Earth Today | Jamaica expands protected forested areas

JAMAICA HAS added to its protected forested areas by another six parcels of Crown land totalling 175 hectares, increasing the quantity of forests legally protected under the under the 1996 Forest Act – a welcome action towards safeguarding the environment for current and future generations.

This latest declaration supports the Forestry Department’s effort to ensure that a minimum of 30 per cent of the island’s forest cover is protected and managed. Some 48 per cent of the island is currently classified as forest.

The Forestry Department is working to expand the forested areas under its management as part of its mandate to protect and conserve forest resources.

“The agency continues to expend significant efforts annually to secure Jamaica’s vital forest cover through additional protection of forested areas through declarations,” noted Ainsley Henry, chief executive officer and conservator of forests, in a release to the media earlier this week.

The six newly declared Forest Management Areas (FMAs) are among 35 parcels already proposed by the agency to be granted protection over the next few years.

The new FMAs include:

• Greenvale Forest Management Area, Manchester (5.92 hectares);

• Grantsfield Forest Management Area, Portland (8.09 hectares);

• Belfont 2 Forest Management Area, St. James (110.51 hectares);

• Fern Hill Forest Management Area, Manchester (6.33 hectares);

• Stettin Forest Management Area, Trelawny (6.14 hectares); and

• Hall Head and Coley Forest Management Area, St Thomas (37.96 hectares).

The Forest Act (1996) makes provisions for forested lands to be protected for national interest. The Forestry Department, as the government agency responsible for managing public forested lands, makes annual proposals for crown lands to be protected.

The agency currently manages approximately 23 per cent of the island’s forest cover, with most forests identified being privately owned. However, privately owned forests may also receive protection through declaration.

Under the Forest Act, private landowners may apply to the Forestry Department for their forested lands to be protected by law. Benefits to the landowner include a liveable environment,continued ownership, sustainably managed areas, legal protection, and remission of taxes.

“Private landowners who have their lands declared under the Forest Act are entitled to the remission of taxes once the use of the land complies with the Forest Act, Forest Regulations (2001) and the forest management plan for your land,” explained Kadian Cruickshank, senior director for legal services at the Forestry Department.

These parcels of land are assessed by the agency annually for compliance, and a recommendation for the tax remission is made based on that assessment.

Sustainably managed forests are prized for their resources, including soil and water; the provision of recreational amenities; the protection of endemic flora and fauna; the opportunities to conduct research; the potential for by-products and more. These and many other functions and values provide incalculable benefits to the public.

“This is a part of why the Forestry Department aims to ensure that a minimum of 30 per cent of Jamaica’s forest cover is brought under protection and management by 2030. As the agency works to safeguard forests, it encourages private landowners to actively participate in environmental conservation by making their under-utilised lands available for declaration as a forest reserve or forest management area and/or through the establishment of production forests/plantations for timber. A fi wi forests: let us protect them,” the release encouraged.