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Posts Tagged ‘protected’

United Nations Environment Programme Improves Caribbean Marine Protected Areas

Posted by admin on May 1st, 2013

Montecristi, Dominican Republic – Senior marine resource professionals from the Bahamas, Belize, Bonaire, Columbia, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Mexico and St. Lucia are gathering to improve marine protected areas (MPAs) across the Wider Caribbean. The weeklong event is launching the first ever Caribbean Marine Protected Area Managers (CaMPAM) ‘Mentor and Peer Exchange Program’ for marine resource managers and scientists working in the region. Organized by the United Nations Caribbean Environment Programme (UNEP-CEP), the effort is financed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to develop national networks of effectively managed MPAs across the Caribbean.

According to Alessandra Vanzella-Khouri, Senior Program Officer at UNEP-CEP, “MPAs are proven tools that protect the ecosystem services which local communities across the Caribbean are dependent upon, such as food, coastal protection from storms and the natural beauty that drives tourism visitation.”

“Significant progress has been made in recent years through the establishment of a growing number of MPAs in the region,” adds Ms. Khouri. “Yet many of these sites struggle to build management capacity, acquire and train staff, and secure widespread public support for the sustainable use and conservation of marine resources. CaMPAM has been addressing these challenges since 1997 through information sharing and communication, collaboration and technical assistance.”

Globally, the evolution of effectively managed MPAs remains a slow process. CaMPAM stands out as an exceptional example of progress among a social network of marine resource professionals, though many challenges lie ahead for building effective, ecologically resilient and socially equitable MPA networks in the region. The mentor program will improve the professional capacities of managers from across the Wider Caribbean by responding to emerging training, capacity and technical assistance needs, particularly those faced by Caribbean countries.

“MPA managers face many difficult challenges,” says Dr. Georgina Bustamante, Coordinator of CaMPAM. She adds, “The mentor program is a welcome addition to the suite of CaMPAM tools that facilitate information exchange, provide professional development opportunities for new managers and foster dissemination of important lessons learned.” The initiative represents a kind of graduate program of the ‘Training of Trainers Course on Marine Protected Area Management,’ CaMPAM’s flagship training that started in 1999 and has since enhanced professional development for hundreds of MPA managers across the Caribbean.

Contact/additional information

To learn more about the CaMPAM Mentor and Peer Exchange Program, please contact:

Rich Wilson, Coordinator (on behalf of CaMPAM), [email protected]

Additional information on CaMPAM’s programmes in the Wider Caribbean:
http://campam.gcfi.org/campam.php

Contact Info: Rich Wilson, Coordinator (on behalf of CaMPAM), [email protected]

Website : UNEP

ENN Network News – ENN

Protected status for Panama Bay reinstated by court ruling

Posted by admin on April 10th, 2013

Panama Bay is recognised as a Globally Important Bird Area

The Bay of Panama, one of the most important sites for migratory waterbirds in the America, has received a reprieve from destructive development. The Panamanian Supreme Court has reinstated the protected status for the Bay of Panama wetlands, removing the temporary suspension it had placed on the protected area a year ago.

“The announcement of the Supreme Court is a good first step, but their final decision is still pending”, said Rosabel Miró, Executive Director of Panama Audubon Society. “Continuing threats to the site remain, and we will continue our work with international agreements such as the Ramsar Convention to make sure this reprieve becomes permanent.”

The BirdLife Partnership is cautiously celebrating this new development after months of lobbying the Panamanian Government.

The Bay of Panama is one of the five most important stopover and wintering areas for migratory shorebirds in the entire Americas, with more than 30% of the global population of Western Sandpiper and 22% of the global population of Whimbrel.

Its extensive mangrove forests play a vital role in supporting fisheries, filtering pollutants in urban and agricultural runoff, and protecting Panama City from floods. The Mangroves and wetlands of Panama Bay are also vital to other globally threatened wildlife including Jaguar, Tapir, Spider Monkey, American Crocodile, and Loggerhead Sea Turtle and support the fishing industry for the country. Essential wildlife habitats are being filled at an alarming rate to make way for cheap housing, high-end recreational developments and industrial zones.

While Panama Bay was recognised as a Globally Important Bird Area and a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar convention, the Bay’s protected status was reversed by Federal officials in Panama in April 2012.

The Bay of Panama Ramsar Site, which has the same boundaries as the Bay of Panama protected area, will be under discussion later this week by the Ramsar Standing Committee.

This post was written by:

PAS – who has written 4 posts on BirdLife Community.

BirdLife comprises more than 100 conservation organisations working together to promote sustainable living as a means to conserve biodiversity. Sociedad Audubon de Panamá is the BirdLife Partner in Panama.

New Protected Area in the Argentinean Puna: Campo de Piedra Pómez

Posted by admin on March 28th, 2013

Flamingos in flight over the Ramsar Site ‘High Andean and Puna Lagoons of Catamarca. © Fundación Yuchán

The creation of the National Protected Area, ‘Campo de Piedra Pómez’, was formalised on 11 October 2012, with the signing of the formal decree. The new protected area, in the province of Catamarca, Argentina, has an area of 75,489 ha and includes Laguna Purulla, among other wetlands. It is the only site in Argentina where the Andean Flamingo Phoenicoparrus andinus has been confirmed to nest. The technical support provided by the High Andean Flamingo Conservation Group (GCFA) and Fundación Yuchan, a local conservation NGO, was of paramount importance to the designation of the protected area, and in the preparation of a joint proposal with local environmental authorities to expand the Ramsar site.

An oasis for High Andean Flamingos

The High Andean Wetlands of Catamarca include five Important Bird Areas (IBAs) (AR073, AR074, AR076, AR077 and AR079) and are located in the extreme south of the Central Andes, in the northwest of the Republic of Argentina. The wetlands lie on an altiplano, or highland plateau, of more than 20,000 km², between altitudes of 3010 and 4600 m, and are crowned by the highest peaks in the Americas, reaching heights of 6900 m above sea level. The wetlands of the high Andean Puna ecosystem make up a system of endorheic basins (closed river basins, without major outlets of water) consisting of lakes and salt flats, often associated with highly productive Andean ecosystems such as vegas and bofedales[1], a typical high altitude moorland of the Central and Southern Andes. Thanks to the proposal by the High Andean Flamingo Conservation Group and the Fundación Yuchan the site had been designated a Ramsar Site on 2 February 2009. However, despite this designation, the area faces imminent threats such as mining and unregulated tourism.

The lakes are very different amongst themselves, both over geographic and temporal dimensions, varying in the chemical composition of their waters, plankton, aquatic plants and emergent vegetation. The wetlands range from shallow hypersaline lakes, characterised by single-celled algae and flamingos, to deep, saline lakes, with aquatic vegetation and a wealth of bird life. Together, these wetlands provide a variety of alternative resources for birds and represent important sites for summer congregations, nesting sites for endemic species of the Puna ecosystem, and stopover sites for migratory species. Laguna Grande provides nesting sites for the Puna Flamingo P. jamesi, and habitat for important summer congregations, with up to 19,000 individuals recorded, representing 18% of the total known population of this species. Laguna Purulla is a nesting site for the Andean Flamingo. All the characteristic endemic species of the High Andean Puna are found in this area, with at least 27 species of waterbirds, including Giant Coot Fulica gigantea, Andean Avocet Recurvirostra andina, Silvery Grebe Podiceps occipitalis juninensis and Crested Duck Anas specularioides alticola. Populations of five species of migratory birds from the northern hemisphere are also found at the site: Baird’s Sandpiper Calidris bairdii, Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes, Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca, Wilson’s Phalarope Steganopus tricolor and American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica.

The Flamingo Conservation Group and the Fundación Yuchan intensified ecological monitoring of the new Ramsar site and consolidated the national protected area through participative planning, communication and education activities, supported by WWF, WCS and BirdLife International. As a result, technical support has been provided to the local government authorities since the end of 2011. Also, local communities’ participation in the management and effective conservation of natural and cultural heritage at the Ramsar Site have been strengthened with the financial support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act. Alternatives for the sustainable use of these fragile environments have also been identified.

Greater protection for Argentinean Puna ecosystems

The new Protected Area of ‘Campo de Piedra Pómez’
© Fundación Yuchán

The goals of the project represent a joint agenda between the local authorities of Catamarca and Fundación Yuchan, formalised in an agreement between the NGO and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. One of the achievements of this alliance has been the creation of the new protected area ‘Campo de Piedra de Pómez’. The Catamarca Government’s central objective in this conservation project is the protection of an extensive volcanic plateau of geological singularity. The GFCA/Yuchan team proposed to expand the protected area to include the Laguna Purulla, the only site in Argentina where the Andean Flamingo has been confirmed to breed. Additionally, these two areas, Piedra Pómez and Purulla integrate a tourist circuit attracting an increasing amount of national and international visitors annually, requiring adequate regulation. The final design of the protected area includes part of the Laguna Purulla catchment area, while the lake itself was declared a Natural Park, a management category which excludes mining activities in the area.

The next stages of the project will see the completion of the threat evaluation with more detailed information gathered on mining projects to be developed within, and in areas surrounding the Ramsar Site, through the establishment of direct communication channels with the Association of Mining Companies of Catamarca. Also, the vegas and bofedales will be incorporated as conservation objectives within the conservation plan and in the monitoring protocols. The incorporation of other potential conservation objectives, such as the camelid species, vicuña and suri, and carnivore communities will be considered, given that they have been used as conservation objectives at other High Andean sites.

More information on the project:

Dr. Patricia Marconi [email protected]

President, Fundación Yuchan

[1] Vegas: Groups of several associations of moisture-loving grasslands, typical of topographic depressions and Andean valleys with permanently saturated soils. Shallow, temporary flooding may occur in flat areas or on low slopes; very fertile, humid areas.

Bofedales: Native grassland communities of evergreen, succulent vegetation, adapted to aquatic environments; high volume and nutrient levels make them excellent fodder, can grow in running, clear water, or on permanently wet soils, of acid pH; fed by different sources, such as springs, meltwater, rivers and rainwater. Bofedales are characteristic of the mountainous regions and highland plateaus, and are mainly used for grazing of camelid species, especially alpacas.

BirdLife Community

From dogfight to protected birds’ estuary

Posted by admin on March 19th, 2013

River Scheldt Estuary (Western Scheldt, NL), Bert Denneman

After years of political dogfight there finally seems to be hope for the Western Scheldt estuary in the Netherlands, a partly enclosed coastal body of brackish water with multiple streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea.

This very important area for migrating birds and waders has been degrading for years and there is a serious risk that the damage to the ecosystem will be irreversible if the negative trend continues. But in the last months of 2012 the Dutch government decided to take the first serious steps towards nature restoration by approving the inundation of the Hedwige polder.

A big victory for Vogelbescherming Nederland (BirdLife Netherlands) and Natuurpunt (BirdLife Flanders) that have consistently called for the implementation of effective restoration measures.

The estuary of the river Scheldt is situated in the south-west of the Netherlands, partly crossing the border with Belgium. It is the largest multi-channel estuary of north-western Europe, providing vital habitat for over 40 species of birds. The entire estuary has been designated as a protected area that is part of the Natura 2000 network. The conservation status of the estuary is poor and continues to deteriorate. Repeated deepening of the navigation channel, land reclamation and other human activities have caused a significant reduction of important estuarine habitats.

The Netherlands and Flanders concluded an international agreement in 2005, wherein they agreed to adopt the necessary nature restoration measures. This treaty requires the Netherlands to realize at least 600 hectares of new estuarine nature, including through the inundation of the Hedwige polder. Numerous delays followed and continuing uncertainty about the implementation of the required nature restoration measures has led to legal action against the Netherlands by the European Commission (infringement proceedings), the Flemish Government (an international dispute settlement procedure) and BirdLife Netherlands (a procedure before a Dutch court).

The first step in the right direction was taken in December 2012, when the Dutch Government formally announced that the Hedwige polder will be flooded. The new Dutch Minister of Agriculture, Sharon Dijksma, presented a plan with a timeframe for the inundation of the Hedwige polder that is to be completed by 2019.

Natuurpunt-director Chris Steenwegen and Vogelbescherming-director Fred Wouters are both content with the decision, but remain cautious. Chris Steenwegen stated “Natuurpunt is pleased with the commitment of the new Dutch Government. But it is not the first time that such a commitment has been made without anything happening. Therefore Natuurpunt welcomes the intention of the Flemish Government to hang on to the international dispute settlement procedure, just in case…”

Fred Wouters adds: “Moreover, the second 300 hectares of new estuarine nature that have to be realized according to the Scheldt Treaty are not mentioned. And the realization of the complete 600 hectares is needed to guarantee that the deterioration of the Western Scheldt estuary is effectively halted“. That is why also BirdLife Netherlands will continue its procedure before a national appeals court against the Dutch State on the nature restoration in the Western Scheldt.

Find further information on our case study of the River Scheldt Estuary

BirdLife Community

Ducks Unlimited Canada: Protected Areas Strategy Progress Key as Devolution Proceeds

Posted by admin on March 12th, 2013

STONEWALL, MANITOBA–(Marketwire – March 12, 2013) - Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) recognizes the significant milestone achieved yesterday with negotiations on devolution between the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) and the Government of Canada.

This is a historic moment for northern residents,” says Greg Siekaniec, CEO of DUC. “We hope the devolution of lands and resource management responsibilities offers opportunities to continue to work together with our northern partners to conserve areas of ecological and cultural significance to all Canadians.”

As a leader in wetland conservation, DUC has been a long-term conservation partner in the NWT, as well as a partner in the NWT Protected Areas Strategy (PAS) as part of DUC’s boreal conservation initiatives.

Kevin Smith, national manager of boreal programs for DUC says: “The PAS process is critical to land and resource management because it brings Aboriginal communities, government and other stakeholders together under a common goal of sustainability through conservation and resource planning.”

A vast wetland-dominated landscape rich in natural resources and cultural diversity, the NWT is a critical area for North America’s waterfowl with millions arriving every spring.

Nearly 60 years of continental waterfowl surveys have consistently shown the NWT as one of the ‘right places’ to conserve waterfowl habitat.

Moving forward, we must build upon the investments, partnership and consensus that have been achieved in partnership with aboriginal peoples, federal and territorial government, industry and ENGOs to ensure that areas of ecological significance are protected for future generations. DUC looks forward to working with the GNWT in their new mandate for land and natural resources.

Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is the leader in wetland conservation. A registered charity, DUC partners with government, industry, non-profit organizations and landowners to conserve wetlands that are critical to waterfowl, wildlife and the environment. Learn more at www.ducks.ca.

Marketwire – Environment

EPA fines six Arizona school districts for asbestos violations / More than 15,000 students to be protected by additional inspections, asbestos plans (AZ)

Posted by admin on February 19th, 2013

Release Date: 02/19/2013
Contact Information: Rusty Harris-Bishop, [email protected], 415-972-3140

(2/19/2013) SAN FRANCISCO — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has fined six Arizona school districts a combined total of $ 94,575 for Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) violations. More than 15,000 children attend the 25 schools not in compliance with the federal AHERA in these districts.

During inspections conducted in 2011, EPA inspectors discovered numerous violations, from failing to inspect facilities for asbestos containing materials, failing to re-inspect campuses with known asbestos containing materials, and failing to have an Asbestos Management Plan. All of the school districts have since taken necessary actions to comply with the law, with the cost of compliance reducing the penalties in most cases to zero.

“Asbestos in schools has the potential to harm the health of students, teachers, and maintenance workers,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “EPA takes these violations seriously, and we are satisfied the schools have now conducted inspections and put their asbestos plans in place.”

Each school district is allowed to subtract properly documented costs of complying with the regulations from the penalty amount. The six school districts are:

Apache Junction Unified School District

(Pinal County): fined $ 21,675, but this was reduced to $ 7,933 because of the school district’s cost of achieving compliance.

St. John’s Unified School District

(Apache County): fined $ 14,195, reduced to $ 824 by the school district’s cost of achieving compliance.

Florence Unified School District

(Pinal County)

fined $ 31,705, but no cash payment was due because the documented costs of compliance exceeded the penalty.

Vernon Elementary School District

(Apache County): fined $ 2,700, but no cash payment was due because the documented costs of compliance exceeded the penalty.

McNary Elementary School District

(Fort Apache Indian Reservation): fined $ 14,200, but no cash payment was due because the documented costs of compliance exceeded the penalty.

Round Valley Unified School District

(Apache County): fined $ 10,100, but no cash payment was due because the documented costs of compliance exceeded the penalty.

Federal law requires schools to conduct an initial inspection using accredited inspectors to determine if asbestos-containing building material is present and develop a management plan to address the asbestos materials found in the school buildings. Schools are also required to appoint a designated person who is trained to oversee asbestos activities and ensure compliance with federal regulations. Finally, schools must conduct periodic surveillance and re-inspections of asbestos-containing building material, properly train the maintenance and custodial staff, and maintain records in the management plan.

Local education agencies must keep an updated copy of the management plan in its administrative office and at the school which must be made available for inspection by parents, teachers, and the general public.

For more information about federal asbestos regulations visit: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/lawsregs.html

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U.S. EPA News

Gas company targets protected Manú park

Posted by admin on February 12th, 2013

David Hill in Lima

MDG : Peru : An aerial view of the Pagoreni-B gas well operated from the Malvinas distribution plant

Pluspetrol’s Pagoreni-B gas well, part of the Camisea project in the Amazon jungle near Cuzco, Peru. Photograph: Cris Bouroncle/AFP

An energy company is eyeing up the gas reserves of a national park in the Peruvian Amazon whose biodiversity Unesco says “exceeds that of any other place on Earth” and is home to indigenous people who have no regular contact with the outside world, a leaked document seen by the Guardian shows.

The revelation about Manú national park follows rumours and reports circulating in Peru that the government will create a gas concession bordering or including parts of the park, but which have not been publicly confirmed.

The document, Research Plan for Geological Exploration and Surface Geochemistry in the Manú National Park and its Buffer Zone, was written by Lima-based consultancy Quartz Services for company Pluspetrol, which operates an existing gas concession in the region, Lot 88, known as the Camisea project.

“It’s shocking. This is the first time we’ve seen evidence for plans to expand hydrocarbon activities into Manú,” said anthropologist Daniel Rodriguez, who has worked with Peruvian indigenous federation Fenamad for years.

Chitonahua tribe member, Manu park in Peruvian Amazon, Peru
Chitonahua tribe member. Photograph: Glenn Shepard

“This proves what conservationists and indigenous rights activists have long suspected, but which petrochemical representatives and Peruvian officials have concealed or outright denied: that there are gas and oil deposits in Manú national park,” said anthropologist Glenn Shepard.

Manú is home to 10% of the world’s bird species, 5% of all mammals and 15% of all butterflies, as well as rare animals like jaguars and giant armadillos. Unesco has declared the park a World Heritage Site and biosphere reserve, and says it is more biodiverse than any other place on the planet.

“Manú is probably the most biodiverse protected area on the planet,” agreed Rob Williams from the Frankfurt Zoological Society. “Madidi in Bolivia is the only likely competitor.”

“It’s terrifying to think that Pluspetrol has been planning this,” said Rebecca Spooner, a researcher at Survival International. “How can any company justify working in such a sensitive region?”

Peruvian law prohibits extractive operations in national parks. According to Quartz’s document, dated March 2012, Pluspetrol has applied for and been denied permission from Peru’s protected areas authority to enter the region, but Quartz could develop a strategy to obtain such permission in the future.

“Our mission, as an institution providing specialist technical services to Pluspetrol, will be to contribute not only to the continuation of activities in Lot 88, but also to the development of the Manú National Park protected area,” reads the document. “Pluspetrol has plans to do geological exploration in the River Maquizapango region and/or its surroundings, an area to the east of the Lot (88) and inside the Manú National Park.”

Quartz’s manager, Efren Tomaylla, confirmed the document had been prepared at Pluspetrol’s request and submitted to it, but said Quartz had not heard back.

One anthropologist told the Guardian under condition of anonymity that Quartz’s plans, if put into practice, would seriously endanger people in Manú.

“It says it will do ‘a direct study of human cultures’, but doesn’t say who exactly that would involve,” said the anthropologist. “Even settled communities in Manú contacted 50 years ago remain extremely vulnerable to any kind of illness.”

Pluspetrol refused to comment.

Environment news, comment and analysis from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk

Bolivia Designates World’s Largest Protected Wetland

Posted by admin on February 2nd, 2013

Trinidad, Bolivia (PRWEB) February 02, 2013

Located near the borders of Peru and Brazil in the southwestern corner of the Amazon basin, the Llanos de Moxos is made up of tropical savannas experiencing cyclical droughts and floods. It is traversed by three major rivers that converge to form the Madeira River, the major southern tributary of the Amazon River.

“The Moxos wetlands are a vital piece of the overall health of the Amazon,” said Tom Dillon, Senior Vice President of Field Programs at World Wildlife Fund (WWF). “A living Amazon is important for all of humanity, and we applaud Bolivia for taking action to help safeguard this shared treasure.”

The wetlands are especially prized for their rich natural diversity, harboring an impressive array of wildlife, including rare and threatened species like the giant river otter, Bolivian river dolphin, and the critically endangered Blue-throated macaw. To date, 131 species of mammals, 568 different birds, 102 reptiles, 62 amphibians, 625 fish and at least 1,000 plant species have been identified in the Llanos de Moxos.

The area is sparsely populated, comprising seven indigenous territories and eight protected areas. Small rural communities and private properties also exist in the region, both primarily dedicated to farming.

The new designation, which bolsters existing protections and solidifies the future conservation of the region, results from a cooperative effort led by Bolivian local and national government. WWF was responsible for carrying out the necessary studies to qualify Llanos de Moxos as a designated Wetland of International Importance.

Ramsar Convention and Designation

The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance is an intergovernmental treaty, signed by 160 countries in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar. The Ramsar Convention’s mission is the conservation and wise use of wetlands, with the goal of achieving sustainable development.

Bolivia acceded to the Ramsar Convention in 1990 and ratified it on 7 May 2002. The Llanos de Moxos is Bolivia’s ninth designated Ramsar site.

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ABOUT WORLD WILDLIFE FUND:

WWF is the world’s leading conservation organization, working in 100 countries for nearly half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit http://www.worldwildlife.org to learn more.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Brendan Rohr, 1-202-495-4621, brendan(dot)rohr(at)wwfus(dot)org

Environment

Marine protected areas network report

Posted by admin on January 27th, 2013

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The progress we have made towards the network objective in the Marine Act.
Environment and countryside

Marine protected areas network statement