WEST SANDS Phuket has become the first private project on the island to sign on with a national park to preserve the local coastal ecosystem.

The statement of intent was signed yesterday with the Sirinath National Park, neighbor of the 450-residence beachfront estate on the long and rapidly populating Mai Khao beach.

One interesting part of the agreement: no beach loungers or umbrellas will be placed on the 500 metre stretch that is overseen by West Sands.

West Sands agreed to ''nourish and protect'' the beach and encourage ecological tourism in the area.

It may be just an accident of timing, but a local official revealed separately yesterday that a rare leatherback turtle had hatched eggs last year, somewhere on the 17-kilometre stretch of Mai Khao.

This is the first confirmed report of a return of a turtle of any kind since before the 2004 tsunami. (Others have returned to beaches in Phang Nga, where more resorts are planned.)

Mai Khao's beachfront is in the process of rapid development, with several new five-stars opening over the past year or so, and others under construction.

The latest projects have been required to maintain a substantial setback from the beach, although at West Sands, the first row of villas is separated from the sand only by a narrow pathway.

Nevertheless, to have a national park connected with resort beach management is an opportunity that was quickly grasped yesterday by Wattana Pornprasert, the forest specialist and acting chief of Sirinath.

He signed the agreement with Paul Mercer, managing director of West Sands Phuket.

While the scale of the project is bound to have an impact on an area that was once a series of small Muslim villages, the connection with the national park may prove to encourage conservation.

Other resorts have certainly shown great interest in turtles and the local environment, although West Sands is the first to have an official signing with the region's national park.

The project is entitled: ''Take Care of the beach, Take Care of Us.''

Among the purposes and declared outcomes listed: protection and preservation of the environment ''should be a privilege for all island residents''; to promote and ''get more attention, participation and support from government, residents and visitors as natural or environmental concerns are everyone's responsibility.''

The agreement also aims to create ''environmental awareness'' in the Mai Khao village community.

A media release handed out at yesterday's press conference says that West Sands covers 121 rai (approximately 50 acres) and comprises 450 prestigious villas and spacious residences.

It will also eventually include a 400-key Outrigger resort, which is, the release says, scheduled to open in 2010.

''The development's other star attraction is a state-of-the-art waterpark,'' it adds. ''This is the first water park on Phuket and one of the largest in Asia.

''The water park will occuply approximately 14,000 square metres and be built by the internationally famous White Water West Industries, the largest specialist in the field, with customers including Disney and Sea World.''

The media release says that the West Sands soft opening is due in September. It will be fully operational in October or November 2009, the release says.