The Primavera Forest (Bosque La Primavera), which was declared a Protected Area in 1980 and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2006, has lost just over 857 hectares of its terrain.
The land removed by judicial order is located at the northern edge of the forest and is owned by the ejido (campesinos’ commune) of La Venta del Astillero, a small town located ten kilometers west of Guadalajara.
The October 30 federal court order marked the end of a long judicial process similar to a legal case won in 2007 by the ejido of Santa Ana Tepetitlán, freeing up around 640 hectares of their land at the east end of the Primavera. Members of this commune complained that they had lost control over the use of their land in 1980 when President López Portillo declared La Primavera a protected forest and wildlife refuge. The ejido’s lawyers pointed out that the government had paid no compensation to any of the landowners and denied them the possibility of a hearing.
Twenty-seven years after Lopez Portillo’s proclamation, the Santa Ana ejido regained full control over its land, and buildings and pavement quickly began to replace this part of the pine and oak forest.
Please login or subscribe to view the complete article.