3 July 2007

Great Guana Cay, Abaco, Bahamas is the site of a 3-year struggle by island residents, scientists, and environmental organizations to halt the construction of a planned golf and marina mega-resort. The development company is a San Francisco company, Discovery Land Company. The island is approximately 7 miles long and at its widest a half mile. Directly offshore is a near pristine reef with staghorn, elkhorn, and many other incredibly healthy species. Until recently there has been very little human pressure on the environment. The developers plan a 180-slip marina, marina villas and shops, over 240 homesites and an 18 hole golf course. The majority of the property was mangrove forest and estuaries. The developers have removed hundreds of acres of healthy mangroves and have done a significant amount of dredging without using silt barriers in the correct fashion, without turbidity monitoring, and now the "bayside" of the site is covered in a layer of sediment and algae.

The Save Guana Cay Reef Association has managed to keep the legal battle alive and well against these developers, and have the goal of reaching Privy Council in London for either a presentation of the entire case, or at the minimum, and on an emergency basis, to secure a stop work order. Incredibly the SGCR group has had to contend with ongoing construction and destruction at the site as the Bahamian courts have dragged their feet.

Just recently the developers publicly announced a donation to the Bahamas National Trust to be dispensed in $200,000.00 installments over a six year period with a "report card" at three years to determine continuing eligibility. Of course the publicized announcement was for $1,200,000.00

We need your help in addressing this recent publicity attempt by Discovery Land Company. The Bahamas National Trust is an NGO organization. They are the managers of the national park system in the Bahamas and involved in the creation of any new national park areas to be added in the future. The Bahamas National Trust has completely undermined their credibility by accepting this donation from the developers. It is a blatant attempt by the developers to reshape their image into an environmentally friendly and responsible company. Meanwhile, the damage to the ecosystem that they have inflicted on the island is mounting.

Please write the Bahamas National Trust and the appropriate government officials below to express your concern. If Save Guana Cay Reef Association is successful in stopping this development it will set the precedent for every planned resort in the Bahamas that follows. Many developers have their attention glued to the progress in this case as they realize the implications. The case is frontpage news in the Bahamas. It will affect all future development. Government officials readily acknowledge this fact. That is why your help is so critical.

Help us secure a sustainable development future for this island nation. Please help us combat the multi-million dollar marketing budget of the Discovery Land Company and their transparent attempt to rehabilitate their already negative reputation. The time is now. We need the government and the Bahamas National Trust to acknowledge the importance of their proper stewardship of the precious environment in the Bahamas. Let The Bahamas National Trust know that you believe that an organization charged with protecting natural resources should not be in the business of accepting "donations" from a company that has been severely negligent in it's practices. Join The Sierra Club, The Ocean Futures Society, Mangrove Action Project, Greenpeace, the international marine science community and Save Guana Cay Reef by participating in a letter campaign that will directly affect the future approach towards development in ALL of the Bahamas.

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SAMPLE LETTER

Contact Name
Bahamas National Trust
Date: July 2, 2007

Dear Sir,
 
Details of a recent offer by the developers at Baker's Bay Club to "gift" the Bahamas National Trust US $1.2 million is both shocking and disgusting, for this "gift" surely comes with strings attached!

I believe that the very integrity and good reputation of the Bahamas National Trust is being compromised by this so-called six-year "donation" from the Baker's Bay Club. The Club did not give this gift out of good will, love for the environment or for the people of the Bahamas. Rather, the Baker's Bay Club is offering this donation, at the very least, to improve their public image.  At the very worst, the donation will be used as a carrot, dangled to lead Bahamians from the devastation and outrage being caused by this unacceptable mega-development.

Worldwide, environmentalists and island communities are speaking out against this development. Eminent marine biologists and conservationists denounce this mega-development for the many ways it will harm crucial reef, mangrove and terrestrial environments.  By accepting this "gift" from the developers, BNT is selling the heritage of future Bahamians far short.

Guana Cay's environment is unique in this world, and its elkhorn and staghorn coral structure is considered one of the best and last of its type in the world.  National treasures like Guana Cay need to be protected, and ensuring this island is safeguarded is one of BNT's stewardship responsibilities.  Guana Cay's marine environment has supported a sustainable fishing community for generations, its beauty draws international tourism not only to Guana Cay's small cottage tourism center, but its reef helps fill up hotels and homes in places like Treasure Cay, Hopetown and Green Turtle Cay.

Beyond the vital economic importance of Guana Cay's unique and fragile environment, is the overriding international importance of saving these unique environments before it is too late; before these natural treasures are gone forever.

Via its planned contribution to BNT of $200,000 per year for six years, Baker’s Bay Club has come up with an ingenious way to ensure they can dangle money in front of an under-funded agency with the hope of influencing policy.  Money is being channeled by calculating marketers precisely to change opinions in the Bahamas, even while outside of the Bahamas, opposition to the project is unanimous among professionals concerned about the effects such a development will have.

Baker’s Bay Club has lost the scientific battle over whether their development is good or bad for the environment.  An international scientific consensus strongly condemns the large, dangerous footprint of this mega-development.  I urge the BNT to take sides on this issue, which is so important to the Bahamas’ future. It is best to seriously consider abandoning this illegal and dangerous development, and instead establish a national marine and terrestrial park in this same contested area. The economic and environmental benefits will resound for generations, and the positive press will help reverse the negative press Bakers Bay has brought to this proud country.

Sincerely,
Name/ Address/ E-mail

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Contacts to write to:

Please send your letters to the following persons to protest this latest ploy by the developers to buy their opposition with what should rightfully be construed as a bribe:

Glenn Bannister, President
 Bahamas National Trust
 P.O. Box N4105
 The Retreat Gardens
 Village Road
 Nassau, Bahamas
 Phone: (242) 393-1317
 Fax: (242) 393-4978
email: bnt@bahamasnationaltrust.org

CC: 

The Rt. Hon. Hubert Alexander Ingraham
Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
Prime Minister, Office of the
Cecil Wallace-Whitfield Centre
Cable Beach
P. O. Box CB-10980
Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas
Tel. 242 - 3271530
Fax 242 - 327-5806
E-Mail HUBERTINGRAHAM@BAHAMAS.GOV.BS

Executive Director, Erik Carey
email: ecarey@batelnet.bs

Friends of the Environment
P. O. Box AB-20755
Marsh Harbour, Abaco Bahamas
Phone (242) 367-2721
FAX (242) 367-0722
E-Mail: info@friendsoftheenvironment.org

Claire Hepburn, Attorney General & Minister of Legal Affairs
Leila Greene, Permanent Secretary
7th Floor Post Office Building
East Hill Street
N-3007
Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas
E-Mail: CLAIREHEPBURN@BAHAMAS.GOV.BS

media conatcts:

Please send copies of your letters to the local media in the Bahamas.
cmbrennen@hotmail.com
cbrennen@tribunemedia.net
jmarquis@100jamz.com
jmarquis@tribunemedia.net
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Source:  Save Guana Cay Reef Association

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