Protecting our heritage

FRIDAY, DEC. 16: Abuse and ignorance of the country’s laws have left the Bermuda landscape cluttered with litter as well as illegal signs, walls and fences.

While the lack of enforcement activity has bred a worrying disregard and ambivalence for the island’s unique environment, culture and heritage.

That’s the view of Jennifer Gray, Executive Director of the Bermuda National Trust, which acts as the custodian for 77 of the islands most historically significant buildings and 250 acres of precious open space on the island.

Ms Gray told the Bermuda Sun that an ‘environmental court’ to clamp down on development and environmental infractions could help to stem the worsening situation.

And she said that ‘compensations’, where visitors paid small fees to enter our parks, marine reserves and historic sites, could help to safeguard the island’s most important treasures for generations to come.

Ms Gray said: “Bermuda has some of the best planning policies anywhere. They are very well written and the guidance is good.

“The problem is we don’t have adequate enforcement in Bermuda or an inherent respect of the planning process.

“There seems to be a blatant disregard of the system by people in Bermuda either because they don’t think they will get caught or if they do they will get retroactive permission or pay a small fine.

“There is simply no teeth behind the system.”

The National Trust, like many charities, suffered a major reduction in its budget this year due to the tough economic times.

However Ms Gray believes the Trust has ‘weathered the storm’ through forward planning in the early stages of the recession.

She says the Trust’s work safeguarding the island’s heritage and educating the public of the importance of Bermuda’s history is now more important than ever.

She said: “The previous growth in the economy has led to a boom in industry that is seeing our cultural and built heritage overwhelmed.  

“While we support any growing economy we must also ensure that we continue to encourage and support our traditional trades which includes artisans, farmers, musicians, historians, writers, craftsmen and artists.

“These trades are the soul of our culture.

“The amount of available open space and arable land has been significantly diminished by modern development and fragmentation of our landscape so our role in protecting that is even more important.

“But equally if we do not appreciate, understand and conserve what we have then we cannot offer something unique to our visitors.

“It’s vital to the long term health of our society to preserve our unique built and natural heritage and to promote our rich and diverse culture.

“Our island’s environment is beautiful and we are not respecting it as we should and not selling it as well as we could to reclaim our tourism product, revitalize jobs in the industry and safeguard our special island for future generations.”

Just this year the National Trust has been involved in two high-profile battles to protect Bermuda’s open spaces in Tuckers Point and Devonshire March from developers’ plans.

Some critics have said the Trust has not been vocal enough but Ms Gray rejects the claims.

She said: “People who say the National Trust do not do enough simply have no idea of the work we do.  

“The Trust team works tirelessly as a watchdog for our environment. Every week we study the planning applications, review policies and  enlighten our people though educational programmes.

“We have learnt over the years to be professional in order to be effective. Our advocacy is non-biased, research-based and at all times balanced and we avoid emotion based reactions”.

“Bermuda has been on a very haphazard course for some time, and the fact that so many SDOs have been issued in recent times is of concern to the Trust along with a host of other environmental infractions and a lack of national pride in our country.

“It can not go on and a change of attitude is paramount.

“If change does not come through our leaders understanding of the country’s need to protect its culture and heritage then I believe our people will take a stand and become the change they wish to see.”  

Ms Gray added: “Our biggest threats remain the alarming rate of development, the loss of open space and built heritage and the decline in the second pillar of our economy, tourism.

“The situation we face at the moment is perhaps the most serious it has ever been.

“The biggest threats to the work of the Trust are decline in funding, encroachments on and weathering of our properties and invasive species which make maintenance of our open spaces challenging and expensive.

“We rely heavily on our volunteers and supporters as we safeguard our landscape for the people of Bermuda.”