| Date: Tue 20-Dec-1994 Paper Page: 3 Publication: Daily Nation Writer: ENVIRONMENT MINISTER Dr. Richard Cheltenham says Government has taken no position on the opening of the Turner's Hall Woods for tourism purposes. He further stressed that such a decision could only be taken after "careful scientific advice and consultations with the environmental community" and no such consultations have occurred. Last Friday, a Government Information Service release quoted the Minister as saying that Government was considering the opening of the Woods for tourism purposes 12 weeks per year. Since the report, the Barbados Environmental Association in a strongly worded release called on the Minister to halt development plans saying such a decision must be founded on "sound scientific investigation". Cheltenham, however, issued a press release yesterday "categorically" stating that his Ministry "neither issued, nor authorised the issuing of, any statement related to the opening of Turner's Hall Woods". "The minister wishes to indicate that, to date, his Ministry has not taken a position, formal or otherwise, on the feasibility of opening up the Turner's Hall Woods to the public. The discussions from which the press release seems to have emanated involved a courtesy call between the Minister and the Executive Director of the Caribbean Conservation Association, Mr. Calvin Howell. During that meeting, the two informally discussed the environmental issues involved in integrating the Scotland District into the Barbadian tourism product." |