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6/7/1978 - El Salvador: An Ecological Disaster by Gary S. Hartshorn

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT WRITER S CONSENT INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFA GSH Tropical Science Center El Salvador An Ecological Disaster Apartado San Jose Costa Rica June Mr Peter Martin Executive Director Institute Current World Affairs Wheelock House West Whelock St Hanover NH 03755 Dear Peter I wrote newsletter weeks obtained typewriter today You assured future newsletters reports encounter delay In story article growing specter famine world Time Magazine included El Sal vador countries facing potential famine El Salvador Haiti western hemisphere countries designated Time My previous acquaintance El Salvador restricted driving coastal highway EL Litoral lengthy trips between U S Costa Rica To better country threatened famine I decided accompany Joe Tos brief El Salvador From April I several field triRs diverse sections country El Salvador system especially those leading Honduran border I areas generally above northern country lowlands central eastern regions April usually month month season Even though country subtropical moist regions which predominate lowlands receive during May October rainy season The major agricultural crops monsoonal climate annuals cotton drought tolerant perennials pasture sugar coffee Cotton coffee sugar agricul tural export commodities I admit skepticism about Time Magazine inclusion El Salvador potential famine country mostly because areas fertile agricultural soils I southern lowlands Hence I traveled El Salvador Surely I expect expanses forest I expect denuded parched earth African Sahel During short El Salvador I traveled about getting first countryside ecological conditions activities trends As expected I forest travels Some forests occur rugged highlands along Honduran border being exploited voraciously Logging activity usually followedby putting cattle woods browze graze grass woody regrowth Overgrazing inhibits regeneration leads directly gradation through compaction surface erosion Fire portant ecological facor highlands GSH I The subdirector Salvadorean Forest Service hectares acres fOrests mangrove forests broad leaved forests believed remain That about country However observations I believe estimates remaining forests broad leaved forests highly inflated Only mangrove forests government owned The subdirector provided above information insisted single whether private public without government permission After persistent skeptical questioning finally allowed Forest Service having difficulty enforcing requiring permission I struck volume firewood stacked along every backroad waiting transport San Salvador capital The stacks consisted Of mostly branches minimum diameter about length about Much firewood comes hillsides cleared planting When I asked Subdirector firewood permis stated firewood comes pruning shade trees coffee bushes I cognizant prunings coffee shade supply considerable quantityof grade firewood firewood I stacked along backroads coffee plantations Does really matter El Salvador destroy maining ground mangrove forests within years Could notmassive reforestation growing exotic trees allev impending firewood crisis In small country answer first question El Salvador continue import Honduran timber laundered through Guatemala The second question simplistically answered herein El Salvador problem people El Salvador almost million people increasing annual The demand planting great small farmer afford think setting aside planting trees Even though El Salvador virtually forests rapidly approaching firewood crisis these forest resource problems human ecologic problems caused overpopulation It seems there trees El Salvador This ecological disaster amply evident stinging lution around San Salvador industries cheap labor stench ivers sewers heavy siltation robbed noviembre itshydroelectric capacity years virtually unlimited spraying DDT related pesticides cotton fields El Salvador example Ehrlich popula ticking GSH_I Only El Salvador beginning accept reality admitting population problem President Romero recently ority national birth control program Yet being vigorously opposed Catholic Church Infant mortality remains country parents reticent artificially limit family Massive emigration agriculturists Bolivia proposed Yet these palliatives clear El Salvador effectively grasp population problem before It interesting visit El Salvador again years changes country whether government attains grasp overpopulation problem Sincerely GSHrn Forest Man Fellow GSH