The Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park – Overview of Management Programmes

The Blue and John Crow Mountains

National Park – Overview of Management Programmes

Blue and John Crow Mountains Blue and John Crow Mountains National ParkNational Park

John Crow Mountains

Port Royal M ountains

Blue M ountains

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

Recreation & Tourism Pharmaceuticals Non-traditional agricultural

& horticultural produce

Blue & John Crow Mountains National Park

– A Potential UNESCO World Heritage Site ?

World Heritage Sites Are an elite group Receive international recognition

Jamaica has none yet Caribbean has few Jamaica is pursuing nomination of the BJCMNPfor natural & cultural heritagecriteria

Management of the Blue and John Crow Mountains National

Park

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 Threats to the BJCMNP – Deforestation, Forest Degradation and – Deforestation, Forest Degradation and

Wildlife DestructionWildlife Destruction

Sources:- 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

Insufficient Environmental Education Limited Environmentally Sustainable Income-Generating

Activities Insufficient Enforcement Insufficient “Conservation-on-the-Ground” Conflicting Policies between Government Agencies and

Insufficient Support of Conservation Initiatives Unclear Boundaries Limited Resources and Inadequate Management Climate Change

Zonation

Buffer zoneRecover ZonePreservation Zone: 500 m buffer around natural forestPreservation Zone: natural forestPark Boundary (FD)

Zoning Plan

Management Programmes of the Blue and John Crow Mountains

National Park

• ConservationConservation• Enforcement & ComplianceEnforcement & Compliance• Education & Public InvolvementEducation & Public Involvement• Recreation & TourismRecreation & Tourism• Monitoring & EvaluationMonitoring & Evaluation• Governance & AdministrationGovernance & 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. Protect threatened

biodiversity especially conservation targets

2. Rehabilitate at least 200 acres

3. Create & maintain riparian forest buffers along headwater streams

4. Promote research that benefits Park management

Control of Invasive Alien Plant Species

Invasive alien species – Wild Ginger smothers native forest seedlings

Removal of Wild Ginger results in growth of native forest seedlings

- 2.5 acres under control in Mt. Horeb

- funded by Luis Kennedy Foundation

September 28, 2006.February 23, 2006.February 23, 2006. September 28, 2006

Enforcement & Compliance Programme

Goal: To stop encroachment of the park boundary and destruction of the forest and wildlife within

Objectives:-

1. Increase level of presence of enforcement officers

2. Increase level of detection & resolution of breaches

3. Resolve resource use conflicts on a case by case basis

4. Address boundary issues5. Address fire management

issues6. 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

4. 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 Photographs from patrols Permanent photo-

monitoring

Outcomes monitoring 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. Involve stakeholders e.g.

Co-management Committee, Liaising with CBOs

2. Coordinate and effectively manage operations

3. Ensure adaptive management

4. 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

1. Be responsible visitors of the Park’s recreation areas

2. Promote education & research in the National Park3. Participate in our events e.g. Misty Bliss4. Be a volunteer – help raise funds, reforest sites etc.