On May 5, 2010 the Jamaican Government announced that it intends to sell the 3,000 acre Font Hill Property for development into an large exclusive resort-style hotel. In addition to agricultural lands and a popular beach park, this property includes a vibrant and diverse nature preserve largely composed of coral reefs, undisturbed shoreline, coastal dry scrub, and mature mangrove forest (among the most endangered habitats in the world). The preserve is one of the most pristine examples of native coastal habitat on the island of Jamaica and has an extremely diverse community of wildlife. Font Hill is a heavily used breeding site for the endangered American Crocodile, as well as the threatened West Indian Whistling Duck and a diverse community of both Jamaican endemic species and wintering Neotropical migratory birds. It has also hosted a 25 year long research project on the non-breeding ecology of migratory birds, the most extensive and productive study (over 70 publications) of its kind. In addition, the South Coast Sustainable Development Plan (1998), which was agreed to and signed off on by various stakeholders, including the then government, should ensure that the area is developed in a sustainable manner. Provisions were made in the plan for only low-density tourism developments, not large-scale resorts in the style of Jamaica's north coast. Please sign the attached petition requesting that the Jamaican Government not sell this Jamaican and Caribbean treasure and preserve it in the public trust.
