Court sparks backlash with decision impacting iconic nature area: 'A painful setback'

An appeals court in Argentina has reversed a previous decision and rejected a filing to protect part of Los Glaciares National Park, the news outlet Noticias Ambientales reported in October.

What happened?

The Federal Court of Appeals of Comodoro Rivadavia, a city in Patagonia, overturned an injunction that had suspended "adaptation works" along the trail to Campamento Poincenot, in the national park. 

Residents of the nearby community of El Chaltén had previously filed an environmental protection claim to win the injunction, criticizing park administration projects that allegedly included "earth movements and native forest logging without a complete environmental impact assessment," per the news report.

Lifting the injunction meant that work could continue in an area previously considered that of "maximum ecological conservation," according to the news outlet.

Why is this ruling important?

"This park, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, preserves a representative sample of Patagonian biodiversity, including subantarctic forests, high mountain areas, and iconic glaciers," Noticias Ambientales stated. "It also protects part of the southern Patagonian ice field, one of the largest reserves of fresh water on the planet."

"The property has an impressively long formal conservation history going back to 1937," UNESCO reports about the park. This latest move could be considered a departure from traditional priorities to conserve these spaces. National parks, especially those with glaciers such as in Los Glaciares, are already under threat as global temperatures increase.

On the other hand, the judges in the case determined that the work was a low-impact intervention, according to the reporting.

The ruling to continue work on the land has frustrated local citizens who ​​have made great efforts to band together and take local action to protect this area. Part of their concern is that the ruling undermines citizens' faith that their voices and environmental values would be taken seriously.

What's being done in response to the ruling?

In a statement from local conservation advocates titled "A Painful Setback," they declared that they are not giving up, per the Noticias Ambientales report. "This ruling legitimizes the environmental noncompliance of the State itself and leaves unprotected those who defend common goods," they added.

The collective of local advocates — referred to as El Bosque no se toca (which can be translated as "the forest must not be touched") — announced it would continue the legal battle.

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