Protected Areas and Land Management Project to Cost Gov’t $73 Million

The Ministry of Local Government and Environment has been granted a sum of $73 million to implement a Protected Areas and Land Management Project (PALM), in the 2006/07 Estimates of Expenditure now before the House of Representatives.
The initiative, which is expected to run from April 2006 to March 2009, is aimed at achieving effective management of watersheds and coastal areas, in order to enhance biodiversity, conservation and increased resilience to natural disasters.
Over this fiscal year, efforts will be focused on contracting a project coordinator, developing a master plan for a protected area including sustainable financing, and developing a biodiversity database.
PALM is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Jamaican Government.