Below is a copy of the third notice for dredging 23 acres in Laguna de Mata and Laguna de San Pedro - behind San Pedro town. This is being applied for by the Bonefish Bay development. The same developer as Bramha blue.
If you have concerns regarding this please contact the Town board and/or Ministry of Natural resources. sptb@btl.net and ceo@mnrei.gov.bz

From the ACCSD
Dear Members,
Attached is a copy of the third notice for dredging 23 acres in Laguna de Mata and Laguna de San Pedro - behind San Pedro town. This is being applied for by the Bonefish Bay development. The same developer as Bramha blue.
If you have concerns regarding this please contact the Town board and/or Ministry of Natural resources. sptb@btl.net and ceo@mnrei.gov.bz

ACCSD
--
Ambergris Caye Citizens for Sustainable Development. website - www.accsdbelize.com

Embracing development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

To clarify the location of the proposed 23 acres for the mining permit we have plotted the GPS co-ordinates on Google earth. As you can see from the attached map it is directly behind Captain Morgans Resort.

ACCSD

http://ambergriscaye.com/art/Bonefish_bay_google2.jpg

Another new development dredging up the back lagoon using the material dredged from the lagoon bottom to get the property above sea level so they can build on it.
Its a technique used by a lot of new developments. the property is low-lying mangrove swamp and the dredging permit is abused using the product as fill to raise the property up higher than sea level.It totally destroys the environment for animal or plant life above and below the surface. calling it Bonefish Bay is a sick joke no bonefish will ever be able to live there again,and all the mangroves will be destroyed but some foreigner will get rich doing it.
A young George price said,'Our development and our growth shall not be by paths that would deprive us of the ownership and control of our assets and resources.'
A statement he made after freeing Belize from colonialism and creating the Alien Landholding ordinance.
the Alien Land Holding Ordinance is a law used to regulate the right of foreigners to buy land, and introduced certain development conditions. foreigners had to get a license from the minister after showing how they would develop the land.
That puts the responsibility square on the shoulders of the minister and our prime minister today is Dean Barrow.
The department under his supervision giving permission for this atrocity is;
The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment
Market Square
Belmopan City
Belize
Telephone: (501)822-2226, or 822-2249 or 822-2711 or 822-2232
Fax: 501-822-2333
E-mail: info@mnrei.gov.bz
The site for the development
http://www.emeraldshoresbelize.com/
The advertisement is a familiar pattern, it shows coconut trees and clear ocean views of the reef, offers it unbelievably cheap, offers 'your own little piece of paradise' and sells them adulterated mangrove swamp in the back of the island.
Sounds familiar?
No truth in advertising laws here in Belize.

our lagoon is no longer called a lagoon. it is now the quarry. need fill? go to the quarry.
and they don't bother with dredging permits, they get MINING permits! no questions asked,, it appears.

Did anyone see the documentary on 'The World' private island development in Dubai that was on Nat Geo last night? They ran out of sand to dredge from the sea bottom and now it seems that after they have created an environmental disaster the whole project has failed. http://www.sincerelysustainable.com/buildings/the-world-has-been-shutdown-in-dubai

i started to watch it but that whole area makes me kinda gag a bit so i switched it. talk about money to burn!

It's wonderful to see that the resorts (yes, resorts, if you look at their website they plan 4) will follow "eco friendly guidelines to minimize the carbon footprint." It also appears that the "Green Heart Foundation" has certified Emerald Shores as an "eco friendly and green development." Whew, that's a relief.

Uh... who is the "Green Heart Foundation" you ask???? Who knows... From the look of their 1/2 finished web site, I'd wager Green Heart is a foundation created a few months ago by the developers to give themselves a pat on the back...

What a joke...

Sadly enough, there is no one to blame but our own government. They just can't say no to their own land being raped and pillaged.

SF Jeff
I think most intelligent people read advertisements like this and other developments and see through it but the advertiser is banking on a small percent of a large audience not being intelligent and writing checks. Sad part is small percents equal hundreds and we develop a reputation of a country of rip offs!
'Land in Belize' , will become a joke.

My favourite part of the ad is the proposed 'holigramatorium' (wtf?) proposed in their Emerald Square.

I couldn't wait for the site to load - tried a few times then gave up.

Amanda, since you were having trouble, allow me to describe some of my personal favorite/highlights of the project:

The amphitheater featured at the (no doubt soon to be completed) Emerald Square phase of the project looks particularly inviting. I look forward to spending many a leisurely evening lounging on the sprawling grass lawn in front of it. Parking does not appear to be a problem either, as the amphitheater parking lot seems like it will be VERY large.

I also like the view of the mountains across the water in the ad for Bonefish Bay (I am somewhat familiar with the inner lagoons of the island, but I must have missed the mountains.) They're quite majestic. It will certainly be serene fly casting in the flats early in the morning, watching the sunrise over the jagged green peaks (or sunset... perhaps they are on the west side?)

This is shaping up to be a spectacular addition to the island!!!

0% developer financing
0 down payment
0 payments for 31 days!!!

Sign me up!!!

Green Heart is sure trying hard to hide who they are. No directors listed, no advisors listed and the website registration information listed below.

You would think such an organization would be proud to let you know who they were.

Registration Service Provided By: NameCheap.com
Contact:
Visit: http://www.namecheap.com/

Domain name: greenheartfoundation.com

Registrant Contact:
WhoisGuard
WhoisGuard Protected ()

Fax:
8939 S. Sepulveda Blvd. #110 - 732
Westchester, CA 90045
US

Administrative Contact:
WhoisGuard
WhoisGuard Protected ()
+1.6613102107
Fax: +1.6613102107
8939 S. Sepulveda Blvd. #110 - 732
Westchester, CA 90045
US

Technical Contact:
WhoisGuard
WhoisGuard Protected ()
+1.6613102107
Fax: +1.6613102107
8939 S. Sepulveda Blvd. #110 - 732
Westchester, CA 90045
US

Status: Locked

Name Servers:
ns1.mediatemple.net
ns2.mediatemple.net

Creation date: 30 May 2009 21:49:39
Expiration date: 30 May 2010 21:49:39

Aha! A little more digging and the IP address of Green Heart comes out as...wait for it... http://oceandevelopmentltd.com/

I love this: "Image is for visual representation and subject to change at any time without notice"

Or the drawing of Emerald Shores . . .the cut and the bridge look familiar somehow . . . oh well, it is obviously just a drawing "for visual representation"

What happened to the EIA? A project this size is required to do one, no?

The fact that these people Had to make up their own environmental organization just to tout their development shows how willingly they will lie to your face to sell you a chunk of swamp. Shamefull.

Uh... wait... Simon, Seashell, what are you saying? Should I not have already donated to GreenHeart and put $$$ down. Damn it...

Yeah, Simon, I did a WHOIS lookup too... all blocked...

So below is copied a letter I sent to the SPTB and Ministry of Natural Resources last night. I copied the ACCSB on it. I'm curious as to what the reply I receive back will be.

===============

Dear San Pedro Town Board and Ministry of Natural Resources,

I am writing to you this eve as a concerned tourism industry stakeholder on Ambergris Caye. It has been brought to my attention that an application has been submitted for the dredging of 23 acres in the Laguna De San Pedro / Laguna De Mato for a proposed development called “Bonefish Bay.” The developers of the project (and evidently 3 other proposed projects) are already advertising them on the site http://www.emeraldshoresbelize.com

The area in question is lagoon and mangrove relatively behind the Captain Morgans resort. I KNOW I do not need to lecture you at ALL about the value of preserving the mangrove and wetlands of Belize. There are plenty of others and groups (Green Reef, ACCSD, etc) far more eloquent in that than I am.

That said, may I correctly presume then that the SPTB and GOB would only issue a permit to dredge and destroy sensitive mangrove and lagoon if the pros of the end outweighed the cons of the means? I then ask you, what on earth are the possible pros of approving this project? The graphic representation the developers are advertising is blatantly misleading (infinity edge pools meeting clear Caibbean waters, green lawns and ampitheatres overlooking the ocean, etc.) There is no infrastructure there. There is no LAND there. Chances are, nothing resembling the images being marketed will EVER come to fruition.

Ambergris very much stands at a crossroads as far as development is concerned. The qualities that bring tourists here hang on a precarious edge. There is already a lengthy list of projects causing much debate (South Beach, the east/west “road” across the island just north of Journey’s End, etc) I have GRAVE concerns that approving the dredging of ANOTHER 23 acres for a project such as this, is going to send this island in a wrong direction it can never recover from.

I look forward to your reply,

Best Regards,

Jeff Spiegel

Good for you Jeff!
I too wrote to the SP Town Board and the Minister of Environment.
PLEASE - everyone needs to send a message on this.

I don't think so Barn. They (government)seem to be wising up!
Watch this one and see if it isn't different.

looks like i'm right!


Dear Members,
we have just received this information from BELPO regarding the mining license for Bonefish bay.


"GPD confirmed that the mining License has been granted to Topaz Magic Inc. However, I was not able to get information because the license is being processed. Ms.Alvarez promised to provide me with the relevant information as soon as the licensed is signed.


I arranged to call her office tomorrow to follow up. The mining licenses are issued for 2 years (approximate lifetime of project). How much mining is allowed? That's unlimited, depends on what is being recorded for the day and a royalty is charged every 1/4 year.

DOE verified that no study or investigation was carried out to assess the EIA. Mr. Hulse indicated that it was determined after they received the project documents and supporting letters. I got a copy of the ECP.

LUA will provide with copy of subdivision approval as well.
Forestry have yet to confirm if a mangrove cutting permit has been issued"


Thanks BELPO
ACCSD

2 years of unlimited mining,, so there ya go.