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.