Landowner Charged Over Illegal Mangrove Clearing Along Belize River

In another matter involving the Department of the Environment, a landowner has been charged under the Mangrove Regulations following land clearing along the Belize River near mile six and a half on the Philip Goldson Highway. The department says a joint inspection with the Forest Department and the Lands and Surveys Department confirmed that approximately three point seven eight acres of vegetation had been cleared. That included about a quarter of an acre of red mangroves removed without the required permit.  The inspection followed a complaint about the clearing. Lands and Surveys confirmed that the property’s title dates back to 1967 and does not provide for the sixty-six-foot riverbank reserve. However, the Department of the Environment says that tenure arrangements do not exempt the owner from environmental laws, including regulations protecting mangroves.  The Forest Department has since charged the landowner, whose name was not provided in the release.  The owner has also been directed to stop all further development and take immediate steps to stabilise and restore the riverbank. Those measures include a properly designed seawall and replanting mangroves along the affected area. The necessary permits and approvals must be obtained before seawall construction begins, while mangrove restoration must be coordinated with the Forest Department. The measures are intended to reduce erosion, sedimentation and impacts on water quality.  Environmental clearance will also be required before any future development takes place. The department says it will continue monitoring the site to ensure the directives are followed.