Number: 1999-12
WHEREAS, growing numbers of citizens of the United States are learning that the construction of hydro-electric dams in the country has had a tremendous detrimental impact upon regional economies and the environment; and
WHEREAS, the construction of hydro-electric dams has threatened the existence of numerous important species, from the Steelhead Trout and the Sockeye Salmon to the Manatee; and
WHEREAS, the construction of dams results in the destruction of important wildlife habitat and wetlands; and
WHEREAS, in many parts of the United States, grassroots environmental organizations, including the National Wildlife Federation and many of its affiliates, are leading the effort to remove or bypass existing dams and such efforts have been the subject of Conservation Policy Resolutions of the National Wildlife Federation as recently as 1998; and
WHEREAS, the efforts of these organizations led to the first decertification of a dam by the United States Government in 1998; and
WHEREAS, the people of Costa Rica have demonstrated exceptional vision in protecting their natural resources through such measures as dedicating 13% of their country to national parks and establishing Forest Reserves (which provide buffers for rainforest) and Protection Zones (which protect the soil and water of important watershed areas); and
WHEREAS, the current government in Costa Rica is promoting legislation that would allow the construction of dams in Protection Zones and Forest Reserves and eliminate an existing 20 megawatt limit on the construction of private hydroelectric projects; and
WHEREAS, the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (“ICE”) has earmarked 44 hydroelectric projects for conservation areas, 15 of which are in Protection Zones and Forest Reserves; and
WHEREAS, there are already 24 existing private dams in operation in Costa Rica and 58 more in the planning stages; and
WHEREAS, it has been estimated that the number of private dams could double with the removal of the 20 MW limitation imposed upon private dams; and
WHEREAS, Costa Rica is presented with an opportunity to avoid repeating the mistakes that have been made in the United States by the construction of environmentally destructive dams on many of its waterways, including some of its most significant rivers; and
WHEREAS, the construction of dams in Costa Rica will cause the loss of wildlife and the degradation of habitat that the people of Costa Rica have so carefully attempted to protect; and
WHEREAS, tourism, and in particular, eco-tourism, plays an important role in the economy of Costa Rica and the construction of dams will harm this important industry by taming rivers, destroying habitat and reducing wildlife; and
WHEREAS, the waters of Costa Rica provide important habitat for an incredible variety of bird life, including migratory species from the United States, and the damming of such waters will have a detrimental impact upon such bird life;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in its Annual Meeting assembled March 18-21, 1999, in Houston, Texas, considers unwise both the current efforts of the Costa Rican government to allow the construction of dams in Forest Reserves and Protection Zones and the removal of the 20 MW limitation imposed upon private dams; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation commends the people of Costa Rica for their historic efforts in environmental conservation and urges them to learn from the mistakes of the United States and to prevent the damming of Costa Rica’s wild and scenic rivers.