Tenant must make up for land clearing

The Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) yesterday issued another press release on the land-clearing at the arboretum at Covigne Road, Tucker Valley, Chaguaramas.

Environmental activist Stephen Broadbridge brought the issue to light on Facebook on Tuesday.

In yesterday’s release the CDA said the arboretum, a tenant-operated site in the Covigne River Basin, is known for its “lush semi-evergreen, deciduous and dry forest and plays an important habitat” for wildlife species and contributes to the Tucker Valley watershed.

Its tenant, the release said, is involved in horticulture and “provides eco-recreational facilities for its clients.”

The release said the secondary road leading to the tenant’s site was cleared of “intrusive vegetation including the way-leave and road reserve.”

It added that some rubber trees, immortelle trees and bamboo stands were removed.

“There is a derelict ammunition bunker at the site and approximately .30 hectares of vegetation was cleared at this site and the soil compacted. This, we suspect, is to develop a car park for patrons,” the release said.

After the CDA made a site visit, it contacted the tenant, who said he was responsible for the clearing.

The release said the tenant said the access road was overgrown and the roadside drains blocked, causing his property to flood.

However, the CDA said, clearing the land would have had have “deleterious effects on the environment” and the tenant had not sought its permission for the work.

The release added that he was willing to stand the consequences.

“Based on the amount of vegetation removed a Certificate of Environmental Clearance is needed from the EMA,” it said.

Other concerns were also raised by the clearing, such as the forest gaps created by the clearance and its affect on the larger watershed.