TRUSTEES of the National Sports Centre (NSC) have no intention of importing foreign soil to improve the facility's cricket pitch, board chairman Gerard Bean said yesterday.

Speaking in response to concerns raised by agricultural groups that Government might allow the NSC to flout current legislation so that Bermuda might be recognised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) as an appropriate venue for matches, Dr. Bean said it would not happen.

"The trustees of the National Sports Centre are not importing soil," he said. "We are going to try to maintain the wicket using the best knowledge and expertise we have available in Bermuda. It's what we have always attempted to do and we will continue to do it."

Dr. Bean added that actual plans for maintaining the pitch ? "works that had been in the pipeline for several weeks" ? would be announced publicly tomorrow.

Bermuda Farmers' Association president Tom Wadson, former director of Agriculture, Fisheries & Parks, Edward. A. Manuel and retired Government Conservation officer David Wingate banded together this week, concerned that Government would allow the NSC to ride roughshod over the Agricultural Act of 1930 and import soil, potentially damaging the island's unique ecosystem.

As a means of highlighting the seriousness of the matter, they cited the cedar tree epidemic that raged between 1944 and 1952 and the sweet potato whitefly which destroyed huge shipments of poinsettia plants on their way to the island last Christmas.

"The laws are in place for a damn good reason," Mr. Wadson said. "Despite the fact that the Minister of Community Affairs & Sport (Dale Butler) said (Wednesday) that they are continuing to consult with farmers, we have heard nothing from him or the Government for months.

"We are being kept in the dark and are concerned because we don't know what's going on behind closed doors. I have seen nothing to say that this isn't going to happen.

"When I first started farming in 1976, I said if I do nothing else, I will improve agriculture in this community. I've stuck to that ethic and will not wander. We've got a great opportunity here and we're willing to trash it!"

The pitch at the NSC has come under considerable criticism because of its poor state. In November of 2004, ICC pitch consultant Andy Atkinson described it as "more suitable for growing carrots on" after a succession of international teams expressed frustration at experiencing drastically inconsistent bounce on the wicket.

Determined to see improvement, NSC trustees last year sent soil samples from Caribbean islands, Canada and the United States to England for testing with the hope they might prove the suitable composition for a cricket wicket, reported.

Also tested at UK labs were samples of virgin clay taken from different locations around the island. These allegedly failed to meet international standards.

Said Mr. Manuel: "I am strongly opposed to the importation of foreign soil. It presents a high risk to Bermuda's existing flora and could readily lead to the destruction of our crops and the ornamental shrubs and trees that make Bermuda so beautiful.

"If this is allowed to happen Government may as well scrap all quarantine programmes in place today. The importation of foreign soil has been prohibited for decades because it is universally known to be a great danger."

Added Dr. Wingate: "It's extremely difficult to prevent new pests from arriving in soil unless it is thoroughly sterilised and that would be virtually impossible with large quantities of soil.

"The greatest environmental crisis that we are facing on Bermuda today is that caused by introduced and invasive species. Once established, most are impossible to eradicate again and we are stuck with the problems they cause forever.

"Hence I'm strongly opposed to this proposed importation. If it's a kind of clay soil that is needed, the Walsingham soil is a red clay soil and might serve the same end."

The group said it was their understanding that Mr. Atkinson last month submitted a recommendation to Dr. Bean, advising him that four of the nine samples of Bermuda soil sent were "worth investigating further".

In response, they said, Dr. Bean sent a letter to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Community Affairs and Sport "saying that very few options are available and investigating Bermuda soil further would be 'too much work', despite the fact that the then Department of Agriculture & Fisheries has been advising them to follow this route since 1998".

Contacted yesterday, Dr. Bean said that no such letter was sent and added that he "should call his lawyer" in response to the group's comments, which labelled him as the chairman of the Bermuda Cricket Board.

"(Mr. Wadson) makes allegations that are completely erroneous," he said. "I never sent a letter to the Permanent Secretary. I have never been a member of the Bermuda Cricket Board."