A United Nations World Heritage designation of the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia prompted Colombia's President to ban mining exploration in a region famous for coffee plantations, architecture and tourism.
Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos says his administration has prohibited mining in 47 coffee producing municipalities in the departments of Valle del Cauca, Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda and Valle.
However, the mining certification ban mainly impacts the Department of Quindío, where a considerable portion of the territory is home to mineral exploration and some mining claim titles have been allocated.
Santos' statements, recently reported by Colombian news media, were made in response to a June 25, 2011, announcement by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee that it had named the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia (PCC) to the World Heritage List of protected sites.
The World Heritage Committee called the Coffee Cultural Land of Colombia "an exceptional example of a sustainable and productive cultural landscape that is unique and representative of a tradition that is a strong symbol for coffee growing areas worldwide-encompasses six farming landscapes, which include 18 urban centres on the foothills of the western and central ranges of the Cordillera de los Andes in the west of the country."
"The urban areas, mainly situated on the relatively flat tops of hills above sloping coffee fields, are characterized by the architecture of the Antioquian colonization with Spanish influence," said the committee.
"Building materials were, and remain in some areas, cob and pleated cane for the walls with clay tiles for the roofs."
The Unesco recommendation was requested by tourism promoters who want to increase tourism to coffee growing regions.
They contend mining and coffee cultivation are not compatible and should not jointly occur in the same areas.
The Department of Quindío also hosts such tourist attractions as the National Coffee Party, the Colombian National Coffee Park, the National Festival of Kites, and the La Macarena bullfights.
The region is also home to a number of endangered, threatened or critically endangered species.
The Governor of Quindío Julio Cesar Lopez asked Santos for a clear regulation that controls exploration and mining projects in the territory.
The President responded, "we will permit responsible mining in areas where there is no threat to destroy important cultural heritage and other areas that we deem important."
The Santos Administration hopes to have a sustainable management plan to manage the Coffee Cultural Landscape as a cultural heritage site ready by December 31.
Among the Canadian exploration companies with exploration programs in the departments of Tolimo and Quindio are AuRo Resources' White Gold Properties, and Miranda Gold's Cajamarca project.
Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos says his administration has prohibited mining in 47 coffee producing municipalities in the departments of Valle del Cauca, Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda and Valle.
However, the mining certification ban mainly impacts the Department of Quindío, where a considerable portion of the territory is home to mineral exploration and some mining claim titles have been allocated.
Santos' statements, recently reported by Colombian news media, were made in response to a June 25, 2011, announcement by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee that it had named the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia (PCC) to the World Heritage List of protected sites.
The World Heritage Committee called the Coffee Cultural Land of Colombia "an exceptional example of a sustainable and productive cultural landscape that is unique and representative of a tradition that is a strong symbol for coffee growing areas worldwide-encompasses six farming landscapes, which include 18 urban centres on the foothills of the western and central ranges of the Cordillera de los Andes in the west of the country."
"The urban areas, mainly situated on the relatively flat tops of hills above sloping coffee fields, are characterized by the architecture of the Antioquian colonization with Spanish influence," said the committee.
"Building materials were, and remain in some areas, cob and pleated cane for the walls with clay tiles for the roofs."
The Unesco recommendation was requested by tourism promoters who want to increase tourism to coffee growing regions.
They contend mining and coffee cultivation are not compatible and should not jointly occur in the same areas.
The Department of Quindío also hosts such tourist attractions as the National Coffee Party, the Colombian National Coffee Park, the National Festival of Kites, and the La Macarena bullfights.
The region is also home to a number of endangered, threatened or critically endangered species.
The Governor of Quindío Julio Cesar Lopez asked Santos for a clear regulation that controls exploration and mining projects in the territory.
The President responded, "we will permit responsible mining in areas where there is no threat to destroy important cultural heritage and other areas that we deem important."
The Santos Administration hopes to have a sustainable management plan to manage the Coffee Cultural Landscape as a cultural heritage site ready by December 31.
Among the Canadian exploration companies with exploration programs in the departments of Tolimo and Quindio are AuRo Resources' White Gold Properties, and Miranda Gold's Cajamarca project.
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