Subtitle: The circle of love that keeps on giving
James K. Reap is listed as the Secretary General of ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Legal, Administrative and Financial Issues.
http://www.icomos.org/iclafi/Ein-Bokek_Report.htm.
Mr. Reap's Buffer Zones for Protecting Heritage Properties in the United States states: "The Guidelines go so far as to specify that when a buffer zone is not identified for a nominated property an explanation must be provided as to why one is not necessary. "
http://www.lawkyushu-u.ac.jp/programsinenglish/hiroshima/reap.pdf
Indeed, Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention FORMAT FOR THE NOMINATION OF PROPERTIES FOR INSCRIPTION ON THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST at page 100 states "Where no buffer zone is proposed, the nomination must include a statement as to why a buffer zone is not required for the proper conservation of the nominated property." Emphasis added.
Nowhere is this statement to be found in the APPLICATION FOR INCLUSION OF A PROPERTY IN THE U.S. WORLD HERITAGE TENTATIVE LIST produced by staff members at White Sands National Monument. Further, no maps were provided to the Otero County Commission showing the boundaries of the nominated property and buffer zone.
1.f. of the APPLICATION was to include the area of the nominated property, area of the buffer zone and total of the two. White Sands APPLICATION simply gives the area of the National Monument.
4.b.(v) of White Sands' APPLICATION was to include the number of inhabitants within the property and the buffer zone with a total of the two and what year the count was taken. White Sands staff member(s) took another route and asked the question "are there any other risks or threats that could jeopardize the property's Outstanding Universal Values?" (Answer: No) and completely avoided the question altogether.
Enough on the topic of closet buffer zones for the moment.
White Sands may be a serial evader of hot topics or difficult questions. For example, Section 5 of the White Sands' APPLICATION under PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT listed 5 questions where 10 were required in their format. Missing were: Sources and levels of finance, Sources of expertise and training in conservation and management techniques, Visitor facilities and statistics, Policies and programmes related to the presentation and promotion of the property and Staffing levels (professional, technical, maintenance).
One question White Sands chose to answer was 5.d. Existing plans related to municipality and region in which the proposed property is located (e.g., regional or local plan, conservation plan, tourism development plan). Here is their answer, hope you are sitting down: There are no municipal or other agency plans that directly influence the National Monument. The Monument routinely is consulted and comments on National Environmental Policy (NEPA) documents from external sources.
To complete this exercise in the circle of love that keeps on giving, let's go back to James K. Reap, The United States' Participation in the World Heritage Convention: A Retreat from Leadership? From the introduction:
At best, world heritage...designations give the international community an open invitation to interfere in domestic land use decisions. More seriously, the underlying international land use agreements potentially have several significant adverse effects on the American system of government." Statement of Congressman Don Young introducing the "American Land Sovereignty Protection Act", 1997.
http://www.international.icomos.org/madrid2002/actas/99.pdf
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Show Me Your Buffer Zone and I'll Show You Mine
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2 comments:
The Smoking Gun.
It doesn't get any clearer.
Where's the 'blue helicopter' crowd to refute your research?
What's frightening about Reap's consensus in the actual implementation of this policy.
In the archived links, there is a story about Edinburgh, Scotland. This city is attempting to repeal WHS designation because of buffer zone attempts to alter city zoning and building codes. While the blue helicopter crowd constantly throws out obstructionist rants meant to derail the debate, the WHS is patiently and persistently plodding into our lives and future.
I've only seen the ADN cover the 'debate'. I'd like to see one reporter get his or her's hands dirty in covering, in detail, both sides of the WHS controversy. Not just the 'local who is calling who names'.
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