by Kristen Ku

CROOKED TREE, Belize District, Thurs. May 18, 2023

For many years, the village of Crooked Tree, located on the 31st mile of the Philip Goldson Highway, has experienced significant issues pertaining to its causeway road. Once a rough road, this stretch is presently under development, with plans for it to be smoothed over and eventually capped with tar. However, what initially appears to be a long-awaited project for local residents, has been met with growing concern over its potential impacts on the village’s ecology.

Steve Anthony, a local resident, underscores the problem. “Crooked Tree is a wildlife sanctuary. It’s a bird and fish reserve from 1979, I believe. And we’re an inland island. Our lagoon surrounds this whole village. Now the people working on the road, from what I understand, they’re going to cap it with tar. I was speaking with Janelle Chanona two days ago, the head of Oceana, and she agreed that if they put tar on that road, whenever it rains and there is any kind of runoff, an oily residue is going to go into the drain on the side of the road, and it’s going to end up in the lagoon, and eventually it’s going to kill the fish and the things that we sustain ourselves with here – fishing,” explained Anthony.

This issue was presented to the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing (MIDH), who proposed cementing half the road and tarring the other half, as per initial plans. However, Anthony believes this does not truly address the environmental implications of using tar.

According to him, this “environmental issue” is a community concern that needs to be acknowledged. With the road completion deadline fast approaching, Anthony, in partnership with Janelle Chanona, vice president of Oceana and senator for NGOs, is aiming to gather supporting documents and plans to raise the issue at the next senators’ meeting.

Anthony laments that this would not be the first instance of infrastructure decisions causing ecological harm in the village. He recalls how years ago, the lagoon at the entrance of the village suffered greatly when a newly built road covered it, disrupting water flow and killing off marine life.

“In 1980, when they put that causeway to block the lagoon the first time, it killed everything on one side of the village. So, what I learned from that is before you make major changes, think about what the consequences will be,” said Anthony.

Anthony believes the ideal solution would be to use cement for the entire road, avoiding tar altogether. All in all, the village of Crooked Tree is at a crossroads, caught between the need for infrastructure development and the need for environmental preservation.