Forest Department Reaches $10,000 Settlement Over Mangrove Alteration

The Forest Department has reached a ten-thousand-dollar out-of-court settlement with Sanju Lal Chulani over the unauthorized alteration of mangroves at a property at Mile Six and a Half on the Philip Goldson Highway.  In a release issued on Friday, the department says officers inspected the Belize District property on September 17, following concerns about land clearing and possible damage to mangroves. They found that red mangroves had been altered during clearing activities across an area measuring less than a quarter acre. The required permit had not been obtained.  The settlement agreement was reached on September 30. Under its terms, Chulani agreed to pay ten thousand Belize dollars in full and final resolution of the matter.  According to the Forest Department, landowners, developers and contractors that they must obtain authorization before altering mangroves. It says these ecosystems help protect shorelines, provide habitats for wildlife and fisheries, and support healthy coastal and river environments.  Officers will continue inspections and enforcement, and members of the public can report suspected unauthorized mangrove clearing or damage by calling the department’s hotline at 610-1524.