RT PO RE C E L E B R A T I N G 2010 - 2011 FIFTEEN YEARS of innovation, NNUAL NNUAL leadership and impact in protected areas! A Annual Report 2010 - 2011 Published by: The Protected Areas Conservation Trust Design and Layout - Protected Areas Conservation Trust, Belize. Printed in Belize, Central America Printer: BRC Printing Ltd. PHOTOS Copyright © 2011, The Protected Areas Conservation Trust Front Cover Top: Chiquibul Forest Left: Friends of Swallow Caye (FOSC) Manatee Sculpture Competition Middle: Forest and Marine Reserves Association of Caye Caulker (FAMRACC) Field Trip Right: Loggerhead Turtle © 2011, The Protected Areas Conservation Trust, Belize. Note: All dollar figures in this report are in Belize Dollars. $1 US Dollar is equivalent to $2 Belize Dollars. CELEBRATING FIFTEEN YEARS table of CONTENTS Message from the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment. ..i Message from the Chair of the Board of Directors. ii Message from the Executive Director. .. iii Board of Directors and Advisory Council. iv PACT Staff.....................................................................v Organizational Chart. v Mission, Vision and Guiding Principles. .. vi What is PACT?...............................................................vii Grants Program me.............................................................1 Grants Application, Selection and Approval Process. 1 New Grants...........................................................2 Large Grants Program. 4 Small Grants Program. 6 Support Grants........................................................9 Capacity Building Program. ..10 PACT Foundation. 13 MAR Fund....................................................................15 Environmental Donations. ...16 Financial Report..............................................................17 Audited Financial Report. 19 Protected Areas List..........................................................36 Protected Areas Map. 39 Stakeholders’ Website. 40 Message from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment It is once again my distinct pleasure to launch the 2010-2011 Annual Re- port of the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) on its 15th an- niversary as the only national Trust dedicated to sustainable management, financing, and development of Belize’s natural resources. Over the last year, PACT has achieved and continues to accomplish a number of important initiatives that together better positions the institution to effectively serve its constituents and successfully carry out its mandate. Last year, I informed you that the PACT Board of Directors and the Prime Minister, Hon. Dean Barrow, had commissioned an institutional assessment of PACT; this year, I am privileged to report that both the Institutional Assessment and Strategic Plan 2011-2016 of PACT were completed and endorsed by the Cabinet. While the assessment has resulted in a number of necessary re-engineer- ing of policies, procedures, and processes aimed at streamlining efficiency, increasing performance and productivity, and improving constituency engagement, the Strategic Plan, currently being implemented, will allow the institution to continue its growth, deliver its mandate, increase its impact, and maintain its relevance as the national Trust. PACT continues its critical and robust investments in Belize’s protected areas investing almost $3 million in new and ongoing grants while still managing to grow the endowment by some $450,000. To date, PACT has invested $22 mil- lion in over 400 projects nationally to finance conservation and sustainable development of Belize’s protected areas. This is a tremendous achievement for any institution and it is fitting to celebrate such success on PACT’s 15th an- niversary. Already, PACT is recognized globally as a financing mechanism with transparent and accountable systems of collecting revenues, investing and managing grants even while maintaining its public-private partnership that is hallmark of PACT. I congratulate the PACT Board and Management for yet another year of dedicated service and strategic leadership that has allowed and will continue to position PACT to embrace the many challenges that will surely arise. On behalf of the Government of Belize, I take this opportunity to thank all of PACT’s stakeholders for their unwavering support to conservation in Belize and for their continued commitment to PACT. The Government is proud of PACT’s achieve- ment and will continue to ensure that the institution continues to grow and diversify its revenue so as to allow PACT to better meet the ever growing need of sustainable financing for Belize’s protected areas. I thank you. Honorable Gaspar Vega Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment i Message from the Chairperson of the Board of Directors The fiscal year 2010-2011 saw marked progress in the commence- ment of a new chapter in the evolution of the Protected Areas Con- servation Trust (PACT). Fresh off the finalization of our institutional assessment, PACT embarked on setting the stage for the implementa- tion of our Strategic Plan 2011-2016. This plan calls for the first two years of its implementation period to be focused on streamlining the organization for enhanced operational and financial efficiency. By mid-2010, PACT completed the process of restructuring the organization ensuring a full complement of relevant and capable staff for improved internal operations as well as service delivery to stakeholders. It is anticipated that these changes have positioned PACT to successfully grow and sustain the Fund while enhancing its institutional capacity and overall management. Additionally, the process of engaging stakeholders in the re-structuring of the Grant Programme was also undertaken and resulted in recom- mendations for further development of the Programme during 2011. This ongoing process should achieve significant improvement in the allocation, management, and impact of PACT Grants. As it relates to improved governance and stakeholder confidence, efforts have continued to bring more effective leadership and direc- tion to PACT as well as to strengthen inter-institutional linkages. Along with these new efforts, the PACT Team continued its service to our primary stakeholders—our es- teemed grantees, investing almost $3 million in new and ongoing grants. Our partnerships with the PACT Foundation, Oak Foundation, MesoAmerican Reef Fund, Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, and other key partners also continued to be strengthened. With last year’s achievements, we anticipate that PACT is now better poised to carry out its mandate and we continue our efforts with much excitement and gratitude to stakeholders. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I encourage your continuous support and am proud to share our 2010-2011 Annual Report. Beverly Castillo (Mrs.) Chairperson ii Message from the Executive Director It is my pleasure to share with you a synopsis of our work during the fiscal year 2010-2011. The success of PACT continues to demon- strate Belize’s commitment to conservation of our natural heritage, by instituting a long term financing mechanism to support manage- ment of our natural resource. In late 2009, the PACT Board of Direc- tors commissioned a comprehensive institutional review of PACT for the period April 1997 to March 2009. The exercise took four months and concluded in April 2010. The assessment emphasized that PACT remains distinctive in the region because it is the only public envi- ronmental fund where the Government represents the minority on the Board and further highlights that PACT is widely recognized as an innovative, sustainable financing mechanism for conservation that was established by public funding sources. Overall, the Trust’s investments have grown at an annual rate of 10.67% and since 1997, PACT has invested over $22 million dollars supporting over 400 projects to various government agencies and non-government organiza- tions, including community based groups for conservation initiatives throughout Belize. The recommendations of this assessment informed our new Strategic Plan (2011-2016) and set the stage for a new phase in the evolu- tion of PACT. Our Strategic Plan was subsequently presented and endorsed by the Government in July 2010. As we embark on celebrating 15 years of innovation, leadership and impact in protected areas financing, it is only fitting that we acknowledge the efforts of all individuals who believed in the concept and vision of PACT. The unwavering support from our Government demonstrates commitment to the sustainable management of our natural resources. The engagement of and support from our grantees allows for ongoing refinement and improvement of our grant making capabilities and our national and international partnerships ensure that we are at the forefront for mobilizing financial resources for our country. As the PACT community continues to expand, we look forward to meaningful collaboration and partnerships. On behalf of the PACT Board of Directors, Management and Staff, we thank you for your ongoing support and guidance in advancing the mission of PACT for the benefit of all Belizeans. Sharon Ramclam Executive Director iii Left to Right Mrs. Jessie Young, Dr. John Morris, Mrs. Beverly Castillo, Mr. Peter Tonti, Ms. Candy Gonzalez, Mr. Earl Green, Mrs. Zita Perez, Mr. Lindsay Garbutt, Ms. Denise OcKey The Board Mrs. Beverly Castillo • Chair Ministry of Natural Resources & the Environment