Wednesday 26 August 2015

First Pilot Protected Area Subcommittee launched!


A key strategy in the Forest and Protected Area Policy (2011) is participatory management.  One of the mechanisms being employed under the Improving Forest and Protected Area Management (IFPAM) Project is the use of Subcommittees for each site.  The Subcommittees are made up of key stakeholders for each pilot site.  They will advise the Project Steering Committee (PCU) on actions specific to matters pertaining to their respective pilot protected area (PA) site and advise the Project Coordinating Unit on general management directions and on technical matters related to their respective pilot PA site.
 
The first meeting of the Trinity Hills and eastern extension pilot PA Subcommittee was convened on 24th August, 2015 at the Forestry Division’s Rio Claro office. Organisations serving on this Subcommittee include Forestry Division, The Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago (Petrotrin), Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, the Environmental Management Authority and the South Eastern Hunters Association.

At the first meeting, it was evident that this mechanism of using Subcommittees would contribute to improving coordination of management actions and sharing of information. For this Subcommittee, its first meeting resulted in the formulation of objectives and initiated discussions to select actions to implement for the next year in the pilot PA. 

 

 Subcommittee members listening as the PCU facilitates a session detailing the context for management in the PA
Dr. David Persaud, Environmental Manager - EPPD, shares the rationale for the boundaries of the PA with Subcommittee members.


>> For background information, project and other key documentation, and progress updates on the IFPAM Project, go to the "GEF Forests and PAs Project" Page