The opposition One Bermuda Alliance has joined calls by environmentalists for the Government to provide answers on why Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve was opened up for camping and vehicular access over Cup Match.

The reserve is categorised as a Class A protected area under the Bermuda National Parks Act 1986, meaning camping and vehicle traffic is not normally permitted within the site.

This newspaper has been waiting since August 2 for answers from the Government. We have asked: who authorised the granting of access, whether proper protocols were followed, whether the National Parks Commission gave the approval for the access and whether the sites will be opened to such activity in the future.

Scott Pearman, the shadow home affairs minister, said: “The Burt administration’s refusal to answer perfectly legitimate questions from the public, and from our free press, is a sad indictment of our current Government.

“This is an issue of public concern. The questions are fair and reasonable ones. The people’s questions could — and should — have been answered by the Government.

“Many Bermudians — including groups dedicated to the protection of our environment — have rightly expressed concerns.

“In this instance, the Government needs to explain how and why a protected nature reserve was able to be accessed and confirm that proper protocols are now in place to ensure it never happens again.”

Karen Border, the executive director for the Bermuda National Trust, who spoke out about the decision to grant access at the time, said this week: “We are looking to government to confirm that there has been no change in policy and that camping will not be allowed in nature reserves in the future.”

Myles Darrell, head of natural heritage at the trust, said in a recent charity newsletter: “Camping is without doubt an important part of our heritage, enabling families to gather to enjoy spending time with each other in the great outdoors. But it need not be at the expense of another crucial aspect of Bermudian heritage — our unique and irreplaceable environment sheltered by nature reserves.

“We would like to help the public understand that parks are for people, and nature reserves are for nature. There is a difference and it’s important.

“The legislated objective for our parks is ‘to protect sufficient land as amenity parkland for the passive and active recreational enjoyment of the public’. On the other hand, Bermuda's nature reserves serve as critical habitat for the island's most threatened protected species.

“Designated nature reserves have rules to ensure protection of Bermuda’s most vulnerable species. They are effectively living museums as they are the only remaining spaces where some of the island’s most vulnerable native and endemic flora and fauna are able to exist.”

Mr Darrell said there are numerous unintended consequences of camping, considered a high-impact activity, in a nature reserve.

“For example, camping means food, which attracts rats that can be devastating to nesting seabirds. The very presence of humans near by can cause some birds, such as cardinals, to abandon their nests — you wouldn’t even know that had happened.“

While parks are managed by the Parks Department, nature reserves, which are afforded greater protections owing to their environmental sensitivity, are managed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources under Walter Roban, the Minister of Home Affairs.

It remains unclear which department authorised the granting of access but Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the Minister of Public Works, under whom the Department of Parks falls, issued an advisory “for parks and beaches” on the Government’s website on July 26, two days before Cup Match, saying that camping would be permitted at the reserve and other sites over the holiday.

As well as asking the Government questions, we also reached out to the National Parks Commission, whose functions under the Bermuda National Parks Act 1986 include “advising the minister on any proposal to change the boundaries, use, classification or any other aspect of an existing protected area”.

Dennis Lister III, the chairman of the commission, advised that the government communications department would be dealing with the request, adding, “as such I’m not able to provide an estimated time for the response”.