PHILIPSBURG, SINT MAARTEN – The Nature Foundation Sint Maarten strongly supports the government’s plan to establish Sint Maarten’s first terrestrial park and looks forward to the upcoming timeline, stakeholder consultations, and legal protections.
On October 21, Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs announced that approximately 17 hectares of land known as Rainforest land — spread across multiple parcels in the Golden Rock and Industry areas of Cul-de-Sac adjacent to the Emilio Wilson Park — had been returned to the government from a private long lease. He named a terrestrial park as the principal objective for the land.
“Sint Maarten is the only remaining island in the Dutch Caribbean without a terrestrial park, and conservationists across the region are celebrating this news,” said the Nature Foundation in a statement. “We thank Minister Gumbs for this important first step. Discussions regarding a terrestrial park have circulated for decades and formed a longstanding mission for our island’s local conservationists, both past and present. Now, it’s time to finally make this happen.”
The case for the park is practical as well as environmental. Protected hillside vegetation helps reduce flooding, lowers temperatures, protects property, and spares coral reefs from sediment runoff. The Minister even noted that a 2014 UNESCO study identified this land as one of the most suitable areas for managing drainage.
A park could also give residents public access to nature, which is shown to improve mental and heart health, and may support income generation through birdwatching, hiking, and tours. Sint Maarten’s hillsides also shelter wildlife such as the bearded anole, found nowhere else in the world.
No timeline, managing organization, or legal designation have been announced yet. The Minister said he will convene stakeholders to decide on management structures, and that the designation is expected to be included in the updated Nature Ordinance currently undergoing legal drafting.
The Nature Foundation stands ready to take part in the consultation process and asks Parliament and the wider community to support the necessary steps to bring this vision to reality. Interested readers can learn more about the value of protected areas by visiting naturefoundationsxm.org.
