EcoWorldly

Much like the Lorax, San Francisco student Damaris Parra speaks for the trees.

Several dozen residents of San Francisco (also known as San Pancho) Mexico staged a spontaneous sit-in yesterday in the middle of their main thoroughfare to halt the destruction of hundreds of the city’s trees and the replacement of permeable paving stones with flood-causing impervious concrete. Local school children were joined by business owners and many other residents of the town who simply sat down in the middle of the road to stop the heavy machinery from destroying their street and native trees.

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It has been alleged that almost no one in the town was given any information whatsoever about the sudden and unexpected destruction of the road and trees, or has anyone seen any plans from Nayarit county, including San Pancho’s mayor and the members of the city council. The tractors just showed up this morning and started tearing up the main street. One prominent business owner complained to me, “This is our high tourist season and this is a disaster for all of our businesses. No one in town has seen any plans or was told this would happen.”

Dozens of San Pancho residents stage a spontaneous sit-in in the middle of their main street to halt the destruction of their trees and roadway.

Many rumors have been flying back and forth among locals about the destructive unwanted project in San Pancho. Not only will scores of trees be destroyed, but the water permeable paving stones, which greatly aid in rainwater drainage and help to prevent flooding, are to be replaced with impermeable concrete. This is a disaster. During the rainy season there is already some street flooding, even with the present permeable pavement; paving the roads with impervious concrete will make flooding much worse and more frequent. Permeable pavers are not only better for the environment and drainage, they are also much more cost effective to install and maintain. Municipalities save money on drainage systems and water treatment when using pervious pavement. Impermeable concrete pavement causes more flooding, erosion and water pollution.

Save Our Trees

It has also been alleged that hundreds of decades old local trees will be destroyed and replaced with new palm trees. Each established tree can absorb millions of gallons of water with their extensive root system; removing even one tree will compound  flooding and sewage problems exponentially. Two different business owners told me that the Nayarit county president, Héctor Paniagua, owns a local concrete company, as well as a large palm tree company, which are alleged to benefit directly from the removal of the beneficial paving stones and the town’s many trees.

Many of San Pancho’s residents already have good ideas about how to fix the main streets and make sustainable changes in the municipality; there has been much ongoing discussion about how to improve local bicycle infrastructure and traffic safety. There is tremendous concern about flooding and rainwater drainage problems if the established trees are removed and the permeable stones are replaced with concrete, as well as with cars recklessly speeding through the small city. I have heard many people express great interest in closing a section of the main street to cars to increase foot traffic and pedestrian safety, lowering the speed limit and also creating a major bike path in the city. Local resident Erik Saracho wrote a detailed letter which articulated many of the concerns of citizens in regard to the redevelopment of San Pancho’s major artery, including flooding concerns and the necessity to promote more biking and a bike lane. He wrote, “Bicycling would increase if [a bike lane was] implemented, and it would slow down traffic and promote safety, as well as protect pedestrians and encourage alternative transport, including bike taxis.”

The immediate passionate response of local residents, as well as their ability to effectively organize together, is most inspiring, and hopefully will manifest positive change that will benefit San Pancho’s residents, not the pocketbook of the county’s president.

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