A public consultation has opened on a proposal to designate the Cayman Brac Lighthouse National Park as a protected area, placing the eastern Bluff, Long Beach, and other sensitive areas under formal protection. The proposal was brought forward by the National Conservation Council and the Department of Environment (DoE) to preserve the site’s wildlife, geology, cultural heritage and historic footpaths while keeping it open to managed public use in Cayman Brac.

The survey remains open until November 20, and the council is due to consider the responses before deciding whether to send the proposal to Cabinet on December 7. If approved, the designation would restrict development inside the protected area and preserve trails and habitat that are important to Cayman Brac residents, visitors and the wider Cayman Islands.

Proposal seeks to protect the Bluff while keeping access

The main question is whether the site could be protected without losing public access. Supporters of the proposal said the park would restrict damaging activity while keeping trails and viewing areas open under managed use.

A statement from the DoE said the plan is intended to protect the Bluff formation and its unique species while keeping the area open for “managed public access and recreation”. This approach means the site would remain available for walking, education and recreation, but with stronger limits on activities that could damage the land, the cliffs or the wildlife that live there.

If the area is finally designated as a protected area, development within it would not be permitted. The proposal is still only at the consultation stage, and no final decision has been taken.

Crown land, private ownership and development pressure

The DoE said the proposal matters in part because much of the Bluff remains privately owned. Jane Haakonsson, a research officer with the department, said Crown ownership of some of the land is relatively recent, while most of the wider Bluff stay in private hands.

"Right now, it is Crown property that is a recent, relatively recent development. But most of the bluff land is in private hands, in which case, obviously it does not have any protection unless it is purchased by the National Trust Council (NTC) under a protection order, a designated protection order," she said.

Haakonsson said that without a terrestrial protected area order, the land remains open to the same pressures seen elsewhere in the islands.

"So I think with all lands that don't have a Terrestrial Protected Area (TPA) order on them, there's always a risk of development and developmental interest. This land would have absolutely been under threat or is under threat without a TPA like any other land in the islands," she said.

She said the site had been nominated for protection for decades, in part because of long-standing local interest. The area, she said, is spectacular but has not always attracted the level of public attention seen at other conservation proposals.

Local resident says protection should not block access

For Cayman Brac resident Taygan McFarlane, the issue is personal as well as practical. He said the Bluff Lighthouse National Park is an important natural and cultural asset that deserves protection from development, environmental damage and other threats that could affect its landscape and heritage.

"The Bluff Lighthouse National Park is an important natural and cultural asset that deserves protection from development, environmental damage and other threats that could affect its unique landscape and heritage," he said.

McFarlane said wildlife near the lighthouse is already vulnerable to disturbance. He pointed to seabirds, including puffer birds, that nest close to the cliffs and could easily be approached by visitors. "I definitely think that this is an aspect that needs to be protected more," he said.

At the same time, he said conservation should not take the area away from the public.

"They should do this while ensuring responsible public access and use," he said. "They should do that but also make it where you are still able to access the trail and walk along and look at all the things that Lighthouse National Park has to offer."

He said the Cayman Brac park should remain a place where residents and visitors can enjoy the views, learn about the area and protect its heritage and wildlife.

"I would also say that preserving the park will help maintain its ecological value, protect an important part of Cayman's heritage, and provide a lasting space for residents and visitors to enjoy," he said.

Historic footpaths, wildlife and geology

The conservation case for the site goes beyond scenery. The Department of Environment said historic footpaths in the area date to the early 1900s and were once used by residents travelling up towards the Bluff during hurricanes, when the land offered shelter from storms.

Haakonsson said the same paths were also used to keep the lighthouse operating before roads were built.

"If you're familiar with Major Donald Drive, prior to that being put in, the footpath was actually used to transport fuel to the lighthouse. So, the lighthouse keepers and residents would use that route to transport fuel and supplies to maintain the lights before residents would later use the road to do that," she said.

For people in Spot Bay and other parts of Cayman Brac, the history gives the area a meaning that goes beyond a view across the sea. Haakonsson said the site has strong cultural and historical importance for Spot Bay residents and other locals and argues that development there would be deeply damaging. Her view reflects the conservation case for the proposal, rather than an established outcome.

Long Beach also gives the proposal a scientific value. The DoE said it exposes Cayman’s oldest geological formation, making the island’s deep history visible to the naked eye. Haakonsson said it is the only place in the Cayman Islands where that oldest formation can be seen.

"The site has obvious cultural and historic significance to the people of Cayman Brac in particular, but I also think that, given that Long Beach is involved in this nomination proposal, Cayman's oldest formation is exposed on Long Beach, which means geological history is accessible to the naked eye, which is unheard of in the Cayman Islands," she said.

The department said that makes the site especially useful for education. It said school children could use the area for hands-on learning about the formation of the islands and their geological history.

Management Plan Could Improve Trails and Access

The proposal also points to possible improvements for visitors. Haakonsson said a draft management plan could make the trails safer, because some sections currently run close to the edge. She said the aim is to help people of different ages and abilities enjoy the view more safely.

"But some of the things being proposed in a draft management plan at this time are, for example, enhancing the trails by making sure that the trails are safe. Right now, they go very close to the edge," she said. "We want to ensure that people of all ages and abilities have a chance at enjoying this spectacular view and the area."

The draft plan also looks at how to better protect seabirds breeding along the cliffs. Haakonsson said people could currently disturb birds that nest close to the edge, and that the species have not fared well under these conditions. "There will also be protection afforded to the seabirds that are living and breeding along the edge," she said.

She said the broader goal is to protect native and endemic species while still allowing the public to use the area.

"There will be protections to the native and endemic species in the entire area, but there will also be provision for people to continue to use and enjoy the area, as has been the case in the past," she said.

What Happens Next

The consultation opens under the National Conservation Act, which requires a statutory public process before a nomination can move forward for a terrestrial protected area designation. Officials said the consultation is intended to capture public views on access, protection and development. It is not clear from the material provided which local landowners, user groups or heritage interests have been asked directly for submissions.

"We started the public nomination now. We opened that on Friday. It will be placed in a newspaper on the 12th of August. This is all per regulations of the process in the NCA (National Conservation Act)," Haakonsson said. We have a 90-day statutory period where the public can comment on nomination. You can find that on the conservation.ky website too," she said. "We have a survey and that remains open until November 20. After that, when the public consultation process is closed, we then collate everyone's thoughts and the public's opinion, provide a report to the council."

Haakonsson said the council could then send the proposal to Cabinet on December 7, although Cabinet would decide how much priority to give it among other business. "But the hope right now is that it will go back to Cabinet on the December 7," she said.

For Cayman Brac, the consultation reopens a long-running debate about how to protect the area while keeping it usable for residents and visitors. Supporters said the designation would safeguard landscape, wildlife and heritage; others may be more concerned about what limits it could place on future land use.

Supporters said managed access could preserve the trails and limit damage, but the consultation also raises questions about how any new restrictions would be enforced and what activities would still be allowed. Those details would need to be set out clearly before the proposal moves forward. For Cayman Brac, that means the debate is not only about land use, but about what kind of place the island would like to pass on to the next generation.