6th February 1988
His Excellency, The Governor
Capital Aid would be required for land acquisition, surveying, access roads and hiking trails, demarcation of boundaries, sign posting,vehicles, inter- pretative stations, promotional material such as brochures, posters, bumper stickers, video and slide projection equipment, as well as headquarters office equipment such as a typewriter, photocopying and duplicating equip- ment etc.
The U.K. Government would also be expected to persuade the Montserrat Govern- ment, by drawing from the vast pool of U.K. experience, that these programmes though long-term in nature, can impact positively in the short-term on current projects which are vital to our survival, such as, SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION; PRESERVATION OF VEGETATION; WILDLIFE, AND GENETIC RESOURCES; RECREATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES; CONSTRUCTION, as well as PHYSICAL and ECONOMIC PLANNING.
The Trust has been fighting an uphill battle in the creation of awareness at Government and popular level for nearly two decades. Any assistance that the U.K. Government and U.K. NGO's can give, will be appropriately applied to the Montserrat situation.
It should be stressed that Montserrat's environment, due to the poor natural endowment (i.e. no beaches, rivers, level tracts of land etc.) is perhaps among the most fragile in the dependent territories. The temporary phenomenon of zero population growth is perhaps the main factor in retarding the degradation of the environment. In preparation for an increase in population and economic activity, the island must be prepared by conservation activity and awareness programmes.
Yours faithfully
MONTSERRAT NATIONAL TRUST
F.A.L. Margetion
F.A.L. Margetson PRESIDENT
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