Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — A large area of Playa del Carmen found illegally cleared has been seized by federal inspectors. Personnel from the Federal Attorney General’s Office for Environmental Protection said they made the finding last week during a forestry inspection.
The Federal Attorney General’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) conducted a forestry inspection of a property in Playa del Carmen to verify activities related to land-use change in forest areas.
During the October 14 inspection, Profepa personnel confirmed the complete removal of forest vegetation across an area of 14,632 square meters without the required authorization, and therefore shut down the activities on the property.
The affected area corresponds to a secondary tree vegetation ecosystem of semi-evergreen medium-height forest. The removal of this vegetation cover can lead to habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as alterations in the environmental services provided by the ecosystem, including soil conservation, water regulation, and the maintenance of biodiversity.
After verification, Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente (Profepa) inspectors imposed as a security measure the total temporary closure of the property in order to stop the activities subject to said measure while the corresponding administrative procedure is carried out.
“The Attorney General’s Office will integrate the administrative procedure of the case and, based on the elements contained in the file, will determine the possible administrative responsibilities and resolve the matter in accordance with the General Law of Sustainable Forest Development and other applicable provisions,” they reported in an October 21 statement.
Changes in land use in forest areas are subject to the authorizations stipulated in current environmental legislation. Therefore, activities involving the removal of forest vegetation must be carried out in accordance with the corresponding legal requirements in order to prevent damage to ecosystems and protect natural resources.
