A view of the Chouf Cedar Forest. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L’Orient-Le Jour)
A particularly controversial item was removed Thursday from the agenda of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's Cabinet meeting. It concerned a request submitted by the Environment Ministry involving 11 draft decrees to redefine the boundaries of several of the country's nature reserves: Horch Ehden (North), the three islands of the so-called Palm Islands Reserve (off Tripoli, North), the Chouf Cedar Reserve (Mount Lebanon), Sour Beach (South), the Tannourine Cedar Forest (North), Yammoune (Bekaa), Bentael (Kesrouan) and the public lands of Shnanair (Kesrouan), Kafra, Ramieh and Beit Lif (all in the South).Once the item became public, its inclusion on the agenda immediately triggered an outcry from several environmental groups and some members of Parliament, who targeted Environment Minister Tamara Elzein in particular. Opponents fear...
A particularly controversial item was removed Thursday from the agenda of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's Cabinet meeting. It concerned a request submitted by the Environment Ministry involving 11 draft decrees to redefine the boundaries of several of the country's nature reserves: Horch Ehden (North), the three islands of the so-called Palm Islands Reserve (off Tripoli, North), the Chouf Cedar Reserve (Mount Lebanon), Sour Beach (South), the Tannourine Cedar Forest (North), Yammoune (Bekaa), Bentael (Kesrouan) and the public lands of Shnanair (Kesrouan), Kafra, Ramieh and Beit Lif (all in the South).Once the item became public, its inclusion on the agenda immediately triggered an outcry from several environmental groups and some members of Parliament, who targeted Environment Minister Tamara Elzein in particular. Opponents fear...
