Protected Areas System Master Plan: Jamaica 2013 – 2017 Final Submission to the Protected Areas Committee Contents Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 Acronyms ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Foreword ...................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 1. Background ........................................................................................................................................................... 15 1.1 Rationale for Jamaica’s Protected Areas System Master Plan .................................................................. 15 1.1.1 Coherence in Protected Areas Management .................................................................................... 15 1.1.2 Benefits of a System Approach .......................................................................................................... 15 1.1.3 Linkages to National Plans and Strategies ......................................................................................... 17 1.1.4 Meeting International Treaty Obligations ......................................................................................... 18 1.2 The Process of Developing the Protected Areas System Master Plan ....................................................... 19 1.3 What Are Protected Areas and Why Are They Important? ....................................................................... 21 1.4 The Benefits and Value of Jamaica’s Protected Areas ............................................................................... 22 2. Situation Overview ................................................................................................................................................ 26 2.1 Existing Protected Areas and Gaps in Coverage ........................................................................................ 26 2.1.1 Representation Gaps .......................................................................................................................... 26 2.1.2 Ecological Gaps .................................................................................................................................. 26 2.1.3 Management ...................................................................................................................................... 26 2.1.4 Historical and cultural assets ............................................................................................................. 27 2.2 Threats to Jamaica’s Protected Areas ........................................................................................................ 27 2.3 Challenges to Protected Areas Management ............................................................................................ 31 2.3.1 Policy and legislation .......................................................................................................................... 31 2.3.2 Institutional arrangements ................................................................................................................ 32 2.3.3 Management Effectiveness ................................................................................................................ 34 2.3.4 Financing ............................................................................................................................................ 35 2.4 System Level Effectiveness ........................................................................................................................ 36 2.5 Supporting Initiatives ................................................................................................................................. 36 3. Vision and Guiding Principles ............................................................................................................................. 39 3.1 Vision .......................................................................................................................................................... 39 3.2 Guiding Principles ...................................................................................................................................... 39 1 4. Strategic Outcomes and Goals ......................................................................................................................... 42 4.1 Strategic Outcomes .................................................................................................................................... 42 4.2 Goals .......................................................................................................................................................... 43 4.2.1 Linkages to the CBD’s Programme of Work on Protected Areas ....................................................... 44 5. Action Plan 2013 - 2017 ..................................................................................................................................... 48 5.1 Implementation Arrangements ................................................................................................................. 48 5.1.1 Implementation Partners ................................................................................................................... 48 5.1.2 Coordination and Communication ..................................................................................................... 49 5. 2 Activities 2013 - 2017 ................................................................................................................................ 52 6. Institutional Arrangements for Implementation ............................................................................................... 81 6.1 The Protected Areas Committee (PAC) ...................................................................................................... 81 6.1.1 Composition of the PAC ..................................................................................................................... 81 6.1.2 PAC Chairperson and Secretariat ....................................................................................................... 82 6.2 Outreach to Interested Parties .................................................................................................................. 82 6.3 Financing the PASMP Action Plan and the PAC ......................................................................................... 83 7. Monitoring and Evaluation ................................................................................................................................ 85 7.1 Overview .................................................................................................................................................... 85 7.2 Institutional Framework for Monitoring and Evaluation ........................................................................... 85 7.3 Data Collection ........................................................................................................................................... 85 7.4 Reporting Mechanisms ............................................................................................................................. 85 7.5 Communication and dissemination of information ................................................................................... 86 7.6 Framework for Monitoring and Evaluation ............................................................................................... 87 7.7 Quick Reference Tool: PASMP Activities by Completion Date .................................................................. 97 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................................. 106 Glossary .................................................................................................................................................................... 109 Appendices ............................................................................................................................................................... 113 Appendix 1 Categories of Protected Areas in Jamaica as at 1 January 2012 ...................................................... 113 Appendix 2 Members of Technical Working Groups 2006 - 2011 ...................................................................... 115 Appendix 3 Protected Areas (natural)................................................................................................................. 116 Appendix 4 Historical and Cultural Protected Sites ............................................................................................ 130 Appendix 5 National Ecological Gap Assessment Report - Summary ................................................................ 141 2 Appendix 6 Protecting Heritage and Culture: Its Role in The Protected Areas System Plan and Impact on National Development - Summary .........................................................................................................................