Conservation law makes it to five years intact

Ghost Orchid

(CNS): The National Conservation Law marked its 5th anniversary on Thursday still intact, despite ongoing concerns over government plans to review and water down the legislation, which was originally steered through the Legislative Assembly with unanimous support on 13 December 2013. Wayne Panton, the former environment minister, the only minster to ever hold the portfolio who was not only passionate but knowledgeable about the environment, fought hard and made compromises to ensure the law’s passage, which resulted in around 3,500 acres of important habitat now being protected.

However, the legislation remains under threat as the government still appears to want to review the law with the intention of undermining some of the provisions that are seen in some quarters as a barrier to development, though in reality the law has made no real impact on the pace of development.

Despite the continuing efforts of the Department of Environment to submit recommendations to planning that should be considered with equal weight as economic and social considerations, very little appears to have changed when it comes to Central Planning Authority decisions.

The five-year anniversary comes as the environment is facing increasing threats. But there is also an increasing awareness among local people about the need to protect Cayman’s precious natural resources, illustrated by the increasing activism in the community against projects that would destroy important habitats, such as the cruise berthing facility proposal and more recently the application by a local bar owner to remove some 180,000 sq.ft of sea grass in Barkers.

Despite the multiple challenges, the DoE continues to press ahead with conservation wherever it can. As the department marked the anniversary today, it reminded the community how to nominate land for protected status under the National Conservation Law. 

Anyone can nominate specific areas of land with natural interest, and submissions can be made between 15 June and 15 September each year in the form of a letter to the National Conservation Council (conservationcouncil@gov.ky). It must contain a description of the area in sufficient detail to plot its boundaries, the reasons why the area should be selected, a description of protected species or species of special concern in the area and any conservation problems associated with it.