Bahamas National Trust working to expand national park system on Grand Bahama

Sun, Mar 25th 2012, 07:32 PM

FREEPORT, Grand Bahama -- Over the past several months, the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) has been working to establish a proposed expansion plan of existing national parks and identifying new areas for protection and replenishment on Grand Bahama. Volunteers with expertise in the fields of environmental sustainability and eco-tourism have been engaged to assist the BNT with this important initiative.  The BNT has also had preliminary discussions with the Grand Bahama Port Authority on the planned expansion.
In a meeting last week with the Living Oceans Foundation (LOF), the Minister of the Environment, the Hon. Earl D. Deveaux, mentioned that in 2008 the government of The Bahamas committed to setting aside 20 percent of the near shore marine habitats of The Bahamas in permanent protected areas by 2020  in order to meet its obligations for the Caribbean Challenge Initiative. This commitment has encouraged the BNT to put together proposals to expand the local park system on Grand Bahama.
There is a huge advantage for residents in having BNT manage areas of conservation importance that neighbor their communities. The expansion of national parks on Grand Bahama will increase areas that local residents can access for enjoyment removing the threats of development, commercialization, industry, and private ownership. Also, every park the BNT manages has its own unique management plan and bylaws. This allows BNT to set guidelines regarding the level of rules and regulations in each area through input from local communities and stakeholders.

Click here to read more at Bahama Islands Info

 Sponsored Ads