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Grenada
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Main organization: Forestry Department
within the Ministry of Agriculture of Grenada. Governmental partner
agencies: the Land Use Division, the Fisheries Division, the National
Parks Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance
of Grenada, the Ministry of Health and Environment, the Ministry of
Education of Grenada
and the Ministry of Carriacou and Petit Martinique Affairs of Grenada.
Other partner agencies: Productive Farmers Union, Agency for Rural Transformation
(ART), Logger / Furniture Manufactures, Board of Tourism, Grenada Community
Development Agency (GRENCODA), Hunting and Fishing Associations, NAWASA
(Water and Sanitation).
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The process of developing
forest policy in Grenada has been modified to include wide stakeholder
participation. Deforestation, soil erosion and natural resource degradation
occurred within and outside the boundaries of designated forest reserves.
The Department For International Development Forestry Project commenced
in September 1997 as a result of Forestry Department staff members recognizing
that forest management involved more than the production of timber in
forest reserves. The project also entailed managing the use of forest
lands that fall under several legal categories. The Forest Policy Process
Development Committee made every effort to ensure that all interest
groups and the general public were involved in the process, which consequently
created a strong sense of ownership of the policy. Cooperative arrangements
were negotiated through public consultation and participation, semi-structured
interviews, meetings facilitated by
the Forest Policy Committee, radio call-in programmes and questionnaires.
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• Freshwater resources (Chapter V
of the Barbados Programme of Action)
• Land resources (Chapter VI of the BPoA)
• Biodiversity resources (Chapter IX of the BPoA)
• National institutions and administrative capacity (Chapter X
of the BPoA)
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• Stakeholders participated in the
process of developing forest policy.
• The Forest Policy and a ten-year Strategic Plan by the cabinet
were developed and approved.
• The National Parks Department was transferred from the Ministry
of Tourism to the Forestry Department in the Ministry of Agriculture.
• An annual cooperate plan by all units within the Forestry Department
and the National Parks Department was devised.
• The survey of two areas designated as forest reserves, Annandale
and Morne Gazo, was completed. Activities for surveying Mt. Saint Catherine
for forest reserve designation have begun.
• Four officers are receiving training at the degree level. A number
of short courses were made available to many.
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Stakeholder participation in any undertaking
should never be underestimated. Because of public consultation and participation
in the Forest Policy Development Process, stakeholders greatly contributed
to the success of the process. People were empowered as their opinions
and suggestions were incorporated into the forest policy. Having ownership
of the Forest Policy made stakeholders more interested and supportive
in making its implementation a success.
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Alan Joseph
Chief Forestry Officer
Forestry and National Parks Department (FNPD)
Queen’s Park
Saint George’s
Grenada
Tel.: 440-3934
Fax: 440-6197
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