Taiwan News
Date: 2016-05-25
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Development projects inside national parks will be halted and completely banned, Environmental Protection Administration Minister Lee Ying-yuan announced Wednesday.

Lee was speaking at his first news conference as minister after taking office with the rest of the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen last Friday.

The days of unlimited economic development were over, and environmental protection policies needed to be based on public health, with prevention as a key element, Lee said.

“God gave Taiwan many pieces of art,” he said, referring to the Taroko Gorge in Hualien County, one of the island’s main tourist draws.

However, past governments put the economy first, so they never took any action to bar development of national parks, Lee said, allowing work at Taroko to continue until 2017.     [FULL  STORY]