National Environment and Planning Agency Strengthening the operational and financial sustainability of the National Protected Area System (NPAS) Project Draft Black River Protected Landscape Management Plan 2017 - 2022 Short extracts from this publication may be copied or reproduced for individual use, without permission, provided this source is fully acknowledged. More extensive reproduction or storage in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, requires prior permission of the National Environment and Planning Agency Draft Black River Protected Landscape Management Plan 2017 - 2022 Prepared by Susan Otuokon, Ph.D. For The National Environment and Planning Agency Government of Jamaica June, 2016 ii COPYRIGHT PAGE Draft Black River Protected Landscape Management Plan 2017 - 2022 Prepared by Susan Otuokon, Ph.D. for the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) 10 and 11 Caledonia Avenue Kingston 5 Jamaica W.I. 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Copyright © 2016 by the National Environment and Planning Agency iii Table of Contents List of Acronyms ........................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... vii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ vii List of Appendices ....................................................................................................................... viii Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.0 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Background and Context of the Management Plan ............................................................... 4 1.2 Purpose and Scope of Management Plan .............................................................................. 5 1.3 The Planning Process Used in the Preparation of the Plan ................................................... 6 2.0 Management Context ........................................................................................................... 8 2.1 Location and Boundary ......................................................................................................... 8 2.2 National, Regional and International Context ....................................................................... 9 2.3 Values and Importance of the Protected Area and its Role in the National Protected Area System ....................................................................................................................................... 10 2.4 Management and Planning History ..................................................................................... 11 2.5 Management Authority ....................................................................................................... 12 2.6 Compliance with International Agreements and Obligations ............................................. 21 3.0 Physical Environment and Features of the Protected Area .................................................. 22 3.1 Climate, Weather Systems and Trends ............................................................................... 23 3.2 Geology and Geomorphology ............................................................................................. 23 3.3 Soils ..................................................................................................................................... 23 3.4 Hydrology............................................................................................................................ 24 3.5 Natural Hazards ................................................................................................................... 26 4.0 Biodiversity of the Protected Area ...................................................................................... 26 4.1 Description of Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems ............................................................ 26 4.3 Fauna ................................................................................................................................... 31 4.4 Rare and Endangered Species ............................................................................................. 33 4.5 Invasive Alien Species ........................................................................................................ 34 4.6 Impacts of Human Use within and adjacent to the Protected Area ..................................... 35 4.7 Conservation Status and Research ...................................................................................... 35 5 Cultural and Socio-economic Values of the Protected Area ................................................. 37 iv 5.1 Cultural History and Archaeological sites .......................................................................... 37 5.2 Contemporary Community and Stakeholder Use................................................................ 38 5.3 Non-recreational Social and Economic Activity ................................................................. 40 5.4 Recreational and Tourism Activities and Visitation Trends ............................................... 41 5.5 Social and Economic Values ............................................................................................... 43 5.6 Impact of Human Uses on Protected Area Values .............................................................. 46 6.0 Key Strategies and Management Priorities ............................................................................. 47 6.1 Vision and Goals ................................................................................................................. 47 6.2 Zoning ................................................................................................................................. 48 6.3 Identification of Key Strategies and Management Priorities .............................................. 54 6.3.1 Biodiversity Conservation ............................................................................................ 56 6.3.2 Cultural Heritage Preservation ................................................................................... 74 6.3.3. Recreation and Tourism............................................................................................... 79 6.3.4 Infrastructure Management .................................................................................................. 84 6.3.5 Enforcement and Compliance .......................................................................................... 86 6.3.6 Public Education and Outreach ................................................................................... 91 6.3.7 Governance and Administration ................................................................................. 100 7.0 Research, Monitoring and Evaluation ................................................................................. 104 7.1 Monitoring and Evaluation of Success of Management Strategies................................... 106 7.2 Review of Management Plan/Programmes ....................................................................... 108 References ................................................................................................................................... 109 Appendices .................................................................................................................................. 112 v List of Acronyms BRLM Black River Lower Morass BRUM Black River Upper Morass BRPL Black River Protected Landscape CBD Convention on Biological Diversity GEF Global Environment Facility IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature JNHT Jamaica National Heritage Trust KAP Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices NEPA National Environment and Planning Agency NLA National Land Agency NRCA Natural Resources Conservation Authority NCU Northern Caribbean University NPAS National Protected Areas System PA Protected Area PAC Protected Areas Committee PoWPA Programme of Work on Protected Areas TCPA Town and Country Planning Act SFCA Special Fishery Conservation Area UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation UTECH University of Technology UWI University of the West Indies WCPA World Commission on Protected Areas vi List of Figures Figures Page 1. Proposed Black River Protected Landscape (BRPL) 1 2. Location and Boundaries of the BRPL 8 3. Black River Complex – National Ecological Gap Assessment Report 11 4. Land Ownership within the Black River Lower Morass Ramsar Site 20 5. Map of the BRUM and BRLM showing water-ways and bodies – from UWI, 2015 25 6. Vegetation of the main components of