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Salvaleón de Higüey sits in La Altagracia province, a fast growing region that blends tourism, agriculture, limestone and aggregate extraction, and sensitive coastal and inland ecosystems. Natural resources law here focuses on how land, water, forests, wildlife, minerals, coastlines, and protected areas are used, conserved, and restored. Because tourism related construction and farming are expanding, legal issues often arise around environmental permits, water rights, quarries, mangroves, wetlands, caves, coral reefs, coastal setbacks, and community participation.
Dominican environmental governance is centralized at the national level but applied locally through provincial offices and municipal rules. Projects in or near beaches, rivers, mangroves, cenotes or caves, karst zones, and protected areas like Parque Nacional Cotubanamá face heightened requirements. If you plan to build a hotel or marina, operate a quarry, open or regularize a well, clear land or trees, or alter a riverbank, expect to interact with multiple authorities and require formal permits before work begins.
- You are developing a hotel, marina, golf course, residential complex, or tourism infrastructure and need to navigate environmental licensing, coastal zone rules, and municipal approvals.
- You plan to open, expand, or regularize a quarry or sand and gravel operation and must obtain mining and environmental authorizations and a management plan.
- You need a water use concession for irrigation or a tourism project, or you wish to legalize an existing well and align with groundwater protection rules.
- Your farm or agro industrial facility requires land use change, forest clearing permits, wastewater controls, or waste management plans.
- Your project is near mangroves, wetlands, caves, or a protected area and you need to assess buffers, restrictions, and conservation offsets.
- You received an inspection, fine, or closure order and must respond, negotiate corrective measures, or appeal administrative actions.
- You are a community, cooperative, or neighbor affected by a project and want to file complaints, request information, or participate in consultations.
- You are acquiring land or a project and need environmental due diligence to identify liabilities, historic contamination, or compliance gaps.
- You seek to structure public private partnerships or concessions that involve public domain assets such as the maritime terrestrial zone or watercourses.
- You want to implement ESG policies, environmental management systems, or biodiversity conservation agreements with authorities or NGOs.
- Constitution of the Dominican Republic recognizes the right to a healthy environment and the duty of the state to protect natural resources. It also defines public domain assets such as beaches and riverbeds that cannot be privately owned.
- General Law on Environment and Natural Resources Law 64-00 sets the national framework for environmental protection, environmental permits and licenses, impact assessment, public participation, inspections, sanctions, and environmental liability. It empowers the Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales and its provincial offices to regulate and enforce.
- Environmental permits and impact assessment. Many works and activities in Higüey require an environmental authorization before construction or operation. Depending on the risk and scale, the authority may request an environmental impact assessment, an environmental management plan, or other studies such as hydrology, geology, biodiversity, or coastal dynamics. The process typically includes screening, terms of reference, study preparation by licensed consultants, public participation when applicable, technical evaluation, and a license with binding conditions.
- Protected areas and biodiversity. The National System of Protected Areas includes marine and terrestrial sites relevant to La Altagracia, including Parque Nacional Cotubanamá and surrounding buffer areas and mangroves in the eastern coast. Activities inside or near these areas face strict limits, require special permits, and may be incompatible if they risk habitats or species protected under national rules and international agreements like CITES.
- Water resources. The National Institute of Hydraulic Resources INDRHI manages surface and groundwater use rights and river interventions. Separate potable water and sanitation services are managed by INAPA for much of the province. Wells, intakes, dams, channelization, or discharges typically require both an environmental authorization and a water concession or permit.
- Forestry, land use change, and wildlife. Cutting trees, clearing land with native vegetation, or altering mangroves or wetlands requires prior permits. Wildlife collection, transport, and trade are regulated and protected species are off limits without special authorization.
- Coasts and maritime terrestrial zone. Beaches, dunes, and the strip of land adjacent to the high tide line are part of the public domain. Setbacks, easements, and concession regimes apply to any occupation or construction. Coastal projects usually require joint review by Environment and the Ministry of Tourism, plus municipal compliance.
- Mining and aggregates. The Ministry of Energy and Mines, through the Dirección General de Minería, oversees mining rights such as exploration and exploitation concessions for limestone, sand, and gravel, while Environment issues the corresponding environmental permits and oversees closure plans and rehabilitation.
- Territorial planning and municipal permits. The General Law on Territorial Planning and Land Use sets the basis for zoning, risk management, and urban growth. The Ayuntamiento de Salvaleón de Higüey issues construction and land use permits aligned with municipal plans, which must be consistent with national environmental rules.
- Enforcement and liability. Authorities can inspect, impose fines, order suspension or closure, seize equipment, and require remediation. Civil liability for environmental damage may include restoration and compensation. Severe cases can involve criminal consequences under applicable provisions.
Hotels, marinas, golf courses, residential developments, farms with significant land clearing or animal waste, quarries and aggregate plants, wells and water intakes, riverbank works, landfills or transfer stations, fuel storage, energy projects including solar or wind farms, and any activity in or near protected areas, mangroves, wetlands, caves, or beaches generally require prior authorization from the Ministry of Environment. Even smaller works may need a permit if they are in sensitive locations.
You apply to the Ministry of Environment with a project description for screening. The authority decides the category and issues terms of reference. Licensed consultants prepare the required studies and an environmental management plan. Public consultation may be required. The Ministry evaluates and, if approved, issues a permit or license with conditions, monitoring, and reporting duties. Starting work before authorization can trigger sanctions.
Special restrictions apply. The coastline and the maritime terrestrial zone are public domain, and there are mandatory setbacks and easements. Mangroves and wetlands are protected and clearing or filling them is generally prohibited without express authorization and mitigation that may not be feasible. Riverbanks have protection strips where construction is restricted. A site specific assessment is necessary before any design or land purchase.
Extraction requires a mining right issued by the Ministry of Energy and Mines and a separate environmental authorization from the Ministry of Environment. The operator must implement a quarry management plan, control dust and noise, manage traffic and safety, prevent riverbed degradation, and rehabilitate the site after extraction. Unauthorized extraction from beaches, dunes, or riverbeds is illegal and heavily sanctioned.
For new or existing wells you typically need environmental authorization and a water concession from INDRHI that specifies volume, use, and monitoring. You may be asked for hydrogeological studies, water quality tests, flow meters, and backflow protections. If you discharge wastewater, you need permits and must comply with effluent quality standards.
Yes. Inside protected areas most construction and resource extraction are prohibited. In buffer zones, only activities compatible with conservation goals may proceed and they require strict evaluation and additional permits. Projects affecting caves, karst systems, coral reefs, or mangroves face stringent review and may be denied if impacts cannot be avoided.
Inspectors can order suspension, impose fines, seize equipment, and require corrective measures or restoration. In serious cases, criminal charges may apply. A lawyer can help prepare a compliance plan, negotiate timelines, and regularize the project if legally viable. Acting quickly to stop impacts and cooperate tends to reduce penalties.
For projects with significant impacts, public participation is part of the licensing process. Communities can submit comments, attend hearings, and request information. If procedures are flawed or conditions are violated, affected parties can file administrative challenges, complaints to the environmental prosecutor, or seek court review within legal deadlines.
No. Municipal land use or construction permits and tourism approvals do not replace environmental authorizations. Both levels must be satisfied. Typically, you obtain the environmental decision first or in parallel, then complete municipal procedures aligned with that decision.
Risk identification, mitigation for biodiversity and habitats, water efficiency and wastewater treatment, solid and hazardous waste handling, erosion and sediment control, spill prevention, noise and dust control, community engagement and grievance channels, emergency response, monitoring indicators, and reporting. For farms, add nutrient and manure management, pesticide handling, and soil conservation measures.
Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales. Central authority for environmental policy, permits, impact assessment, inspections, and enforcement. Provincial offices in La Altagracia handle local filings and inspections.
Viceministerio de Gestión Ambiental. Unit within Environment that oversees permitting, environmental impact assessment, and follow up on license conditions.
Viceministerio de Áreas Protegidas y Biodiversidad. Manages the National System of Protected Areas, including coastal and marine zones relevant to La Altagracia.
Ministerio de Energía y Minas - Dirección General de Minería. Grants mining and quarry rights for limestone, aggregates, and other minerals.
Instituto Nacional de Recursos Hidráulicos INDRHI. Manages water use concessions, river interventions, and hydraulic infrastructure.
Instituto Nacional de Aguas Potables y Alcantarillados INAPA. Provides potable water and sanitation services in many municipalities, coordinates service connections and related permits.
Ayuntamiento del Municipio de Salvaleón de Higüey. Issues municipal land use and construction permits and applies local planning rules.
Procuraduría para la Defensa del Medio Ambiente y los Recursos Naturales. Specialized environmental prosecutor that receives complaints and pursues environmental violations.
Académic and civil society organizations. Local universities and NGOs can provide independent studies, conservation partnerships, and community liaison support for projects in sensitive areas.
- Map your site. Identify if your property is near beaches, mangroves, wetlands, caves, rivers, or protected areas. A lawyer can help obtain official maps and constraints and coordinate a preliminary environmental screening.
- Define the scope. Prepare a clear description of your project, including location, footprint, phases, utilities, water and energy demands, and waste streams. This guides the category of permits required.
- Assemble your team. Engage a local environmental lawyer and licensed environmental consultants experienced in Higüey and eastern coastal ecosystems. Early coordination with surveyors, hydrologists, and biologists reduces delays.
- Plan the permits. Sequence environmental licensing with municipal and sectoral permits such as water concessions, mining rights, and tourism approvals. Avoid construction or clearing before you have the necessary authorizations.
- Prepare studies and management plans. Follow terms of reference from the Ministry of Environment, include robust mitigation and monitoring, and design to avoid sensitive habitats. Build in community engagement processes.
- Budget time and compliance. Factor time for review, site visits, and potential requests for additional information. After approval, calendar monitoring, reporting, and renewal deadlines to stay in good standing.
- If you face enforcement. Stop the activity causing harm, document corrective actions, and consult counsel immediately. Timely responses and negotiated action plans can mitigate penalties.
This guide provides general information and is not legal advice. For specific projects in Salvaleón de Higüey, consult a qualified lawyer who can assess your site, activities, and the most current Dominican regulations and procedures.
