Standards for golf courses.(LEGAL EASE)(Mexico. Secretariat of the Environment's environmental policy)(Brief Article)

The Secretariat of the Environment (Semarnat) published the draft standard for the environmental requirements applicable to golf courses and their real estate developments on March 10.

It proposes specific environmental rules for the siting and design of the entire project, including "green" areas, and establishes an environmental impact assessment component to include the evaluation of soil filtration indexes.

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In addition, the new regulations contemplate incorporation of design concepts to minimize the ecological impact upon the site and the existing flora and fauna. The prohibition of the use of non-native species for landscaping is established as is the prioritized use of reclaimed water used for irrigation and the installation of storm water collectors for the project.

Once enacted, this standard will be mandatory for the design of all future real estate developments that include a golf course. It will also apply to the operation and maintenance programs at existing golf courses. Comments to this draft may be submitted to Semarnat through May 8 and the full document may be accessed at www.semarnat.gob.mx.

LegalEase is compiled by Edward M. Ranger (EdRanger@usa.net), the only U.S. environmental lawyer licensed to practice in Mexico.

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