Tensions over Arboretum Lussich: balancing development policies and preservation of natural heritage.

 A post by Mattia De Stefano & Sofia Alonso

For this post, we did research on the history and conflicts of the Arboretum Lussich related to recent public policy implementation. We went through government documents, and we had conversations with activists and residents of the area.

The Arboretum Lussich, an Uruguayan public park, is one of the most important forest reserves in the world, with around 400 species present, of which 60 are native and 360 are exotic. 

Source: authors, 2021

The project began in 1896, when Angela Portillo and Antonio Dionisio Lussich, an important trader, shipowner, and naturalist of the time, decided to import different species of trees from around the world to create a reserve in Punta Ballena, in the Department of Maldonado, 128 km from the capital city of Montevideo. Just to mention a few, they planted in the area pines from Japan and Mexico, European and American ash trees, Biloba ginkgo from Japan, cedars from India and Lebanon, the Silver Tree from Africa, bamboo, oaks, palm trees, firs and many more. A big share of the original plot of land is nowadays private, however, the most important part, with the highest concentration and diversity of species, around 192 hectares, is managed by the Municipality of Maldonado and it has been declared part of the natural heritage of Uruguay.

Source: authors, 2021

Over the years, the area was hit by natural hazards, such as the 1960s fire, burning irretrievably many trees in the park. More recently, in 2005, a big storm blew down hundreds of trees and created huge damage to the region. From that day it started a big process of cleaning and regeneration, using the wood of many of the trees affected for didactical reasons. Despite these losses, the park maintains its great variety of trees and its educational and recreational importance.

Source: JBC de Piriápolis webpage

The Arboretum is open to the public and free of entrance. It has a main building with a museum about the story of Lussich and the creation of the reserve. In 2022, the main house was renovated, and the museum was given to private management. This made it more interactive and updated, but it is no longer free of entrance. The renovation included space for a new cafe, also privately owned. These changes and a more active agenda, with many events and guided tours highly increased the number of visitors.

The Arboretum is located in a mainly residential area, with primarily single-family houses. Over the years, this area experienced significant changes as it became more urbanized, pressuring the natural environment. The main entrance of the park is located on the street Camino Lussich, it used to be a small street, but recently it was transformed into a wider road for heavy traffic circulation.

 

The planning for the renovation of the street goes back to 1990, many years before the reserve was considered part of the public heritage of the country. It was planned as an attempt to reduce the traffic in the coastal area by 50%, developing an alternative road that connects different areas of the Department. From that moment onwards, the neighborhood council voiced their concerns about the decision and called for a more participatory process for the final project. In 2009 the municipality started cutting down trees from private plots to make the street wider without involving the neighborhood council. At that time, many activists and locals were worried about the possible negative impacts in the area, as many of those trees were meant to block the wind from the park. Although they were not part of the public park, these species were some of the first trees planted by Lussich. Thanks to activist actions, these renovations were stopped and for some years there were no intentions of continuing them. Other parts of the street were renovated but the segment where the park is located was left as it was.

Source: resident, 2023

However, in 2021 the municipality decided to resume the works, and in 2022 the street was fully redesigned and inaugurated at the same time as the renovations inside the park. Locals complain that linking these two projects -Camino Lussich and Arboretum Lussich- into one, was a strategy from the municipality to give a positive discourse of preservation of the park but actually, the redevelopment of the street brought negative impacts to the park and the surrounding area, as the number and speed of the cars circulating increased substantially. This situation is not only dangerous for the visitors of the park but it also affects the fauna. The place used to be an area with wild native fauna, such as deer, hare, and foxes. The high traffic flow also increased noise and air pollution. Moreover, the renovations of the infrastructure were centered around the use of private cars, and there were no intentions to improve public transport or to make the park more accessible.

Aside from the development policies of the municipality, another important issue that the park is facing nowadays is the widespread presence of invasive species, in particular three of them: the Ligustrum lucidum, the Pittosporum ondulatum, and Acacia trinervis. It is common to find them on a younger status, making many areas inaccessible. Older trees are also present, thriving and dominating species with slower growth. In specific, the Pittosporum is widespread in all the brushwood, not leaving spaces for the original varieties to reproduce themselves. Experts consider that the park needs better maintenance. However, this should not be for the beautification of green spaces, but rather for the removal of invasive species and the replanting of both native and exotic trees. The decision of the municipality to invest resources in the museum, when the park is lacking maintenance, speaks of a loss of value given to the green space. 

Source: authors, 2021

To conclude, although the decision of the municipality to renovate the main house of the park made it more attractive for the public and increased the number of visitors, more attention should be paid to the park itself and the consequences this may imply. It is too early to see the negative consequences that can be caused by an increased number of visitors, yet this is something that should be controlled. Strategies like adding more trash bins in the park could be easily thought of, but also actions of sensibilization to visitors on how to respect the vegetation and the fauna of the place. On a more political level, it is important to value the Arboretum, its natural integrity, and the needs and wishes of the local inhabitants. The renovation of Camino Lussich is part of a broader mobility policy, yet it's not planned holistically considering the preservation of the park, residents, and its visitors.

Sources:

https://market.xperience.uy/es/listings/79-paseo-al-arboretum-lussich 

https://parlamento.gub.uy/documentosyleyes/ficha-asunto/23257 

http://www.arboretumlussich.uy/ 

http://www.fadu.edu.uy/itu/files/2014/11/01-laguna-del-sauce-potezuelo-laguna-del-diario.pdf

https://correopuntadeleste.com/comunidad-vecinal-propone-vision-novedosa-para-terminar-la-obra-del-camino-lussich/

https://puntadelesteinternacional.com/punta-ballena-unida-por-camino-lussich/

https://www.maldonadonoticias.com/beta/actualidad/20280-el-arboretum-lussich-se-convertir%C3%A1-en-un-parque-accesible-con-un-gran-valor-patrimonial.html

https://www.puntaballena.org/macros/TextContent_M_UV.jsp?contentid=980&version=1

https://www.jbcdepiriapolis.com.uy/2020/02/actividades-musicales-en-el-arboretum.html