Jubilee tree gains lost in just one CPA meeting
(CNS): Local environmental activists are raising concerns that the goal to plant 1,400 trees in the Cayman Islands this year in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is nothing more than a green-washing publicity stunt. Well over 1,400 trees were condemned to be removed at just one Central Planning Authority meeting this month after planning permission was given for several projects that will see chunks of land, including primary pristine habitat, cleared for development.
According to the minutes from the CPA meeting on 1 March, the number of trees that will be lost at just two sites where planning permission was granted for apartments will be far more than will be planted for the whole of this year as part of the ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’ project.
Around a thousand trees will be cleared on one 4.5 acre site in East End to make way for 68 condos, and one of the last fragments of primary shrubland and forest habitat remaining in West Bay will be removed to make way for two dozen apartments. These two granted applications alone will see the loss of more than 1,400 trees.
Across all three Cayman Islands, trees are being lost at an alarming rate. While all the environmental activists that CNS has spoken with have welcomed the jubilee tree planting initiative, most believe that it is far too modest in its aims to make any difference to the current scale of land clearing.
As of Wednesday afternoon, just 23 trees had been planted under the jubilee project. Three days after the CPA gave the green light to clear land filled with hundreds of trees, government officials were out in force for a photo opportunity at the Government Administration Building, where just two trees were planted, one mahogany sapling and a small silver thatch palm, as part of the jubilee project.
Eden Hurlston, a member of a number of non-profit community groups focused on conservation, greening the economy and creating new jobs and industries, said the current approach to land clearing for development is unsustainable.
“While planting even one tree is always welcome, this is nothing more than green-washing and a nice PR exercise,” he said. “It’s ridiculous, to be honest, and it detracts away from the serious problem we have with the constant destruction of mature valuable trees when land is cleared. But what is truly disappointing is the lost opportunity to seize this initiative and use it as a way to kickstart a new industry of tree cultivation and preservation.
“We need to completely change the approach from this edge-to-edge clearance that occurs once planning permission is granted. It leads to the destruction of thousands of trees and shrubs that could easily be saved and planted, either back on the sites following the development or other places in desperate need of trees,” he told CNS.
Other countries involved in the initiative, such as Jamaica, have a target of planting millions of trees. Hurlston thinks that Cayman could use the Queen’s Green Canopy programme to create a whole new industry around tree growth and preservation, cultivating indigenous and native trees through specially designed nurseries.
“Instead of ripping out every tree when planning permission is given for a project, we need to be motivating landowners to preserve all of the mature trees they have so they can either be sold to plant elsewhere or replanted on their sites,” he added.
“We can create new jobs in nurseries which can acquire and hold the trees that are being removed from land that is going under the bulldozer and plant them somewhere else. We need to encourage the density of tree growth that occurs naturally,” he added.
Hurlston and a number of other local activists believe it is time for the country to find a way to systematically replant trees across Cayman in serious numbers that will help make up for the decades of loss.
He has recently been surveying areas in his West Bay neighbourhood, assessing the number of trees generally seen in primary untouched habitat, secondary mature regrowth and early re-growth on cleared land, and has calculated that in many places the land can sustain around a dozen trees per square metre.
Currently, landowners who are clearing property for development have to make an appointment with the Department of Environmental Health to take their green waste to the landfill because more vegetation is being taken to the dump than can be dealt with. Most of this waste is not even being mulched, never mind composted.
Hurlston said there was a pressing need for a fully integrated nursery system, starting with the removal of valuable mature trees destined to be cleared for development, their management and preservation, and further cultivation of more trees before the replanting.
In time, Cayman could put an end to the importation of any greenery for landscaping and generate a whole new economic sector by preserving the trees we already have and by growing even more, he said.
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Category: development, Land Habitat, Local News, Science & Nature
Our goal should be to replace one for one every tree bulldozed by developers. Anything less is going backwards. Two ways to do this Plant a whole lot of trees or stop clear-clearing every lot before developing. Controlled and managed development is given lip service by all of our governments but in the end the developers get what they want. Our island is fueled by profit and greed with no concern for how it effects the average working Caymanian. This is not likely to change soon, the only way it can be stopped is for the people to actually join the few that care in speaking up.
Masks are not necessary when you work for government, Covid is only a problem when you are a covid-suspetible non-government person shopping at AL Thompson or Fosters.
Follow the science people.
Can we please stop acting like if Cayman were to lose 100% of its trees and mangroves, the net effect on the entire planet would NOT be like removing a bucket of water from the ocean?
There are 126 billion acres of landmass on Earth. Do the math.
I am concerned that living in a tropical desert may have some negative side effects on my health ….. duh
It would appear that hundreds of countries follow this agenda, which is why Earth is doomed.
Folks I hv been here57+years and until we put teeth into many existing laws this is joke.Our most important trees are our mangroves and one sees how much respect they get.NONE ZERO.Onr thing I notice no one even tries to save a tree when bulldozing as in general those Drivers dont give a rats ass about trees as they get in the way.Taking out of mangroves in particular needs to have a heavy fine and replanting of same.
If you even touch mangroves in Fla you are seriously fined.Here we are just plain stupid dumb or both.Money talks and the BS walks BIG TIME.
Both
Y’all clearly haven’t driven down Bobby Thompson way in the last two weeks
The times I’ve cried out on here for more social and economic responsibility from our government, and over time the things we should be conserving have been raped and pillaged in the name of tourism and development. We’ve ripped out coral and pulled almost all the coastal trees and mangroves that protect us from storm surge all over the island. Plans to fix this seem more like “novelties” and NOBODY seems to put any thought or planning into doing what is right. All the coastal trees and mangroves should be replaced, and we should be actively looking to plant more trees inland too. But it goes beyond that. We need to ensure that we are planting the right trees in the right places, and study which trees provide the most carbon sequestration. Pisses me right off.
What about the community housing development in North Side. Every single tree shrub that existed was bulldozed. Only thing left standing were token silver thatch. Low income person could have benefitted from the bush and shade provided and lower cuc bills. Not even a buffer was left although a bit left by the pond to satisfy the national trust. Shame on the new government that told us things were going to change.
How about this. All developments be required to keep a certain percentage of trees. THEN, they be required to donate a certain precent to a tree re-planting program. AND, all owners of homes that are currently built on property that was once mangroves be required to pay an “environmental protection fee”.
I agree with all of that except for the last point. My family decided to buy an existing house that needed fixing up so we wouldn’t be buying land and destroying vegetation there too. Fixing up dilapidated buildings should be the priority of everyone before we start bulldozing.
It doesn’t matter, your family purchasing a “fixer upper” that is built where mangroves once grew is directly supporting the MARKET for homes in that area. Sorry, no exemptions.
3.25. So you’re now the Mangrove morality police.?
“Sorry no exemptions”..? Who the hell do you think you are..?
Grow up ,and realize we are all free to make whatever choice we see fit.
Um you are seriously unhinged.
Houses have been built for years where mangroves were before. This would hit a lot of homeowners who would be very surprised.
The very same home owners who are now environmentalists!
And isn’t it nice we exist to keep you dumbasses alive
Where should we live? In a tree? You are and idiot.
Like my previous post on another story, the ineptitude, inadequacy, hypocrisy and lunacy of the elected politicians on this island is breath taking. If it wasn’t so terrifying you’d be laughing. Utterly clueless and just stumbling into the next mess.
Who has the contract to provide all those logo shirts for CIG? That must be a nice wheeze.
Creating all the CIG logos must also be a lucrative business. Does every department and authority really need its own heraldic shield and motto?
Money2Burn – I bet my pension that the shirt business is owned by a member of the Civil Service, in some capacity (or their spouse).
Caymanians do not care about trees. Look at downtown. Look at the NRA’s highways. How many trees do you see anywhere that have grown to three feet thick? Practically none. I would bet money that there is not a single tree left from the days of first settlement, Every ancient mahogany cut down. It wasn’t CPA who did this. Ironically, the only significant tree planter these days is Dart.
The words ‘environment’ and ‘environmental’ were unknown in Cayman until about 25 years ago, when foreigners introduced the concept.
This was followed by ‘sustainable’ which has become politically correct and every ‘environmentalist’s’ over used mantra.
Recycling is another alien concept which is currently in fashion….
In the meantime, business as usual.
Well if there weren’t so many of you here…
Look at the postcards from the 50’s. Not a tree in sight taller than a baby australian pine.
Ummm. There was a hurricane and….
Idiot.
Exactly 8:55! Mass migration of people to Cayman has resulted in the degradation of the environment. It’s befuddling to listen some of these very same people talk about “Caymanians don’t care for the environment”.
Those peaky expats littering in West Bay and East End!
Money2Burn – I bet my pension that the shirt business is owned by a member of the Civil Service, in some capacity (or their spouse).
Rubbish. The Rotary Clubs and other service clubs have been planting trees here for best part of fifty years. Best example are the palms along West Bay road and the Black Olive Trees along Cardinal Avenue. I hope the CIG will not destroy them as they reinvent the avenue.
Like him or not at least Dart plants lots of trees on his developments. Obviously not as many as were cut down in the first place but better than all the other developers
Dart destroys nature and plants what he wants. Not nice.
This is an embarrassing revelation, but not because of the easiest presumed conclusion of political hypocrisy. It should once again serve to highlight the unenviable challenge and tenuous nature of PACT’s delicate coalition leadership. It is deeply regrettable that their weak post election alliance necessitated deal-making with the worst elements of Cayman’s leadership, including reaffirming convicted thugs, dishonest, and minions to powerful office. These corrosive forces have not taken a day off in 30+ years and continue to undermine, and oppose, at every turn, what Wayne and the handful of other good guys may be trying to correct or reverse. The right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. This is just another good vs evil exhibit that shows plainly that PPM and UDP/CDP’s shared brand of corrupt stability is not the solution to our problems: rather they are the persistant tire-fire in our political landscape…still smouldering and burning to the continued detriment of our future. PACT or Gov Roper should respond by increasing the staffing, budget, scope, and deliverables for SIPL, ACC, Auditor Gen, and revisit standards and regulations for those proposing to stand for office, SAGC Board, or Committee. PACT can easily point to the AG’s or FATF’s comments to support these moves – in fact, we’ve actually been directed to do this. Let’s do it. Amend section 61 an 62, then call another election where these past losers are disqualified and barred from standing for re-nomination.
What is embarrassing is to see 14 people taking time off work, to pose in front of a stick being stuck in the ground.
Get back to your desks a do your work ffs.
10:26 am You hit the nail on the head. Why to civil servants get glorified for doing their jobs? Photo ops, queen’s honours….get a grip Cayman.
9:45 am Agreed with you up until you called Wayne one of the good guys.
He’s further down the continuum than most. Name someone better, we’ll wait.
Wayne is a good guy, but sadly he is surrounded by UDP snouts in troughs, and he is outnumbered.
He and Andre should take Heather and Ms Wilks across to form a government with the opposition.
They have done nothing to preserve anything in West Bay, its almost a concrete jungle now. Please try to preserve what is left. Traffic is coming back without these projects being finished. West Bay offers many tourism attractions, please preserve something PACT!
The sham continues by those who talk about saving the environment yet are part of yet another Government who’s destructive policies and onslaught against our environment continues.Which is now at a stage that it has or will become a national security threat or issue in the event of a storm or Hurricane .It has become so bad that they are now justifying this destruction by making it appear that they are some how honouring our ruling Monarch by doing so . wOw ! Mann you can see some Real bull$#@% aye !
Do we honestly think the choices for this CPA, proposed from the desk of Julianna O’Connor, represent new anti-corruption PACT values, or were they installed via horse-trading to preserve the CDP/UDP corrupt status quo for their developer cronies and donors? Are we smart enough to smell the difference?
These PACT clowns are really something else, all hype
Joke. This whole island should be planting trees or better yet PROTECTING mangroves because that’s simple and necessary.
Wait, were we not told that Wayne and PACT would stop this madness? What happened?
Hehehehe. You fell for it
Make it a law that healthy trees must be replanted in a suitable location that will be paid by the developer. We’ve tolerated and allowed developers to do as they please for decades to the destruction of our environment without any serious repercussions.
PACT has done a great job of doing nothing and what is 1,400 trees when possibly 10,000 have been lost in the past year, useless. Eden, please keep up the great work along with Sustainable Cayman in trying to preserve something for future generations.
In the U.K. many older trees are made the subject of “preservation orders” and anyone that cuts one down can be fined tens of thousands of pounds. In Cayman we have the “nod and a wink” and every tree is removed with absolutely no consequences.
Pure lip service and photo ops!
Pretty much sums up Cayman.
#CaymanIsDoomed
What’s the big deal here, I’m looking for consistency in a leader and it’s Govt, and they do not fail. It’s no different than ‘ pointing out that if countries like Cayman are going to press other governments to reduce their massive carbon footprints that will inevitably impact us, we have to do our part first’, – ‘local emissions need to be cut by almost two thirds as soon as possible’, and driving an SUV around the place 🌴🚙
I am a big fan of the environment and think we should be preserving and planting tens of thousands of trees, but if you count the salaries, the shovels, and the embroidered shirts of all standing around, how much did that one freaking tree cost us?
Our civil service have become an unaffordable scam. Can someone please make it stop! Let the school kids and stipend recipients plant the trees! They will do it without bankrupting us.
➕embroidered face masks
The amount of money spent on disposable junk is probably significant deserving a separate category in the Financial Statements.
It is probably lumped with Saving Mangroves (or whatever) expenditure.
This island is so effed.
The die was cast many moons ago. The runaway train to climate change catastophre is at full speed and those responsible will not be the ones to face the consequences.
Points were made
No surprises here, the Premier or should I say Mr. Two Face is similar to another leader to the east in that he does exactly opposite of what he proclaims.
CIG as a whole waste millions of trees every year with the reams of paper they use for no good reason. Wasn’t one of the reasons for the eGov initiative to save on hard copies?
This is all just a photo op for professional self gratification addicts. They get their pictures taken then think they’ve solved the problem and go away feeling all fuzzy having payed back what for the destruction they’ve allowed.
What a sad self serving bunch. 🤦♂️ No need to send in the clowns, they’re here already.
Is it any wonder the temperature here has increased so much earlier in the year – putting A/c on so early in the year when before could open windows and cool breezes. Why is that – less foliage and trees and more concrete?
The new HSA car park off Anthony Drive, near the Pines, which nobody seems to use, is another planning disaster, not a single tree or shrub insight. Perhaps some jubilee trees could be planted there.
Nothing from the government’s campaign promises have came to fruition. Sad what the government is allowing everything to be concrete over. Caymanians stop selling your land.
When are you all going to see Wayne Panton is nothing more than a politician with a sweet mouth ?
So glad we are closing roads and wasting public funds, to the detriment of Caymanians, whilst we continue to ignore real issues! Oh hi, do our leaders not see the green plume right off of Eden? That is $hit, just fyi. It is killing the coral, just fyi. Not that our representatives give to craps, pun intended. Guess there is no money in doing the right thing.
One of, if not, the best example of how ridiculous the island has become.
#Absurdistan
Native tree killers have to make an appointment with DEH but not DOE, and least of all their own neighbors. Says it all.
https://periodismoinvestigativo.com/2022/01/cayman-foreign-investors-identity-crisis/
Eden is correct and he raises good points in this brilliant reporting from Kayla Young that answers literally all of the “Why” questions.
I have a radical idea. Why not stipulate in the appropriate laws that a certain percentage of your land (let’s say 33%) has to contain local trees/flora.
Just my two cents worth.
Who really cares if the plants are local or not? Planning already stipulates the maximum percentage a property can be covered by development and it’s usually around 30%. Which means the other 70% has the opportunity to be landscaped. Soooooo owners can choose to put whatever they want or nothing at all when it comes to trees and plants etc. some do tons and others do none. It’s not anyone else’s business what gets planted or not in private property. But for whatever it’s worth, buying plants locally costs a fortune and watering them costs even more since we have some of the most expensive water in the world. And for the most part not a whole lot grows here without a ton of irrigation. Ever heard the term desert island? That’s pretty much us…and everyone wants it to look like Bali.
I also love how everyone who already has a house loves to rip on everyone else trying to build one. As if the home you’re living in was placed on a magical plot of land that god created with a concrete pad waiting for it and you didn’t clear a thing to build it. Hypocrites all.
We care deeply that plants are local. Local plants are our heritage and they provide a habitat to countless local animals.
This idea that a property owner has full rights to private property including the destruction of the environment is an idea that is ruining our world. Landowners must follow a strict set of rules when building on their private property, so why not have rules for clearing? Our community collectively pays when every tree is removed, so why shouldn’t we have a say? We all need to work together to determine how our island should look. If we continue letting every land owner clear their land at will, the trajectory will only bring more concrete and pavement which benefits no one. This is a well-studied concept called the tragedy of the commons and it can easily be avoided. The environment should be taken into consideration for every decision we make. Unfortunately, our people are not doing this themselves so the only remaining solution is government regulations.
If you believe we just live on a desert island, then you need to spend more time in the bush. Every forest on these 3 islands is exotic and unlike anything else in the world.
Excellent article. CIG has a great opportunity to use local trees and plants on Cardinal Walkway and Heroes Square. Unfortunately most of the trees planted are not shade trees so far. Whoever planted some of the trees directly under power lines lost the plot.
As for the concrete benches they seat two cruise ship tourists each.
Just the first paragraph of this article alone warrants my laughing at the absurdity of it all.
Typical Cayman strategy… Be good on Monday, bad on tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday, saturday, sunday. “Hey, wasn’t I good last Monday?” Cayman has sold it’s soul! And we continually elect those who do this work! Shame on us.
Count trees cut down where approval is not even sought and the number is even higher. See Parrot Reserve.
So what, just quit all the whinging, we need more development because it brings jobs and money. Get rid of all these swamps so we get rid of the mosquitos. Also lets start to reclaim land from the see so we can have a bigger island, like the Chinese do. Then we can have more land to sell and develop.
Brilliant idea. Lets dredge, create a bigger Cayman, destroy reefs etc so we get no divers. The rich developers get all the money and everyone prospers.
Then get a navy like the Chinese to protect all of us.
While I don’t agree with the whole dredging thing…the reef is already a lost cause. Most of it has already been killed and at some point the island needs to plan for the eventuality of the diving industry disappearing. Or…protect the ever loving crap out of the reefs and save them but I don’t see that happening.
Exactly! We need more condos and apartments for tbe affluent investors! More buildings, more cars, less tree hugging!
8:42 am If you cared at all to investigate one of the applications referred to in the article is 100% being developed by born Caymanians to help provide affordable housing for Caymanians. In that CPA decision, the CPA followed the DOE’s recommendations to preserve local vegetation AND provide feeding areas for blue iguanas.
When is the last time a new housing unit was sold for less than $200,000 plus? Try $400,000 and up for most new units.
Who are we truly developing for?
Remind me again. Who are we developing the island for?
Mike Ryan. Who did you think?
And other people like him who come here and get rich of us.
Believe me, and I have been watching closely. There is no one quite like Mike.
😂
I mean, there’s nothing else to do at this stage is there. Just laugh in disbelief
Certainly took a lot of persons to plant 1 tree.