National Conservation Council opens nominations for protected areas

8 February 2022

mangrove — Wetlands absorb rainfall protecting neighbouring communities from flooding.

In an effort to expand protected areas in the Cayman Islands, the National Conservation Council is seeking nominations from the public for adding to existing sites.

At present, there are around 13 protected terrestrial sites spread over the three islands, which include Vidal Cay and Barkers National Park on Grand Cayman; Hemmington Forest on Cayman Brac; and Booby Pond Nature Reserve/Ramsar site on Little Cayman.

The NCC, on Monday, opened the consultation period, requesting nominations for areas the community would like to see categorised as protected. The deadline for submission is 13 May 2022.

NCC chairman McFarlane Conolly said having the public’s input in this process is important.

“Inviting nominations for protected areas is a genuine opportunity for the community to let government know how our country speaks to their hearts,” he told the Compass via email. “The public consultation process can sometimes be exclusionary since not everyone may have an opinion on a proposed law or framework, but protected lands is something I think nearly everyone can relate to since the natural spaces in our beautiful Islands command such a deep sense of national pride. The Council is looking forward to learning about new areas for consideration.”

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Under the National Conservation Act, new protected sites and expansion of existing protected areas are provided by voluntary purchase of land or through conservation agreements with landowners.

“Nominations of areas to be protected can be submitted to the National Conservation Council by any member of the public at any time,” the NCC said in a brief post on its website.

Department of Environment Director Gina Ebanks-Petrie joined with the NCC chairman in encouraging participation, adding that the council, of which she is a member, is “very happy” to be able to open 2022 nominations for protected areas in Cayman.

“Preserving our important natural assets is an investment in the long-term health of our country and its people,” she said. “Having a properly planned and managed system of protected areas will ensure that our natural environment continues to provide habitats for our native wildlife and biodiversity, that it is also able to continue providing a range of critical ecosystem services, including the maintenance of life support systems like clean water and air, and that our children, great-grandchildren and beyond can share some of the same nature-based experiences that we have today, even as our Islands change and grow around us.”

Conolly said at present there are 10 sites under consideration from the last public consultation in 2018. Information on all of the sites can be found on the NCC website under Protected Areas.

What is required when nominating?

Submission letters must include as much detail as possible to explain where the area is on a map and why it is significant to the nominator as a protected space, the NCC said.

Under the NCC Act section 9 (1), requirements for nomination letters include a description of the area in sufficient detail to plot its boundaries on a map or chart; and a statement of the reasons why the area should be selected for protection as set out in section 8 (1) – purposes and objectives – and section 8 (2) – criteria.

In addition, the NCC said the submission should include “A description of any protected species or other species of special concern known to reside in or migrate through the area; and [a]ny conservation problems that are known to be associated with the area and any special protective measures which may be required.”

Submissions received by the deadline will be considered in the 2022 consultation process.

Conolly urged the community to take a moment to think about a specific area in Cayman that is close to their heart and nominate it.

“It might be a mangrove wetland in your neighbourhood that you pass on your evening walk or it might be a stretch of beach or dry forest that you visited as a child. No matter how big or small, if there’s an area that you deeply feel should be preserved for future generations, then please submit your nomination to the NCC. There are many areas we don’t know about, so having the community tell us what they love and why, helps us make informed recommendations to government,” Conolly added.

Questions and/or nominations should be emailed to the National Conservation Council at [email protected]