Last night we told you what Greg Cho’c and his organization SATIIM had to say about the issuance of a permit for seismic testing in the Sarstoon Temash National Park. Well, now the Forestry Department has sent a public response. It says that it’s SATIIM that’s been dragging their feet. According to the Forestry statement, it has written to SATIIM several times about US Capital Energy’s seismic testing and has only gotten one response – and that one warned that if the permit was granted, court action would follow.

So as far as the department is concerned it has followed due process of notifying SATIIM – even after its co-management agreement expired. The release says that “the Forest Department is confident that with regular monitoring, there will be minimal damage to the systems in the park....” It notes as well that the environmental impact assessment was approved. In its release SATIIM described the issuance of the permit as secretive and unilateral and a continuation of social policies of exclusion and discrimination.