Transcript Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park BJCMNP

The Blue and John Crow
Mountains National Park –
Overview of Management Programmes
Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park
Po rt R o ya l M ou ntain s
Blue M ountains
Joh n C row M o un tains
BJCMNP – Highly Significant For:
Water Supply
Drinking water for over 40% of Jamaicans
BJCMNP – Highly Significant For:
Watershed Management :
Protects upper portions of ten watershed
management units
BJCMNP – Highly Significant For:
Climate Change Mitigation
Forests sequester carbon dioxide,
helping mitigate against global warming
BJCMNP – Highly Significant For:
Biodiversity
• Internationally recognised
• Wide variety of unique forest types due to
high elevation & volcanic rocks
• Habitat for endemic, threatened & native
species
BJCMNP – Highly Significant For:
Cultural Heritage
• Maroon history & culture
• Traditional Jamaican villages
• Military History
• Blue Mountain Coffee
BJCMNP – Highly Significant For:
Economic Potential
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Recreation & Tourism
Pharmaceuticals
Non-traditional agricultural
& horticultural produce
Blue & John Crow Mountains National Park
– A Potential UNESCO World Heritage Site ?
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World Heritage Sites
Are an elite group
 Receive international
recognition
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Jamaica has none yet
 Caribbean has few
 Jamaica is pursuing
nomination of the BJCMNP
for natural & cultural heritage
criteria
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Management of the Blue and John Crow
Mountains National Park
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Managed by the JCDT under delegation from the NRCA
Managed collaboratively with NEPA and Forestry Dept
Liaising with other organisations and agencies
Management Plan 2005 - 2010
Management Planning involved over 200 stakeholders
Threats to the BJCMNP
– Deforestation, Forest Degradation and Wildlife Destruction
Sources:
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Conversion of forest to agriculture
Assault of alien invasive species
Logging
Non-timber products harvesting
Hunting
Informal settlements
Channel modification
Root Causes of Threats/Pressures
to Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park
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Insufficient Environmental Education
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Limited Environmentally Sustainable Income-Generating
Activities
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Insufficient Enforcement
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Insufficient “Conservation-on-the-Ground”
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Conflicting Policies between Government Agencies and
Insufficient Support of Conservation Initiatives
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Unclear Boundaries
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Limited Resources and Inadequate Management
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Climate Change
Zonation
Mount Telegraph
Preservation Zone
High Priority Intervention Areas
Summit
Natural Forest
Modified Forest
Timber
Ruinate
Exotic Grass
Agriculture
Residential
Moore
Guava to Morant River
Leighfield
Bungo Hill
Ecclesdown
Mount Horeb
Mossmans Peak
Cedar Grove
Clydesdale
Roaring River
Town
Zoning Plan
Park Boundary (FD)
Preservation Zone: natural forest
Preservation Zone: 500 m buffer around natural forest
Recover Zone
Buffer zone
Management Programmes of the
Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park
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Conservation
Enforcement & Compliance
Education & Public Involvement
Recreation & Tourism
Monitoring & Evaluation
Governance & Administration
Conservation Programme Goal:
To maintain and enhance
the remaining area of closed broadleaf forest and component
species of plants and animals that exist in the BJCMNP.
Objectives:1.
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Protect threatened
biodiversity especially
conservation targets
Rehabilitate at least 200
acres
Create & maintain riparian
forest buffers along
headwater streams
Promote research that
benefits Park management
Control of Invasive Alien Plant
Species
February 23, 2006.
Invasive alien species – Wild
Ginger smothers native forest
seedlings
September 28, 2006.
September 28, 2006
Removal of Wild Ginger results in
growth of native forest seedlings
- 2.5 acres under control in Mt. Horeb
- funded by Luis Kennedy Foundation
Enforcement & Compliance Programme Goal: To stop
encroachment of the park boundary and destruction of the forest
and wildlife within
Objectives:1.
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Increase level of presence
of enforcement officers
Increase level of detection
& resolution of breaches
Resolve resource use
conflicts on a case by case
basis
Address boundary issues
Address fire management
issues
Disaster/Emergency
Management
Education & Public Involvement Programme Goal: To raise support
and improve natural resource management, particularly in buffer zone
communities, leading to ecosystem conservation and poverty alleviation
Objectives:1.
Facilitate capacity building
(including education and
training) of buffer zone
communities vis a vis
sustainable livelihoods and
resource management
2.
Increase public awareness,
knowledge and
understanding about the
Park:(a) Students
(b) General public
Recreation and Tourism Programme Goal: To provide
recreational opportunities for local and international visitors using
ecotourism principles to generate income and support for the park
Objectives:1.
Provide recreational and
educational
opportunities
2.
Generate income for
park management by
increasing revenue from
park’s recreation areas
3.
Facilitate benefits to
local communities
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Ensure these activities
don’t threaten park
Monitoring and Evaluation Programme Goal: To track and
record both the threats and changes to ecosystem health, to assess
achievement of the Park’s over-arching goal
Objectives:
Threats/ranger based
monitoring
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Photographs from patrols
Permanent photomonitoring
Outcomes monitoring
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Forest area
Freshwater biological
monitoring
Bird monitoring
populations of key,
threatened species – the
giant swallowtail butterfly,
the Jamaican coney and the
yellow boa.
Governance & Administration Programme Goal: To ensure
efficient and effective implementation of the Park’s programmes
Objectives:1.
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Involve stakeholders e.g.
Co-management
Committee, Liaising with
CBOs
Coordinate and effectively
manage operations
Ensure adaptive
management
Raise funds – need
minimum of US$450,000/yr
for recurrent expenditure
and US$350,000 for capital
and project expenditure
You Can Help Support Management of the
Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park
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Be responsible visitors of the Park’s recreation
areas
Promote education & research in the National Park
Participate in our events e.g. Misty Bliss
Be a volunteer – help raise funds, reforest sites etc.