Cabinet has approved plans to designate Crown land in the Ironwood Forest as a protected area while also moving forward with an extension of Linford Pierson Highway along its boundary.
The decisions were made at Cabinet’s 15 July meeting, following nearly two decades of discussion over how to preserve the forest while developing a traffic relief road corridor.
At 54 acres, Ironwood Forest is the largest remaining fragment of George Town’s ancient forest.
It contains a significant diversity of plants, some of which are endangered and found nowhere else on the planet, the government said in a press release.
Almost the entire Cayman Islands population of the Old George giant bromeliad (a highly endangered tropical plant), and a significant share of the world’s ghost orchids, are found within this forest.
The proposed protected area designation is subject to public consultation. The National Conservation Council (NCC) is expected to announce details in the coming weeks.
Following the consultation, the NCC will submit a final proposal to Cabinet for approval. If approved, the protected area designation will be made official through the gazette.
At the same meeting, Cabinet approved the extension of Linford Pierson Highway between Outpost Road and Olympic Way, along the forest’s boundary.
The approval triggers the statutory process under the Roads Act, with the National Roads Authority (NRA) set to proceed with a declaration of intent to take possession of the land required for the extension.
No physical road works will begin until all required environmental permits, mitigation measures and management instruments under the National Conservation Act are in place. Survey and investigation work is already under way.
Once completed, the extension will form the final part of the Olympic Way Connector, improving access between Walkers Road, the University College of the Cayman Islands, John Gray High School and surrounding neighbourhoods.
In 2008 a proposed road through the heart of the forest met strong public opposition.
In the press release, Premier André Ebanks said the government’s decision has a dual purpose.
“To preserve one of Cayman’s rarest ecosystems, while simultaneously meeting our people’s need for modern, effective roads infrastructure,” he said.
“But in today’s world, equally rare is the means by which this problem was resolved. This is the outcome of several government bodies choosing to solve a problem together for the good of our country,” he said.
The Ministry of Health, Environment and Sustainability; Ministry of Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure; Ministry of Education and Training; and UCCI were involved in the process, according to the government.
Health and environment minister Katherine Ebanks-Wilks said Ironwood Forest is home to species found nowhere else in the world.
“By protecting it, we’re protecting the uniqueness of our Islands,” she said.
“Many countries grapple with balancing environmental protection and developing modern infrastructure, as we’ve done for decades.
“But this government and our people are demonstrating that with integrity and vision, both priorities can be met.”
Planning minister Jay Ebanks said the decision demonstrated that responsible development and environmental stewardship could work together.
“Good infrastructure and a healthy environment are not competing interests,” he said. “When we plan properly, they support each other.”
The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development said the approval is not expected to have a material impact on core government’s forecast financial position at 31 December.
Cayman Independent has reached out to the National Trust for the Cayman Islands for a comment and is awaiting a response.
