St. Maarten Pride wants
protected areas trust
PHILIPSBURG--Conservation Trust Fund dedicated to the protection and sustainable management of the island’s natural resources and protected areas is needed, according to St. Maarten Pride Foundation.
This call came on the heels of Island Councilman Frans Richardson’s recommendation in the Island Council for fifty cents of the one dollar increase of the cruise passenger head tax be allocated for environmental projects.
The environmental foundation suggests a preset percentage of revenue generated via the cruise passenger head tax be allocated to the trust. To manage the St. Maarten Protected Areas Conservation Trust or SXM-PACT, Pride said a foundation should be established.
This new entity should comprise representatives of each environmental non-governmental organisation, government representatives and an independent member.
The initiative can be modelled after the Belizean Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) which became law as The Protected Areas Conservation Trust Act on January 2, 1996, and went into operation on June 1 of that same year. The PACT was set up to provide for the protection, conservation and enhancement of Belize’s natural and cultural resources, according to the foundation.
“The PACT is part of a nationwide cooperative effort to protect Belize’s natural and cultural resources which also serve as a basis for the valuable tourist industry. A fee of 7.50 Belize dollars is charged as a conservation fee to all foreign visitors as part of this effort to finance Belize’s conservation efforts. Amounts collected are paid directly into the trust fund as provided for in the legislation.”
“The fee provides a means to protect and conserve our natural and cultural resources for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations of Belizeans and visitors. Surveys have shown that this will not diminish the number of visitors coming to Belize but will in fact enhance Belize’s image as a unique destination that cares deeply about conserving its natural and cultural resources.”
Nature Foundation and Pride have recently joined forces to protect Simpson Bay Lagoon from further degradation. As part of this effort, the foundations have asked the Executive Council, in a letter dated May 25, to place Little Key islet and a buffer zone of 100 metres surrounding it in their protective custody for conservation purposes as part of the trust.
The proposal was discussed during a meeting on June 6 held between environmental foundations and the incoming Executive Council.
