2018

SIMANJIRO EASEMENT REPORT

INTRODUCTION

Tarangire National Park boasts one of the largest elephant population in Tanzania, along with an array of other wildlife species numbering in the thousands including migratory zebra, buffalo, and wildebeest. The crux of the matter is that this national park protects less than 10% of the actual ecosystem defined by the seasonal movements of Tarangire’s migratory wildlife. For more than half of the year, animals disperse throughout the Maasai Steppe and onto surrounding community lands.

The Simanjiro Plains to the east, with its soils and grasses rich in minerals (phosphorus and calcium), are one of - if not the most - critical pieces of the ecosystem puzzle. Wildebeest, zebra and other species depend on these grasslands to successfully breed and lactate during the rainy season from November through May.

In 2004, alarmed by conversion of this critical habitat to agriculture in Simanjiro, an informal group of concerned tour operators with a vested interest in the integrity of the ecosystem enlisted the help of the Ujamaa Community Resource Team (UCRT) to help them engage with Simanjiro villages. The easements, voluntary agreements by the villages of Terrat and Sukuro to keep large areas of grassland from being farmed were an outgrowth of several meetings. These contractual agreements stipulated conditions, e.g., no agriculture or permanent settlement in return for annual fees paid directly into village accounts.

The Wildlife Conservation Society (of New York) adds value by providing funds to hire and train village game scouts who patrol the plains as an anti- force and also provide monitoring data on wildlife population trends. THE CURRENT SITUATION

The pressure to divide the The good news is that 2) Support channeled plains into individual farms Emboreet has recently through the Dorobo has only increased due agreed to create grazing Fund who administer and to population growth and CCROs - in process. And, monitor the work of UCRT attendant pressure on land the Terrat easement is now in facilitating and creating and natural resources and in secured through a CCRO and CCROs in the easements and some cases, corrupt, self – demarcated with the greater ecosystem. The serving leadership. The third pipes. process can be politically critical village of Emboreet fraught with conflicts and has yet to agree to any form In addition to the easement very expensive involving of grazing protection. And, areas, the broader numerous community while the easements of Tarangire/Maasai Steppe meetings and involvement Terrat and Sukuro continue ecosystem is under threat of District Officials. Costs to be largely honored by from all directions as to facilitate and create a the communities, there is a slash and burn farmers, CCRO range from $6,000 to great need to undergird and and wealthy elite invades $12,000 depending on the strengthen the incentive- and carve out farms that size of the area. based easements with legally threaten the long-term recognized land jurisdiction sustainability of Tarangire Both these annual tour and clear boundary – the National Park did not operator contributions demarcation. The locally start as an island Park nor (channeled through the acceptable mechanism can it survive as an island. Dorobo Fund as a clearing for this is the creation of agent) as well as support to Certificate of Customary In summary, we are involved the Dorobo Fund for UCRT Right of Occupancy (CCRO) – in a two-tiered approach: work (see the final page of in essence, the document for donation titles with clear land use 1) Tour operator annual details) are crucial for the conditions supported with contributions that go directly long-term sustainability and by-. into easement village integrity of the ecosystem. accounts of Sukuro and Terrat and hopefully in the future Emboreet;

Terrat lies about 40 kilometers outside the Tarangire TERRAT National Park, providing critical breeding and calving grounds for thousands of wildebeest and zebra who spend the VILLAGE dry season along the Tarangire River. Due to drought and mismanagement, much of Terrat’s rangeland is degraded. The easements now provide a protected area for wildlife and livestock grazing. It’s organized land use will allow for regeneration and stable wildlife populations.

AV69X RAMANI YA MATUMIZI YA ARDHI KIJIJI CHA TERRAT

AV68X LOSWAKI AV70X ENGONONGOI

AV71X Chekechea NANONJUKIN AV67X Kanisa AV66X

AV38A AV38 Eneo la Makazi na Kilimo

Tanki Ufunguo AV35Y AV39 Josho kisima AV36Y Tangi Kanisa ZahanatiMsikiti Ramani ya Kijiji LOIBORSOIT AV40A AV40 kisima Makaburi Engusero empopong'i Kanisa TAG Tanki SecondaryKisma AV42 AV37Y Centre ya Kijiji

AV38Y Eneo la Makazi na Kilimo

AV39Y Eneo la Malisho ya Mifugo Shule msingi 0 Kisima KKKT Engusero AV40Y A rm a Ewass AV41Y n RC ie AV42Y Barabara

AV 29AAV47 Mito En eo AV46 l a M alish o ± y EMBOREET a AV 45A Mi fug 0 1 2 4 6 8 o Kilomita

Kisima Engusero AlamaiJosho Ormoti ranch

SUKORO

AV44 X

AV44A

Content may not reflect National Geographic's current map policy. Sources: National Geographic, Esri, DeLorme, HERE, UNEP-WCMC, USGS, NASA, ESA, METI, NRCAN, GEBCO, NOAA, increment P Corp. Above: Terat village Land Use Plan map. The pink area represents land for settlement and agriculture, the green for season grazing which also follows the easement area. Right: The new Land Use Plan map was presented to the village general assembly for approval. In 2018, we made resolution through the 26,517 hectares - 15,663 considerable strides in this courts and judicial system. hectares for grazing, 685 village towards the long- The entire easement was hectares dedicated towards term sustainability of the demarcated with boundary a permanent settlement easement. Village Game pipes and signs. Illegal farms which was initially grazing Scouts were selected to and settlements have been area and 10,169 hectares set attend specialized training at removed and the grasslands aside for agriculture. Grazing the Mara Training Institute are slowly beginning to area was lost to permanent in Kenya around Holistic regenerate in areas where settlement; however, we saw Grazing Management. there were issues with this move strategically key encroachment. to ensuring conflicts were The information they gained resolved during the process was incorporated into the We supported UCRT (loss of some area to protect seasonal grazing calendar; in achieving a 10-year the ). ensuring long term healthy Land Use Plan along with rangelands for wildlife and demarcations in both Natural Resource by-laws livestock. the grazing easements, were approved, LUP was settlement areas, and submitted to district land Long-standing boundary mixed-use areas. This victory officer, and legal officer conflicts between Terrat was almost a decade in the and maps were created. and the villages of Lesoit, making and provides the In December 2018 the Loiborsoit A and Sukuro entire easement area with village received three were resolved using legal security for at least the CCROs (longer term land traditional customary next ten years. The whole tenure security), and we leaders and mechanisms activity took four months, successfully demarcated an after years of failed dealing with an area totaling area with 60 beacons. EMBOREET VILLAGE

Emboreet Village is the and further protections for 5. All black cotton soils are third piece of the easement rangeland for livestock and designated as communal puzzle and an area we are wildlife. grazing areas heavily focusing on in the coming year with hopes we 2. of 25 farmers 6. Southwest zone of the can help provide the area who illegally obtained land village is now a grazing with some long-term security along an area that is part of easement - no agriculture through legal land use plans. the grazing area. 7. Corridors through In 2018, we made 3. Mid-way through 2018, settlement areas that allow considerable strides in this the Village Council was access for livestock and village towards the long- dissolved due to corruption wildlife to important water term sustainability of grazing and mismanagement. The sources and grazing areas areas. new village leadership and that will be demarcated government has opened up 1. The Dorobo Fund new opportunities in the 8. Managing privately supports a full-time team area concerning land use. owned land - limiting the member that is currently number of acres individuals working with the National 4. Managed to resolve are able to possess and Land Use Commission to ongoing boundary conflict the regulating private land survey the entire village. between Emboreet & Sukuro use, e.g. maximum 25 acres The survey is the first step & Loibor Sirret maximum can be cultivated. in securing legal land titles

Right top: Encountering a bit of mud during a recent field visit to the easement Right bottom: Wildlife and livestock can often be found grazing alongside each other in areas of the easement

Sukuro village lies to the south of Terrat and east of SUKURO Emboreet and is a critical piece of the overall Simanjiro puzzle. Early negotiations have resulted in two core grazing VILLAGE easements with the larger northern one bordering the Terrat easement and with the potential to connect with Emboreet to the west. There seems to be strong support in the community for maintaining these easements and upgrading them to CCROs. Focus on Sukuro in 2019 will be to finalize the land use plan with clear community buy-in for the easements and grazing areas.

Above: A Martial Eagle flying over Sukuro Right: Daudi walks with a member of the Akie community in the village of Kitwai A, a neighboring village that has also secured land for traditional use. Success in areas 2. Two hunter-gatherers the demarcation of adjacent surrounding the (Akie) CCROs were grazing areas (CCROs easements: established in southern planned). Kiteto. 1. Grazing CCROs were established in Loiborsoit and 3. Two Akie communities is in process in Loibor Siret have had their land on the eastern boundaries demarcated (CCROs of Tarangire Park planned), one in Simanjiro and the other in Kiteto with PLAN FOR 2019

1. Continue to facilitate 3. Identify critical villages connectivity between these and strengthen ongoing on the southern boundaries villages and neighboring processes highlighted above. of the ecosystem in Kiteto villages to work with creating 2. Focus on the CCROs as a means of 5. Emboreet land use plan management of existing safeguarding grazing land and demarcation with CCROs towards the goal of and natural habitat in the possible creation of grazing healthier rangelands and face of thousands of farming CCROs. implementation of by- invaders – UCRT already has laws. UCRT will facilitate urgent pleas for assistance 6. Further demarcation in community meetings from six villages whose Terrat. in Simanjiro involving lands are under threat. Our traditional leadership success and work in Kiteto 7. Work with an additional 4 structures, to discuss and District affect what happens Akie communities who have make sustainable decisions in Simanjiro because it is requested help in securing related to the protection part of the same ecosystem. land. of grazing areas and curtailment of agricultural 4. Carry on land use These goals are ambitious, expansion that is in the planning, by-laws, mapping but so much is at stake. greater community‘s and CCROs for Sukuro and Together we can make a interest. Kitiangare which will provide difference.

Please make checks payable to: The Dorobo Fund for Tanzania c/o Chris Bedwell 14703 W Highland Rd Hayward, WI 54843 *Please specify: for the purposes of Simanjiro **The Dorobo Fund is a U.S. Registered 501c3 non For banking details, please contact us at [email protected]

THANK YOU FOR OUR CONTRIBUTORS:

ASILIA, DOROBO SAFARIS, MARK THORNTON SAFARIS, MATEMBEZI LTD, NOMAD TANZANIA, SANJAN–ETHAN KINSEY SAFARIS, PAUL OLIVER SAFARIS, AND TARANGIRE SAFARI LODGE–SINYATI LTD., SIMANJIRO EASEMENT REPORT

2018