director russell speech prescribed burning opening
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DIRECTOR RUSSELLPROJECT 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. CONSEQUENTLY, THE
FORESTRY UNIT SOUGHT ASSISTANCE 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.
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