The Pitons Management Area is approximately 25.40 sq. km. including both Pitons, Piton Mitan, the Sulphur Springs and the coastal area and encompasses all lands bounded as follows:

• North : by Soufriere Estate and Diamond
• South : by the L’Ivrogne River
• West : by the Soufriere Marine Management Area
• East : by main road from Diamond going south along the ridge to Etangs and to the L’Ivrogne River, via the Etangs-Deville Road linking the L’Ivrogne River at the confluence near the old WASCO water intake.

The PMA was named a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2004 and the Saint Lucian government’s commitment to the area’s conservation was greatly compounded.

DCA Chairman Jean notes the numerous legal skirmishes which the government has had with private developers who wish to own portions of the PMA.

“Over the years we've had lots of delicate battles, intricate battles within and without Saint Lucia. We've had threats of losing our status, which have been defended by successive Ministers for the Environment,” he explained.

By 2007, the World Heritage Committee was seriously concerned about several developments within the PMA which would place its status at risk.  In the light of this, the day’s government commissioned the Hyder Report which prescribed parameters for management of the area to secure its status.

Additional physical developments exacerbated the threats to the area which caused the government to commission another study, the Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) Study to comply with the requirements of the World Heritage Committee. 

The LAC sought to determine where, how and to what scale development could occur within the PMA. The LAC included a detailed Design Guide to which developments were to conform, including, inter alia, provisions to guide density, maximum buildable slopes, maximum building footprints, building height restrictions, colours of roofs and walls, guidance on materials to minimise visual impact, visibility assessments, and the requirement for environmental impact statements. The LAC was endorsed by Cabinet Conclusion 527 of 2013.

The DCA Chairman underscores the PMA’s importance, not just for Saint Lucia, but for the rest of the world. The two volcanic spires are the world’s most famous, garnering the awe and attention of the entire world.

“There were challenges that we had since the area was designated a World Heritage Site. When you declare a World Heritage Site, it means that you have outstanding universal value. That has to be preserved not just for the people of Saint Lucia, but it is of universal value for the people of the world.”

Successive administrations have had to toe the line between physical development and environmental conservation.

Recent legal battles had placed the legislative framework guiding the building regulations within the PMA under intense international scrutiny.

Despite this, Saint Lucia’s Pitons continue to maintain their World Heritage Status.