Biodiversity Protection : Stakeholder Participation : Capacity Building NATIONAL PARKS AND PROTECTED AREA JAMES MACGREGORPLANNING AND MANAGEMENT PRESIDENT Institutional Structuring Economic Impact Resource Management ECOPLAN:NET TELEPHONE 212 37 749 444 3 James has 36 years FACSIMILE 212 37 749 444 experience in national park and protected area ecoplan:net planning in 13 countries in Asia, Providing protected area planning, site North America, Africa and Eastern design, training, institutional structuring Europe RECENT PROTECTED AREA PLANNING ASSIGNMENTS STRUCTURING ROMANIA’S NATIONAL AGENCY FOR NATIONAL PARKS AND PROTECTED AREAS (NAPA), 2007-2008. James served as Team Leader for the Finnish Consulting Group (FCG) to structure the new national agency for the the management of Romania’s National and Natural Parks and Retezat National Park Romania more than 600 Natura 2000 sites Continued on Page 2 WADI GEMEL NATIONAL PARK MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK AND TOURISM STRATEGY, USAID AND CHEMONICS INTERNATIONAL, 2007 James served as Team Leader for a USAID Wadi Gemel National Park, Red Sea Pacific Rim National Park funded management plans for Egypt's latest national park located in the Southern Red Sea “protected area Region.. The park included a marine, coastal, management desert and mountain component. Continued on Page 2 integrates biodiversity RETEZAT NATIONAL PARK SUSTAINABLE protection, visitor TOURISM STRATEGY, ROMANIA, USAID, 2007 education and Retezat National Park was eager to join the economic exclusive PAN Park Network but required a Sustainable Tourism Strategy for both the park and development” the surrounding region. ecoplannet srl, Romania and Morocco | www.ecoplannet.com| PARK AND PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT! PAGE2 Wadi Gemel National Park Southern Red Sea, Egypt Park Boardwalk Romania’s National Agency natural park and protected area for National Protected Areas personnel and Biodiversity ✴Identifying the role for NGO’s and C o n s e r v a t i o n ( N A P A ) Natura 2000 sites ‘Good ✴Comprehensive Job Descriptions for governance, Institutional Structuring and all senior staff (headquarters and Business Plan for the Ministry of parks). professional Environment and Sustainable ✴ Development and the World Bank, National Communication Strategy management, 2007-2008 ✴Human Resource Strategy and continuous 5 -year Training Plan Team Leader training and When Romania joined the European ✴NAPA Business Plan (2009-2013) Union, in 2007, its National Parks and including the expenditure of 250 sincere Protected Areas became eligible to million euro EU Structural Funds community access millions of euros for the relations are development of the Network, the Wadi Gemel National Park implementation of the EU Birds and Management Plan Framework fundamental to Habitats Directives and the expansion Southern Red Sea Region, for USAID/ the operation of the EU protected area network Egypt and Chemonics International of a within the guidelines of Natura 2000. Team Leader NAPA was designed to create a responsible strong institutional structure, improve A comprehensive development, protected the overall management of the operational and management action protected areas and to effectively plan framework was prepared including area” distribute EU Structural Funds to site identification of the visitor identified projects. information and interpretation centers, Romania’s low-impact accommodation, Roman NAPA Structure James directed an international team ruins restoration, and long term of planners, economists, lawyers and marketing. and Business regulators. The assignment included: Revenue centers were identified to Plan ✴Assessment of the current protected ensure that the protected area would area administration and structure have adequate finances to operate (governance, planning, management, after USAID support ended in 2008. etc.) A co-management approach was also ✴Defining the overall structure and proposed in collaboration with the legal framework for the 70 staff local Ababda nomadic tribes, who are headquarters and 300 national and living within the park. ecoplannet srl, Romania and Morocco www.ecoplannet.com | PARK AND PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT! PAGE3 National Park Management Plans and Tourism Strategies Retezat National Park (RNP) Macin National Park Sustainable Tourism Management Plan (Tourism Development Strategy for USAID/ and Economic Development Romania, Chemonics International and Component), for USAID/Romania PAN Parks and Chemonics International, 2005 Project Consultant Project Consultant Technical services The strategy was prepared as part of a were provided to requirement for entry into the PAN assist with the (Protected Area Network) Park System, location and an alliance of select European National development of the Parks. The process involved t o u r i s m s e r v i c e s establishing the PAN Park Group, a within and adjacent to local private sector association that the national park. would work with the RNP to establish B e c a u s e o f i t s the park and region as an international location in the tourism destination. Danube Delta, The process was successful and tourism demand for Retezat, Romania’s oldest National interpretive services Calimani National Park Romania Park, received certification in 2006 and was increasing, including is now a member of the PAN Parks. r e q u e s t s f r o m t o u r operators the construction of a information centre and associated Calimani National Park (CNP) trails. A tourism product planning Management Plan (Tourism and workshop was provided to national Economic Development park and local UNDP staff. “this Retezat Component), for USAID/Romania and National Park Chemonics International Andasibe National Park Tourism Project Consultant Management Plan for VITA Strategy will be Consulting services were provided to (Volunteers in Technical Assistance) a model for identify the role of tourism product and USAID/Madagascar future PAN development and visitor services within Project Manager Park A comprehensive development and the management plan that was proponents prepared by park staff. All necessary zonation plan was prepared for tourism facilities (trails, interpretation Madagascar’s most popular national who wish to center) and services (e.g. horseback parks (due to its proximity to the become a riding, tent camps) were identified and capital city). The plan focused on member of the mapped. National and international tour day-use visitor services and a lemur operators were contacted for conservation program. network” collaboration and participation in the A Visitor Management Plan was marketing process. prepared that included the site selection and design guidelines for a PAN Parks The CNP was also positioned as a new Visitor Interpretation Centre. A Executive tourism attraction within the greater Trail program was prepared Vatra Dornei Tourism Region. A connecting hikers to the villages in workshop, identifying the economic the park buffer zone thus increasing development opportunities from park the economic impact of the park and resources was designed and presented reducing slash and burn agricultural to local stakeholders and residents. practices. ecoplannet srl, Romania and Morocco | www.ecoplannet.com | PARK AND PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT! PAGE4 National Park and Protected Area Ecotourism Product Development, Capacity Building, Communications and Marketing James has prepared regional tourism development strategies that include national parks and protected areas a principle attraction. The planning process includes working closely with park officials and integrating sustainable principles into the regional development plans Madagascar National Parks and Chtoutka Ait Baha and Souss Protected Areas Ecotourism Massa Draaa National Park Development Strategy and Sustainable Tourism Strategy, for ANGAP Restructuring, the Province of Chtouka Ait Baha, USAID/SAVEM Project and Tropical Morocco 2006-2007 Research and Development, Team Leader (1996-1997) Team Leader This region and national park are James worked within the offices of strategically located ANGAP (National Association for the just south of Agadir, Management of Protected Areas) to Morocco’s most both develop a national ecotourism popular coastal tourist strategy as well as structure the destination (700,000 organization as a business operation visitors/year). The Park committed to both conservation and is situated along 75 KM tourism development across the 39 of some of the best Madagascar National Parks national parks and protected areas. beach resources in Extensive training was provided to the Morocco and the ANGAP staff (visitor management, adjacent lands have high investment interpretation, tour product potential for the local villages. development) environmental NGO’s The strategy identified a structure for a and tour operators throughout the cooperative relationship between the country (Nosey Be, Tulear, etc.). provincial authorities and the national park administration as well as the role Ifrane National Park and Region of the national park within the regional ‘Exuma Ecotourism Development sustainable tourism development Coastal Zone Strategy (2005-2010) for the Ministry strategy. of Water and Forest, and National Middle Atlas Mountains, Morocco Island of Exuma (Bahamas) Marine Park Project Director Coastal Zone Management and National Marine Park Tourism Master Plan’ The regional Ecotourism Strategy was Master Plan, for the Commonwealth prepared to both establish a long-term Secretariat (London), the Nature development action