Bio-diversity

The proposed project site is located in the western buffer zone of the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park (NSMNP) in San Mariano, Isabela. The NSMNP is considered a critical biodiversity conservation area due to the presence of a significant number of threatened endemic species. Unfortunately, the Sierra Madre has been under severe threat from both unsustainable legal and illegal logging from the 70s to date. The direct impacts of these unsustainable logging activities are the reduction of the habitat of wildlife species and the transformation of once pristine forestlands into degraded and marginal hilly lands. This is compounded by the transformation of these marginal uplands into corn and sugar cane plantations- even in slopes beyond 100%- when land use policy allows agricultural practices only in slopes below 18% and agroforestry and forest production in slopes 18%. These land use practices result into heavy erosion rates during the monsoons and a decline of corn/sugar productivity in time. The latter further marginalizes the well-being of the upland folks. In essence, unsustainable logging in the past and present combined with presently unsustainable land use practices result in a continued degradation of the buffer zone of the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park leading to a decline of biodiversity values and land productivity negatively impacting both wildlife species and local communities. General Objectives: To restore a degraded buffer zone of NSMNP and provide alternative source of livelihood of the local stakeholders in San Mariano, Isabela, Philippines. Specific Objectives: a) restore the productivity of 12 hectares of degraded upland through the use of indigenous species; b) expand the nursery established by the on-going Plant TREES Project; c) establish 5 hectares of agroforestry in the project site; and d) involve at least 26 local families in a critical biodiversity site in the buffer-zone of the NSMBNP in sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation. Expected Outputs: Improved and expanded nursery at Plant TREES Project with a capacity of 25,000 seedlings 12 hectares of degraded habitat replanted with endemic species of narra, tindalo, ipil, tibig, balete and dipterocarp species 5 hectares of agro-forestry based enterprise established; Planned Actions and Activities: 1 expansion and improvement of existing nursery 2 Plantation establishment and maintenance. 3 Patrol and protection 4 Biodiversity conservation and education 5 Monitoring and evaluation. 6 Sustainability Mechanism

Philippines