Trump’s golf course destroys the dunes of Scotland’s heritage

The golf course is located on one of the most exclusive shifting sand dunes in the United Kingdom.

(Rinovabili.it) – The golf course built by Donald Trump on the sandy shores of eastern Scotland has caused irreparable damage to the area’s natural habitat. And the public body responsible for Scotland’s environmental heritage (Low Scottish Natural Heritage – SNH) To cancel the status of its protected area.

Mainy’s sandy hills, on which is the complex of resorts, shops, cottages and golf courses designed since 2008 by Trump International Golf Links Scotland. The Foveran dune system, one of the most typical dynamic examples of shifting dunes in the UK: Before the construction of the golf resort, the dunes moved northward at a rate of 11 meters per year, over an area of ​​about 15 hectares.

Already in 2017, SNH raised an alarm over the health of the natural site, which at the time was only “partially compromised”, To date, the Scottish Government body has announced to begin the process of revoking the status of the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

The site was on the list of protected environments from the authority to build the golf course: SNH opposed the construction of the resort, whileThe government at the time, headed by nationalist Alex Salmond, believed that the economic benefits of the work outweighed the environmental damage already and approved the authority.

In 2012, four years before he became president of the US, Donald Trump inaugurated the golf course and renamed the site the “Great Dunes of Scotland”.

The Scottish Natural Heritage will now begin the three-month consultation required to formalize the SSSI removal process on the sandy hills of Mainsi: “Repeal of SSSI is an unusual practice – SNH Director Sally Thomas commented – However in this case we have found that there is no reason for the safety of the mani dunes as they do not include sufficient facilities to be respected.

According to Thomas, SNH experts worked closely with the developers of the golf course project to preserve as much habitat and wildlife as possible: “Most of the time, development can occur without damaging important natural features. – SNH director concludes – But this was not the case.

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The response from Trump International Golf Links Scotland was not long in coming: “This is a real insult and shows that SNH has reached an all-time low. – Attack on the company’s vice president, Sarah Malone – Making an announcement to the media before informing us, the current landowner, shows that this is a politically motivated decision ”.

“Before Donald Trump invested in the site, SNH had little interest in Fowran Dunes at SSSI. – Continued Malone – Trump International funded a team of leading geoscientific consultants, ecologists and environmental experts and has spent millions on the care, protection and maintenance of the small SSSI sector in Scotland that owns it, while SNH has no support, guidance Or help is not offered. “

Martin Ford, an advisor to the Green Party in Scotland, who temporarily halted the granting of land to the Trump Foundation in 2007, also expressed his blame for the Scottish administration, a fellow of the project: Trump’s absurd exaggerated claims about job creation and economic gains turned out to be untrue – Ford said – The disaster is that it was easily observable. The Scottish government’s support for Trump was a terrible decision. They took us to see the beautiful Menny Dunes being destroyed and gave us nothing but a small portion of the return on jobs and investment that Mr. Trump had promised. It was a shameful episode from which we should learn a lesson for the future ”.

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