Environmental policy and administrative management

The Union District of St Ann lies at the head of the White River watershed where the inhabitants derive their livelihoods mainly from subsistence farming and employment on the nearby Orange Hall Estate. Although the district is close to the tourist area of Ocho Rios, it is located somewhat remotely in upland area of depleted limestone soils with low fertility, and is accessible by poorly maintained roads. Since the inception of the Union Basic School, which also functions as a community centre, there has been increased interest in civic matters, as well as greater awareness of the importance of watershed management and improved land husbandry. Recognizing the need to arrest land degradation and to protect the remaining natural limestone forest, the main sponsor of the school, the Cecil B. Facey Foundation, has offered the community a nearby parcel of land to be used for both watershed reforestation and agro-forestry demonstration for the local farmers. Part of the property offered consists of an abandoned pasture which would be planted with commercial timber and inter-cropped, while the remainder of the land is natural tree cover to be conserved for its protective value. The Facey Foundation has indicated its intention to enter into partnership with the community and to fund part of the cost of establishing commercial trees, which in the long-term would provide a source of enterprise and income for the school and residents of the district. It is envisioned that the introduction of such activities would contribute immensely to improved forest cover of the watershed, develop new skills in land management and wood-craft, yield interim crop production for food security, and ultimately minimise the risk of further land degradation. Addressing local problems in this fashion has never been attempted before and a positive outcome could offer a new option for mutually beneficial partnerships between land owners and adjacent communities. The overall goal of the project is to initiate a programme of sustainable forest management for optimum production of timber and non-timber products, on lands provided by the co-sponsor to reduce the risk of land degradation while generating livelihoods and environmental benefits to the Union Basic School and the local community.

Jamaica