Land Habitat
UPM aiming to gut National Conservation Act
(CNS): The UPM government has been holding a series of closed-door meetings in recent weeks, CNS has learned, in an effort to make worrying changes to the National Conservation Law to remove the already limited powers it provides to protect the environment. The UPM wants the requirement for environmental impact assessments (EIAs) for government projects […]
NCC wants input on protecting rare flowering herb
(CNS): Cayman Sage (Salvia caymanensis), a flowering herb native exclusively to Grand Cayman, was thought to have become extinct until it was rediscovered growing in the road verge on the Queen’s Highway in 2007. Now, because of its precarious existence, the National Conservation Council has begun a public consultation on a proposed species conservation plan […]
Little Cayman airport plan risks drastic change
(CNS): The proposal to move the airport on Little Cayman to a site owned by the Cayman Islands Airport Authority in the centre of this least developed island could have far-reaching implications for its fundamental character, according to a document prepared by the Environmental Assessment Board Subcommittee of the National Conservation Council.
Blue iguanas begin working on the next generation
(CNS): The blue iguana nesting season has begun, the experts at the Blue Iguana Conservation (BIC) facility at the Botanic Park said in a press release a week before International Blue Iguana Day. Lady Pop, a 33-year-old blue Iguana, has begun excavations for her nest and, along with her younger partner, 17-year-old Iggy Stardust, have […]
$250k raised for Trust to buy a slice of primary forest
(CNS): A local couple hosted a private fundraising dinner for the National Trust for the Cayman Islands and raised a quarter of a million US dollars, which will go towards acquiring a piece of primary forest identified by the Trust. While this is the largest-ever contribution to the Land Reserve Fund, it is still only […]
Analysis of alternative routes for EWA underway
(CNS): The National Roads Authority has created a website explaining the environmental impact assessment process for the controversial East-West Arterial Road extension. Officials said the site, Your EIA in action, provides information to the public about the EIA, such as why it is being conducted and what topics it is studying.
Geospatial image update captures changing landscape
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Department of Lands and Survey, using a specialist private company, has completed an updated aerial image survey of the three Cayman Islands showing the state of the landscape, as captured in February 2023, including topographic data such as buildings and roads. The project used state-of-the-art technology to capture orthomosaic imagery, which […]
DoE stresses problems with current coastal setbacks
(CNS): The Department of Environment has undertaken a review of properties damaged by last week’s powerful Nor’wester, which brought high seas and near galeforce winds. The damage to these coastal structures caused environmental, financial and personal loss, and the DoE has received footage and inquiries about the vulnerability of these properties. In many cases, when […]
Trust backs NCA as development outpaces conservation
(CNS): The National Trust for the Cayman Islands has hit out at those claiming development is being fettered by conservation legislation. The long-established non-profit organisation, which has a permanent seat on the National Conservation Council, has said that it is difficult, if not impossible, to see how the National Conservation Act is stopping development, given […]
DoE director continues to fight misinformation
(CNS): The director of the Department of Environment is continuing to correct misinformed critics of the DoE and the National Conservation Council who accuse them of delaying development. Gina Ebanks-Petrie has said, again, that the issues relating to planning delays are a result of the Central Planning Authority’s inaccurate interpretation of the National Conservation Law […]
Colourful African lizard poses new threat to natives
(CNS): The Department of Environment is issuing an alert over the first recorded sighting of a red-headed rock agama (Agama agama) on Grand Cayman. The small invasive lizard, which is a native of sub-Saharan Africa, was spotted last Thursday in the industrial centre of George Town, next to the container yard where international shipments have […]
