Association for the Protection of the Future of Sayulita, A.C.

What is Sayulita?

Sayulita is a gift from nature that lies between the green foothills of the Sierra Madre and the Pacific Ocean. Once small and peaceful because of it's remote location within the surrounding jungle, word of its beauty spread and Sayulita began to grow. The village is now suffering from uncontrolled development which threatens to destroy life in Sayulita as we know it.

What Might Sayulita Become?

The government has established zoning laws and land use regulations in order to promote growth and tourist development. If developers and new residents build in accordance with these existing laws, six-story hotels and condominium towers would ring the shoreline. The hillsides behind would be covered with buildings whose only views would be over the tops of those towers. If not regulated, our future Sayulita could resemble Acapulco, Manzanillo, or Rincon de Guayabitos.

The village now has approximately 2,500 inhabitants and 1,000 homes. The association requested and funded an independent study by Dr. Alberto Szekely, an internationally respected environmental attorney, to report on the current urban development policy and its possible implications for the future. The study concluded that over the next 20 years, the current urban development plan for Sayulita allows for the following -

" A population of 59,000 - 24 times its present size
" 13,860 homes
" 8,489 hotel rooms

In addition, we are facing severe unsustainable demands on both water supply and wastewater management. According to hydro-geologist Mark Utting's 1999 detailed independent study, the following conclusions are obvious -

" The current demand for water will soon reach levels that will outstrip the supply
" Additional pumping is likely to cause saltwater intrusion, polluting our water supply
" The projected population increase and resulting demands on the water supply and wastewater management are unsustainable and are likely to have severe public health, ecological and economic ramifications if not addressed

Who Cares about Sayulita?

Everyone, both local and foreigner, should care about controlling the present illegal development that threatens to forever change the existing environment. Each of us is dependent upon the complex ecology of our surroundings. Everyone should care about protecting the jungle, water resources and wildlife that thrive in this precious and limited landscape. Everyone should care about the people in this community as we all share a common vision of a clean, healthy and economically sustainable lifestyle.

Who Are We?

There is a voice that speaks for the preservation of Sayulita. That voice is the Association for the Protection of the Future of Sayulita, A.C. This association, as a duly formed and registered Civil Association (A.C.), has the power to lobby for changes in zoning and land use laws and levy lawsuits against any individual, company, government entity, or official involved in illegal activities concerning these land use laws. The association will work in solidarity with other like-minded groups in Sayulita.

Our Mission

" To protect and improve the quality of life in the Sayulita area by raising public awareness regarding environmental protection and urban development plans
" To ensure that land use activities in and around the area of Sayulita, such as construction, subdivision of land, tourist development, etc., conform to all applicable zoning and land use laws and environmental standards
" To lobby federal, state and county governments in order to reduce the density specifications in the current urban development plan of the county of Bahia de Banderas
" To address the long-term maintenance of the local water supply, water quality, and sewage treatment facilities for the good of our common future

Please Participate

Membership and participation in the association is open to everyone concerned about Sayulita's future.

If you would like to be on our contact list, in order that you can receive all of our information and updates, please send us your name and e-mail address.

Please feel free to contact us below:

contact@savesayulita.org

www.savesayulita.org