~ Local and Kingdom heritage threatened ~
PHILIPSBURG--Emilio Wilson Estate Foundation (EWEF) is again urging Government to pursue all legal and financial means necessary to realise its commitment to secure Emilio Wilson Estate as the island's first land-based protected area and National Park.
The foundation, in a press statement Tuesday, drew attention to a proposal from November 2010 to develop the estate into "Golden Rock Park," an amusement park for primarily (cruise ship) tourists, featuring zip-lining, chair-lifts to the top of the hill and rock climbing.
Having followed Rain Forests Adventure's "Golden Rock Park" proposal presentation, and having reviewed the documentation provided at that time, EWEF decided not to support the proposal for Emilio Wilson Estate.
The then-Island Council of St. Maarten first approved an Island Resolution aimed at protecting Emilio Wilson Estate on September 20, 2005, as a result of widespread public pressure to do so. From 2005 through 2008 government implemented a number of basic measures towards the protection of the estate, including placing the entire area on the monument list. However, the estate is still very much under threat of commercial and residential development.
According to EWEF, the Golden Rock Park proposal entails large scale construction of infrastructure and facilities on the hillside, top and ridges of Sentry Hill, as well as the alteration of the natural rock formation at the top of the hill. Plans include permanent structures above Sentry Hill's 200-metre altitude line.
St. Maarten's Hillside Policy was drafted "to conserve the green hillsides, protect and if needed restore their natural value for the benefit of the environment, the tourist industry and quality of life in St. Maarten." The Golden Rock Park proposals are in violation of the country's hillside policy, which states that "no building should occur on hilltops, ridges, and above the 200-metre altitude line."
The area above 200 metres is the most ecologically significant area of Sentry Hill/Emilio Wilson Estate. The proposed activities would have a permanent and undesirable impact on the flora and fauna of the area, both during and after construction.
EWEF also said the proposed project did not provide for educational activities regarding Emilio Wilson Estate's history and its importance as a unique aspect of St. Maarten's, the Dutch Kingdom's and the Caribbean's shared heritage. It is focused on the commercial, mass exploitation of Emilio Wilson Estate in the form of an amusement park, with no noteworthy conservation initiatives and no regard for the cultural significance of the area and the slaves who toiled on the estate for generations.
"Government has made commitments to the people of St. Maarten to protect the entire Emilio Wilson Estate, which is now officially a recognised national monument. The foundation is therefore surprised to have been informed that Minister Theo Heyliger is supporting Rain Forest Adventure's Golden Rock Park proposal and that the plan is now being reviewed by relevant government departments.
"It would set an unwanted precedent if government were to even consider supporting the Golden Rock Park proposal on Emilio Wilson Estate, which has been formally established as a National Monument and is clearly a part of the people's patrimony," stated EWEF in its press statement.
The foundation noted its own efforts to ensure protection of the estate, which include repeatedly petitioning Government to take measures to protect the estate and even purchase it. The foundation hired consultants to compile a business plan for Emilio Wilson Estate Ecological and Historical Centre and has applied to a number of Dutch and International funding agencies over the past six years for financing to purchase the estate.
"While the cultural and ecological value of the estate for St. Maarten, the Kingdom and the Caribbean is undeniable, the aforementioned applications have all failed, due to the absence of financial and legislative support from St. Maarten's Government for the protection of the island's heritage," said EWEF's press statement.
Emilio Wilson Estate Foundation (EWEF) was established in 2005 to give voice and structure to the overwhelming outcry of opposition amongst the population to plans for the development of a gated residential area on pristine and historic Emilio Wilson Estate. Its goal is to turn the estate into Emilio Wilson Estate Ecological and Historical Centre and Protected Area, much like Cura�ao's Christoffel Park, Aruba's Parke Arikok and Puerto Rico's many protected areas.
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