CATEGORY:LETTER TO THE EDITOR
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INSIDE GRENADA
Thursday December 28,2006

The following letter has been sent to Grenadian Government Ministers and senior executives of the Four Seasons Hotels group:

Dear Sir,
As you may know, Mount Hartman National Park, one of the last remaining refuges of Grenada's national bird, the Grenada Dove, is threatened by the proposed development of a luxury resort supported by the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts group.

The Board of the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds is shocked and dismayed by the imminent threat to the Grenada Dove, a unique and irreplaceable aspect of Grenada’s national heritage.

Please understand that we are not opposed to development. Indeed, we clearly recognize the need for economic growth and prosperity. However this must proceed in ways that do not threaten our valuable natural assets and those things that are uniquely Grenadian.

Mount Hartman National Park is particularly valuable in this regard. This area was previously prioritized for protection to conserve one of, if not the most, threatened species of bird in the entire Lesser Antilles, the Grenada Dove. The Mount Hartman National Park was established in 1996.

As research has clearly shown, the Dove is so sensitive to human disturbance, it is virtually impossible to mitigate against either the direct (habitat loss) and indirect effects (habitat fragmentation, human disturbance due to increased traffic, etc) of a development. Sacrificing this irreplaceable population of what is truly a Caribbean gem for yet another tourism venture is an action the world will hold against us all in perpetuity. The Grenada Dove predates all human presence in the Caribbean by thousands of years. Human actions which threaten its survival are irresponsible, short-sighted and clearly do not represent sustainable development. Do not let Grenada be the first Caribbean island to bear the infamy of sanctioning the extinction of its most highly acclaimed national symbol. Instead, we urge you to do the right thing and support permanent protection of Mount Hartman National Park.

This crisis has attracted the attention of environmental NGOs, government conservation departments, private sector organizations, universities, and concerned groups and individuals from across the region, North America and Europe.

As President of the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (the largest single regional organization devoted to wildlife conservation in the Caribbean) I personally find the proposed development shocking.
David Wege of BirdLife International, a global alliance of conservation organizations with partners in over 100 countries, has declared that the development of Mount Hartman Estate will destroy a globally Important Bird Area (IBA).

Over four decades of biological study and scientific research funded by the World Bank and others has confirmed the following:
• The Grenada Dove is found on the island of Grenada, and nowhere else on the earth.
• The Grenada Dove is now restricted to small, very isolated populations with the largest stronghold now occurring within the Mount Hartman National Park.
• The species will only survive only if the coastal dry forest habitats in which it lives continue to exist.

We urge you to take decisive action to ensure protection of Mount Hartman National Park and the preservation of the Grenada Dove. Please don’t sacrifice your children and grandchildren’s unique natural heritage for a hotel development.

If action is not taken on this development issue, there will be no second chance. We are counting on your support!

Sincerely,
Andrew Dobson
President, SCSCB
www.scscb.org