The Chief Town Planner, Mark Cummins, has apparently announced a huge National Park that runs from Consett Bay, St. John on the midway east coast all the way around north point to Archer’s Bay, St. Lucy.
We’re a little confused right now because this would apparently include the Greenland dump and various towns including Bathsheba.
In any event, we predict there will be much discussion and clarification happening next week, but for now let’s hope that this announcement heralds a true change of heart by the current administration. Barbados needs a National Park system to preserve the natural beauty that is the foundation of our tourism and our childrens’ future.
Here’s today’s release from Caribbean Press Releases.Com…
Bridgetown, Barbados — Feb. 24, 2007 — It is tourism development for Cove Bay in St. Lucy; but only in the form of a national park covering an expanse of the scenic north and east coast Barbados that includes “unique and wild landscapes”.
This disclosure has come from Chief Town Planner, Mark Cummins, who explained that the specified area falls within the boundary of the Barbados National Park stretching from Consett Bay, St. John, to Archer’s Bay, St. Lucy.
He was at the time seeking to clear the air on any planned development at Cove Bay.
Recognised by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources – World Conservation Union as a Category Five Protected Landscape/Seascape, the Barbados National Park encompasses a wide range of land use activities; from forestry and conservation to tourism, resource extraction and village settlements.Furthermore, the area of Gay’s Cove, Pico Tenerife and a part of the Cove form part of Natural Heritage Conservation Area (NHCA) (Land), encompassing environmentally sensitive terrestrial environments.
“And,” declared the Chief Town Planner, “a development of the magnitude outlined earlier within the Natural Heritage Conservation Area requires an environmental impact assessment as part of the supporting documentation for an application”.
The application will only be considered for approval if the assessment demonstrates that the proposal will have minimal impact on the environmental or landscape qualities of the Natural Heritage Conservation Area, or that expected impacts can be adequately mitigated by appropriate site design or other means.
Mr. Cummins explained that: “In cases where a proposal may negatively impact the environmental or landscape qualities of the Natural Heritage Conservation Area, approval will be granted only if the proposal is of overriding national need and no alternative site is available outside of the NHCA.”
He pointed out, however, that “informal recreation will be encouraged in the Natural Heritage Conservation Area provided that it is of a sustainable nature and does not conflict with the overriding objective of conserving and enhancing the special qualities of the area.”
“In this regard,” cautioned Mr. Cummins, “a network of well- designed, managed and signed trails should be established to provide access routes through the Natural Heritage Conservation Areas for walkers, cyclists and horseback riders.”
Source: barbados.gov.bb
Caribbean Press Releases.Com (link here)
Barbados Free Press 