Kudos to CGB group, gov’t
Cane Garden Bay is facing many serious challenges, but its future is looking brighter thanks to a new community group that is working closely with the Conservation and Fisheries Department to protect the area.
The CGB EcoAction Committee, which formed in July, is precisely the sort of community initiative the territory needs.
The group is working on a variety of laudable projects. Already, it has committed to assisting the CFD in developing a beach management plan, a flood action plan and a guide to flood resilience, among other initiatives. The groups also is challenging a project that members claim is sending storm runoff directly into the ocean.
Such action is urgently needed in the area: CGB, the Virgin Islands’ most popular beach, is suffering from overuse, pollution and unsound development practices, among other issues.
Typically, the government gets blamed for such problems. And, while this blame is often deserved, community members have a responsibility to do more than point fingers and complain. They should get involved, and, when necessary, speak out, working with elected leaders and public servants to do better.
The new committee seems poised to do exactly that.
The CFD, which encouraged the formation of the committee, is also playing a valuable role. Currently, it is holding public meetings to gather residents’ input on a beach management plan. We hope that everyone with an interest in CGB will participate, and then help ensure that the plan comes to fruition as soon as possible.
The road ahead will not be easy: Too often, community groups like the EcoAction Committee are formed with the best intentions, only to disband after a few weeks or months. Perhaps this is not surprising, considering the time and effort needed for achieving positive results.
We hope the EcoAction Committee will persevere. It could be CGB’s last hope.
Meanwhile, other communities in the territory might look to the group as an example. It is high time for more community members to take a more active role in guiding this territory in the right direction.