DIRECTOR RUSSELL PROJECT INTRODUCTION SPEECH FOR PRESCRIBED BURNING OPENING CEREMONY
FORESTS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR LIFE AND ARE AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS THE LUNGS OF THE EARTH, PROVIDING OXYGEN AND ABSORBING CARBON DIOXIDE. FORESTS PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION, ECOTOURISM, SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION,
MICROCLIMATE
REGULATION
AND
CLIMATE
CHANGE, AGRO-FORESTRY DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCEMENT. THE FORESTRY UNIT IS LOCATED IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND HOUSING AND
ITS MANDATE IS TO DEVELOP THE FOREST
RESOURCES OF THE BAHAMAS TO THEIR MAXIMUM POTENTIAL BY APPLYING SOUND, SCIENTIFIC, AND SUSTAINED YIELD FOREST MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES AND CONCEPTS. FORESTRY
UNIT
SOUGHT
ASSISTANCE
CONSEQUENTLY, THE FROM
VARIOUS
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO FULFILL ITS MANDATE SINCE IT IS STILL IN ITS EARLY STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRAINED BY A SMALL STAFF COMPLEMENT.
THUS, IN FEBRUARY 2012, THE
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
APPROVED FUNDING FOR A TWO (2) YEAR TECHNICAL COOPERATION PROGRAMME
(TCP)
FORESTRY
PROJECT,
TITLED
“FOREST
MANAGEMENT PILOT AND TRAINING IN ABACO”. THE TCP IS MANAGED BY THE FORESTRY UNIT.
TRAINING WORKSHOPS HAVE
BEEN HELD ON NEW PROVIDENCE, ABACO AND ANDROS TO BUILD CAPACITY IN BAHAMIANS.
THES WORKSHOPS HAVE ADDRESSED
AREAS WHERE DEFICIENCIES EXISTED IN THE FORESTRY UNIT SUCH AS
BASIC
FOREST
MANAGEMENT,
GIS,
FOREST
INVENTORY
TECHNIQUES AND NOW, PRESCRIBED BURNING AS OUR CARIBBEAN PINE IS A FIRE DEPENDENT SPECIES. THE TRAINING WORKSHOPS HAVE BEEN EXTENDED TO RELEVANT GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, NON GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND PRIVATE CITIZENS.
THE BAHAMAS NATIONAL TRUST, DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, THE BAHAMAS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE
AND
TECHNOLOGY
COMMISSION,
FRIENDS
OF
THE
ENVIRONMENT AND PRIVATE CITIZENS HAVE ALL BENEFITTED FROM THESE TRAINING WORKSHOPS. TODAY, OUR ROYAL BAHAMAS POLICE FORCE WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST OF BENEFICIARIES. ADDITIONALLY,
THE
PROJECT
HAS
RECEIVED
SOME
PUBLIC
ATTENTION AS IT WAS HIGHLIGHTED ON THE BAHAMAS AT SUNRISE
SHOW AND ALSO ON “THE PLATFORM” WITH WENDAL JONES AND DR. GODFREY ENEAS. SEVERAL NEWSPAPERS ALSO PUBLISHED ARTICLES ABOUT THIS FORESTRY PROJECT ON NEW PROVIDENCE AND ABACO. A TOWN MEETING HELD IN MARSH HARBOUR DURING ONE OF THE TRAINING SESSIONS, EXPOUNDED ON THE ADVANTAGES OF THE TCP AND THE ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF FORESTS.
ON NUMEROUS
OCASSIONS, I WAS ALSO INVITED TO DISCUSS THE ECONOMIC POTENTIAL
OF
FORESTRY
FOR
SMALL
AND
MEDIUM
SIZED
BUSINESSES AT THE GRAND BAHAMA, ABACO AND ANDROS BUSINESS OUTLOOK SEMINARS. THESE ARE PRODUCTIVE FORESTRY YEARS FOR THE COUNTRY. WE ARE FOCUSED ON BECOMING HIGHLY SKILLED AND COMPETENT FORESTERS. WHIILE THIS PRESCRIBED BURNING TRAINING IS THE LAST
TRAINING
WORKSHOP
UNDER
THE
FAO
TCP,
WE ARE
COMMITTED TO CONTINUOUSLY UPGRADING OURSELVES AND WILL SEEK OUT NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES. OUR PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN ON FORESTRY WILL ALSO CONTINUE WITH ADDITIONAL TOWN MEETINGS, TELEVISION AND RADIO APPEARANCES AND NEWSPAPER ARTICLES. OUR MANDATE WILL BE IMPLEMENTED WITH THE CREATION OF A NATIONAL FOREST PLAN
AND FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR NATIONAL FORESTS. THIS WILL ALL BE MADE POSSIBLE FROM THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS GAINED FROM THIS FAO TCP. ULTIMATELY, WE HOPE TO DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE SMALL SCALE FOREST BASED INDUSTRIES TO REDUCE WOOD IMPORTS THEREBY PROVIDING GREEN JOBS FOR OUR PEOPLE AND AN ADDITIONAL REVENUE STREAM FOR THE PUBLIC TREASURY. PERHAPS, THE BEST REPORT I CAN GIVE YOU IS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE A LEASEE ON ABACO WHO IS PRODUCING WONDERFUL PRODUCTS FROM OUR CARIBBEAN PINE AND PAYING ROYALTIES TO THE PUBLIC TREASURY.
WE CONTINUE TO RECEIVE POSITIVE
FEEDBACK FROM THE LOCAL POPULACE FOR OUR SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVES. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO STAY TUNED TO OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND FORESTRY WEBSITE AS WE WILL BE RELEASING A FORESTRY DOCUMENTARY AT THE CULMINATION OF THIS PROJECT AND FOR OTHER EXCITING NEWS REGARDING THIS REVIVED AND THRIVING INDUSTRY!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.