment among the people who come to visit the estuary, both Puerto Vallarta residents and tourists.
• In developing the Master Plan, the Secretariat for Planning and Citizen Participation carried out a public consultation in order to listen to the voices of environmentalists, visitors and the general population that is interested in the issues of protection, dissemination and promotion of the natural wonders that inhabit the ecosystem.
• Similarly, Semadet and SIOP carried out a socialization process with the Scientific Council, the Municipal Ecology Council, collectives and civil associations.
Source: jalisco.gob.mx