Grenada’s national parks and rare dove sold to foreign big business. Stop this!

From BirdLife:

Grenada’s “crown jewels” up for sale

08-05-2007

The Grenadian government has passed an amendment to the Grenada National Parks and Protected Areas Act, giving the Governor General the right to sell national parks land (and other protected areas) to private developers.

The amendment to the National Parks Act allows the sale of the Mount Hartman National Park – the last stronghold of the Critically Endangered Grenada Dove Leptotila wellsi – for a massive hotel and villa complex.

Half the global population of Grenada Dove –just 120 individual birds- are found within the Mount Hartman Estate, with the majority currently finding safe haven inside the Mount Hartman National Park.

“By paving the way for the sale of the Mount Hartman National Park, the Grenada government seems to have gone back on its word that the park would remain intact,” commented David Wege, BirdLife’s Caribbean Programme Manager.

As recently as the end of February, the Hon. Ann David-Antoine, Minister of Health, Social Security and the Environment stated in a letter that “the Government has not abolished the sanctuary [Mount Hartman National Park] nor will it do so”.

“With foreign investors and developers apparently driving the development process in Grenada, the loosening of the National Parks Act is potentially devastating for the protection of Grenada’s rich natural heritage.” said Wege. …

Noted author Graeme Gibson, who alongside Margaret Atwood [see also here] is a co-patron of BirdLife’s Rare Bird Club, has created a website offering advice and information to those who are interested in supporting the campaign and lobbying both Grenada and Four Seasons.

In August 2011, the Government of Grenada’s Cabinet approved the protection of the last piece of government-owned Grenada Dove habitat through the addition of approximately 100 acres (c.40 ha) of the Beausejour Estate to the adjacent Perseverance Protected Area and Dove Sanctuary. This extremely positive move towards the conservation of Grenada’s national bird – the Critically Endangered Grenada Dove Leptotila wellsi – now requires a survey and then legal designation by the Grenadian Parliament: here.

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