The Forest Conservation Fund of Jamaica

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The Forest Conservation Fundof Jamaica
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The Forest Conservation Fund

• The FCF is the result of a Debt-For-Nature Swap
  Agreement signed in 2004 by the Governments of
  Jamaica and the United States of America. The
  Agreement followed on the enactment by the US
  Government in 1998 of the Tropical Forest
  Conservation Act (TFCA) to offer eligible
  developing countries, options to relieve certain
  debt owed to the US. These payments would then be
  used to support local tropical forest
  conservation activities.

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The Swap Agreement

• Under the Swap Agreement, the United States
  Government forgave US6.5-M of Jamaicas debt
  which when combined with the US1.3M paid by
  TNC, resulted in approximately US 16 M worth
  of debt being paid into the Forest Conservation
  Fund by the GOJ. The payments are over a period
  of 19 years, and will fund tropical forest
  conservation activities in Jamaica.

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The Payment Schedule

• Payments are made pursuant to the fee schedule of
  the FCA
• Amounts are paid in local currency but based on
  the equivalent of the allocated US amount set out
  in the schedule
• Finite amount of money is therefore available for
  disbursement on an annual basis

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The Forest Conservation Agreement

• Parties - The GOJ, TNC and the Jamaica Protected
  Areas Trust (JPAT)
• Contents of the FCA
• General definitions
• Appointment of Oversight Committee
• Role of Fund Administrator
• Grant Making Procedures
• Eligible Entities
• Eligible Activities
• Priority Sites

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JPAT

• The Jamaica Protected Areas Trust was
  incorporated in 2004.
• JPAT has several basic objectives, one of which
  is to receive the TFCA monies deposited by the
  GOJ.
• It has a four member Board
• Was one of the three signatories to the Forest
  Conservation Agreement (FCA).

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OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

• A Oversight Committee manages the FCF
• Members Seven members (3 Permanent and 4 Term).
  Current Membership

PERMANENT TERM
GOJ JIEP / PSOJ
USG JPAN
TNC MLGE
JHTA
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FUNCTIONS OF THE OC

• Supervise the grant application process
• Review and make final determinations on the
  acceptance of grant proposals
• Determine the amounts and terms of payments of
  FCF Income
• Determine when funding is to be withdrawn from
  FCF Grant Recipients
• Approve annual budgets and project plans
  submitted by Grant Recipients

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FUNCTIONS OF THE OC

• Oversee the administration of the Receipt
  Accounts
• Establish and dissolve Advisory ad hoc Committees
  / Working Teams
• Review the investment management of the FCA
  Income and
• Review annual management budget of the Fund
  Administrator (FA).

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FUND ADMINISTRATOR

• The Environmental Foundation of Jamaica was
  appointed in November 2005 as the FA.
• Functions of the FA include -
• Publicize the availability of grants of FCF
  Income
• Solicit proposals for grants from potential FCF
  Grant Recipients

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FUNCTIONS OF THE FA

• Conduct a preliminary analysis of potential FCF
  Grant Recipients
• Review and analyze all grant proposals received
• Deliver the signed FCF Grant Recipient Agreement
  to the OC and make grant awards and disbursements
  in accordance with Oversight Committee funding
  decisions

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FUNCTIONS OF THE FA

• Evaluate, monitor and audit the FCF Grant
  Recipients activities in accordance with written
  instructions received from the OC
• Provide administrative services to the OC and
• Exercise any other responsibilities or powers
  requested by the OC in writing.

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FCF STRATEGIC PLAN

• Five year Action Plan and One year Work Plan
• Establishes the five Working Teams / Advisory ad
  hoc Committees of the OC and outlines the Terms
  of Reference for each
• Provides a guideline for the OC to implement its
  mandate regarding the disbursement of FCF grant
  income.

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OC WORKING TEAMS

• Five Working Teams -
• Priority Setting
• Management Mechanisms
• Grant Making and Investment Philosophies
• Communications
• Monitoring and Evaluation

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FCF INVESTMENT PHILOSOPHY

• The final payment from the GOJ will be made in
  2024 but a decision has been taken by the OC to
  create an Endowment Fund rather than a Sinking
  one. This will ensure the continuity and
  sustainability of the FCF and as such not ALL of
  the FCF Income will be paid out in Grants.

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ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES

• Establishment, restoration, protection, and
  maintenance of forest reserves, parks, and
  protected areas
• Development and implementation of scientifically
  sound systems of natural resource management,
  including land and ecosystem management
  practices
• Training programs to increase the scientific,
  technical, and managerial capacities of
  individuals and organizations involved in
  conservation efforts

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ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES

• Restoration, protection, or sustainable use of
  diverse animal and plant species
• Research and identification of medicinal uses of
  tropical forest plant life to treat human
  diseases, illnesses, and health-related concerns
  and
• Development and support of the livelihoods of
  individuals living in or near a tropical Forest
  in a manner consistent with protecting such
  tropical forest.

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INELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES

• FCA Income CANNOT be used -
• To create or disseminate political propaganda, or
  attempt to influence legislation or government
  act or decision,
• In any political campaign
• Where a Conflict of Interest exists
• In such a manner that violates, or could violate,
  the provisions of the Inter-American Convention
  on Corruption and any implementing national laws
  or similar applicable statutes or regulations.

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ELIGIBLE ENTITIES

• Non-governmental environmental, forestry or
  conservation organization of, or active in,
  Jamaica
• Any other appropriate local or regional entity
  of, or active in, Jamaica or
• Individuals via an intermediary (NGO, CBO etc.)
• In exceptional circumstances the GOJ.

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NON-ELIGIBLE ENTITIES

• The Fund Administrator and its employees
• Any Person whose employee, officer or director is
  a Member of the OC or a member of an Advisory
  Committee and
• Any other Person designated by the OC as a
  Non-Eligible Entity

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PRIORITY SITES
1. Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park (Blue Mountain Forest Reserve), adjacent National Water Commission lands, plus buffer areas of unprotected closed broadleaf forest in the Rio Grande, Swift River, Buff Bay, Morant, Yallahs, Hope and Wag Water watersheds
2. Cockpit Country Forest Reserve, plus outlying Forest Reserves, and adjacent areas of closed broadleaf forest
3. Litchfield Mathesons Run and Stepheney-Johns Vale Forest Reserves, adjacent Crown lands, outlying Forest Reserves (Bull Head and Mount Diablo) extending into the upper portions of the Rio Minho, Rio Cobre and Rio Bueno/White River watersheds, Crown lands in the Dunns River watershed, and the Dry Harbour Mountains
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PRIORITY SITES
4. Inland portion of Negril Protected Area, plus the forested area in and around Dolphin Head Mountains (Retirement, Raglan Mtn., Geneva and Bath Mtn., Quasheba Mtn. and Baulk Pen) and Burnt Savannah
5. Portland Bight Protected Area, Terrestrial portion of the Portland Bight Sustainable Development Area located in the lower Rio Minho and Rio Cobre watersheds
6. Other forest reserves and Crown lands managed by the Forestry Department such as Gourie, Ballintoy Forest Reserve, Hellshire and Lowe River Forest Reserves
7. Spring Vale and Bogue Forest Reserves plus the Upper and lower Black River Morasses
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GRANT MAKING

• FCF Grant funding will be accessed via two means
  
• A Call for Concept Notes
• A request for an Expression of Interest
• Two (2) Calls will be made per year

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CALL PROCESS

• Notice will be published requesting the
  submission of a Concept Note
• The Concept Note will include basic information.
  A standard form will be used by all applicants
• Once deemed eligible and of interest to the OC a
  further request will be made for the submission
  of a detailed Proposal

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CALL PROCESS

• The request for the Proposal is not a guarantee
  of receipt of FCF funding
• A Help Desk will be open during the eight weeks
  given for the submission of the Proposal to
  assist applicants.
• Proposals will be reviewed using established
  criteria which shall include but not be limited
  to the objectives of the Call.

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AGENDA 2007

• Call for Concept Notes to be made in January and
  July 2007
• Request for Expressions of Interest to be
  published in July 2007
• Short term activities
• Capacity building
• Training
• Studies

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AGENDA 2007

• Long Term activities
• Forest establishment
• Targeted intervention in the -
• Southern portion of the Blue and John Crow
  Mountains Forest Reserves / National Park -
  Yallahs Watershed
• Cockpit Country
• Upper Rio Minho Watershed

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NEXT STEPS

• Finalisation of the Grant Making Procedures
  Manual
• Development of a Communications Strategy for the
  FCF

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THANK YOU