Love & Revolution
04-07-08, - 11:15 AM
Open letter to the Bahamas National Trust Re Resolution to Protect Adelaide and its surroundings environs
Mr. Glenn Bannister
President,
Bahamas National Trust
The Retreat
Village Road
Nassau, The Bahamas
March 28, 2008
Via Email
Re: Call for the Council of the Bahamas National Trust to draft a Resolution to recommend to Government that the highest and best use of Adelaide beach, its adjacent marine environment, wetlands, sawgrass fields, and pine barren, be declared a National Park for the long term benefit of the Bahamian people.
Dear Mr. Bannister,
We are writing to request the assistance of the Bahamas National Trust with regard to the Albany development in south western New Providence.
The Bahamas National Trust Act (http://laws.bahamas.gov.bs/statutes/statuteCHAPTER391.html) Section 4 (1) General purposes of Bahamas National Trust, states;
“4. (1) The Bahamas National Trust shall be established for the purposes of promoting the permanent preservation for the benefit and enjoyment of The Bahamas of lands and tenements (including buildings) and submarine areas of beauty or natural or historic interest and as regards lands and submarine areas for the preservation (so far as practicable) of their natural aspect, features, and animal, plant and marine life.”
It is based on these guiding principles that we are writing. During a long and hard fight to save Clifton from development, which began sometime in 1998 and was in part championed by one of your Council members at the time, and current Deputy President, Mr. Pericles Maillis, the Bahamas National Trust saw fit to pass a Resolution of the Council of the Bahamas National Trust on April 7, 2000 to save Clifton from development. This bold move set a precedent for the Trust’s role in the preservation and protection of lands under threat by development.
What confounds us is that the issues of Clifton are mirrored almost exactly by those of the Tiger Woods / Joe Lewis / Ernie Els Albany development, in fact Albany threatens the very same resources as Clifton, and yet the Trust remains silent on the issue. Additionally, at least one of your council members is in favour of the Albany development.
The Trust’s Resolution to protect Clifton states:
“AND WHEREAS the recent development proposals for the Clifton area has stimulated and initiated considerable study and analysis of the state of development of New Providence;
WHEREAS the Council of the Bahamas National Trust finds that there are unique and nationally significant cultural and natural resources in the Clifton area of New Providence;
WHEREAS there are equally significant marine resources in the adjacent waters;
WHEREAS the growth of development and population of New Providence is rapidly eliminating critical natural and cultural resources; and
WHEREAS there is increasing need for public open space and access to these remaining nationally significant resources.”
All of these points were laid out in the Resolution to save Clifton from the proposed Clifton Cay development and all of these points STILL apply to the rampant unsustainable development going on in the south western New Providence, as well as in The Bahamas generally.
Adelaide’s beaches, cultural assets, the same reefs and water lens protected under the Clifton resolution, the adjacent forests, the public’s access to places of natural beauty, and community are all jeopardized by the Albany development. These same resources, protected by the Resolution to save Clifton in 2000 are worthy and entitled to the same preservation given to Clifton, for the very same reasons, in 2008.
Set all the environmental issues aside, Adelaide trumps Clifton in that there is a human community living in Adelaide that has never been properly and truthfully told of the potential catastrophic impacts to the publics’ beach, their properties, and subsequently their community as a result of the beach erosion that the Albany EIA has admitted will result from their development.
We therefore request that the Council of the Bahamas National Trust recommend to Government that the highest and best use of the Adelaide beach, its adjacent marine environment, wetlands, sawgrass fields, and pine barren, be designated a National Park for the long term benefit of the Bahamian people in order to preserve these natural and cultural resources.
We also call on the Bahamas National Trust to join reEarth in a call to government to impose an immediate moratorium on cutting through Bahamian beaches (including Adelaide beach), dredging of canals, and new golf courses.
We would appreciate you forwarding this request to your Executive Council and Trust Council Members as their contacts are not available on the Trust’s website.
Mr. Glenn Bannister
President,
Bahamas National Trust
The Retreat
Village Road
Nassau, The Bahamas
March 28, 2008
Via Email
Re: Call for the Council of the Bahamas National Trust to draft a Resolution to recommend to Government that the highest and best use of Adelaide beach, its adjacent marine environment, wetlands, sawgrass fields, and pine barren, be declared a National Park for the long term benefit of the Bahamian people.
Dear Mr. Bannister,
We are writing to request the assistance of the Bahamas National Trust with regard to the Albany development in south western New Providence.
The Bahamas National Trust Act (http://laws.bahamas.gov.bs/statutes/statuteCHAPTER391.html) Section 4 (1) General purposes of Bahamas National Trust, states;
“4. (1) The Bahamas National Trust shall be established for the purposes of promoting the permanent preservation for the benefit and enjoyment of The Bahamas of lands and tenements (including buildings) and submarine areas of beauty or natural or historic interest and as regards lands and submarine areas for the preservation (so far as practicable) of their natural aspect, features, and animal, plant and marine life.”
It is based on these guiding principles that we are writing. During a long and hard fight to save Clifton from development, which began sometime in 1998 and was in part championed by one of your Council members at the time, and current Deputy President, Mr. Pericles Maillis, the Bahamas National Trust saw fit to pass a Resolution of the Council of the Bahamas National Trust on April 7, 2000 to save Clifton from development. This bold move set a precedent for the Trust’s role in the preservation and protection of lands under threat by development.
What confounds us is that the issues of Clifton are mirrored almost exactly by those of the Tiger Woods / Joe Lewis / Ernie Els Albany development, in fact Albany threatens the very same resources as Clifton, and yet the Trust remains silent on the issue. Additionally, at least one of your council members is in favour of the Albany development.
The Trust’s Resolution to protect Clifton states:
“AND WHEREAS the recent development proposals for the Clifton area has stimulated and initiated considerable study and analysis of the state of development of New Providence;
WHEREAS the Council of the Bahamas National Trust finds that there are unique and nationally significant cultural and natural resources in the Clifton area of New Providence;
WHEREAS there are equally significant marine resources in the adjacent waters;
WHEREAS the growth of development and population of New Providence is rapidly eliminating critical natural and cultural resources; and
WHEREAS there is increasing need for public open space and access to these remaining nationally significant resources.”
All of these points were laid out in the Resolution to save Clifton from the proposed Clifton Cay development and all of these points STILL apply to the rampant unsustainable development going on in the south western New Providence, as well as in The Bahamas generally.
Adelaide’s beaches, cultural assets, the same reefs and water lens protected under the Clifton resolution, the adjacent forests, the public’s access to places of natural beauty, and community are all jeopardized by the Albany development. These same resources, protected by the Resolution to save Clifton in 2000 are worthy and entitled to the same preservation given to Clifton, for the very same reasons, in 2008.
Set all the environmental issues aside, Adelaide trumps Clifton in that there is a human community living in Adelaide that has never been properly and truthfully told of the potential catastrophic impacts to the publics’ beach, their properties, and subsequently their community as a result of the beach erosion that the Albany EIA has admitted will result from their development.
We therefore request that the Council of the Bahamas National Trust recommend to Government that the highest and best use of the Adelaide beach, its adjacent marine environment, wetlands, sawgrass fields, and pine barren, be designated a National Park for the long term benefit of the Bahamian people in order to preserve these natural and cultural resources.
We also call on the Bahamas National Trust to join reEarth in a call to government to impose an immediate moratorium on cutting through Bahamian beaches (including Adelaide beach), dredging of canals, and new golf courses.
We would appreciate you forwarding this request to your Executive Council and Trust Council Members as their contacts are not available on the Trust’s website.