A proposal for a huge tourist resort in Baja California, Mexico, has sharply divided the rural community of San Quintin Valley, with some residents eager for the thousands of new jobs the resort could create and others anxious over the ecological destruction it could cause. The $700 million-plus resort, proposed by a group of investors from Mexico City and the U.S., would include eight hotels, three golf courses, condos, a 350-slip marina, and shopping centers. Enviros say the project would destroy a pristine wetland that provides habitat for many migrating birds and other animals, including some rare and endangered species, and could imperil highly productive, chemical-free oyster and clam operations. Developers promise to be as environmentally responsible as possible and leave half of their 2,200 acres undeveloped as parks and wildlife refuges. Some locals resent the intrusion of enviros from other countries, saying the economically depressed area needs the development.
