Supporting Sustainable Land Management · 2020-02-24 · Supporting Sustainable Land Management | Project Idea Note Bioclimate Research & Development is registered in Scotland as

www.bioclimate.net

Bioclimate West Africa Field office Fintonia, Tambaka Cheifdom, Bombali Distict

Sustainable & Thriving Environments for West African Regional Development (STEWARD)

Supporting Sustainable Land Management Plan Vivo Project Idea Note February 2014

Forest Committee Chair indicates the location of a rice swamp during a participatory land mapping exercise in Sumata Village in northern Sierra Leone 2012

Supporting Sustainable Land Management | Project Idea Note

Bioclimate Research & Development is registered in Scotland as a charity no. SCO44007 and a company limited by guarantee no. 228400 | ww.bioclimate.net

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Contents 1 Project objectives and activities ................................................................................................................................. 2

2 Identify target groups/communities ........................................................................................................................... 2

3 Description of PZ1 ....................................................................................................................................................... 2

4 Ownership of carbon rights and land-tenure ............................................................................................................. 4

5 Description of the applicant organisation and proposed governance structure ..................................................... 5

6 Community-led design plan ......................................................................................................................................... 7

7 Additionality analysis ................................................................................................................................................... 7

8 Compliance with regulations and notification of relevant bodies ............................................................................ 8

9 Sources of start-up funding identified ........................................................................................................................ 8

Key Information Project title STEWARD Supporting Sustainable Land Management (SSLM)

Project location (country and region/district)

Sustainable & Thriving Environments for West African Regional Development (STEWARD) project priority zone 1 (PZ1) on the northern Sierra Leonean and southern Guinean border

Project coordinator & contact details

Momoh Gbessay Bioclimate Research and Development West Africa BWA field office Fintonia, Tambaka Chiefdom, Bombali Distict [email protected]

Summary of proposed activities (max 30 words)

Reducing forest degradation and encouraging natural regeneration through sustainable land management, fire control and agroforestry

Summary of proposed target groups (max 30 words)

Target groups are rural agricultural communities within PZ1.



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1 Project objectives and activities The objective of the Supporting Sustainable Land Management (SSLM) project is to reduce or reverse degradation of forest areas in village lands in Sierra Leone and Guinea. The approaches employed to meet this objective will depend on the specific context of each community and will developed through participatory land use planning. Activities from which climate benefits will be quantified include:

• Reduced forest degradation and assisted natural regeneration through sustainable land management and fire control, and

• Increasing carbon stocks and productivity in agricultural areas by introducing agroforestry practices, which will help reduce pressure from agriculture within forest areas

Sustainable management activities will include working with communities to identify and demarcate community forest areas, building the capacity of forest management committees to develop and implement appropriate controls of forest use, and establishment of village savings and loan associations (VSLAs) as a platform for social organisation for community forest management. The idea behind establishing VSLAs is to improve peoples’ savings and access to cash to reduce pressure on forests. In conjunction with the VSLAs, pressure on forests may be reduced through livelihood activities such as bee-keeping, NTFP enterprises and agricultural activities such as conservation agriculture and banana horticulture. Fire control activities will include building the capacity of local groups to establish and maintain fire breaks, to effectively control fires that occur, and where appropriate to implement controlled early burning to prevent the spread of wildfires. Agroforestry practices can be introduced to villages where there is a need to reduce pressure from agricultural expansion on forest areas. In some cases the climate benefits from these agroforestry activities will be used to derive Plan Vivo credits, but only if the tree species planted are native or naturalised.

2 Identify target groups/communities The target groups are rural communities on the border of Sierra Leone and Guinea in the STEWARD programme priority zone 1 (PZ1). Within these communities the STEWARD programme has established Forest Management Committees (FMCs) in around 20 villages in PZ1. In Sierra Leone, FMCs are formally registered as Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and in Guinea, they are formally registered as Comités de Gestion. Target communities for SSLM project activities are villages with established FMCs that lack the capacity for sustainable land management.

3 Description of PZ1 Physical environment PZ1 includes the Tambaka Chiefdom, Bombali District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone, and in Guinea, the Madina Oula, Soya and Ouré Kaba sub-prefectures (see Figure 1).



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Figure 1. Regional map showing the extent of the PZ1

Within PZ1, there are protected areas - the Outamba-Kilimi National Park in Sierra Leone, and the Soya and Penselly Classified Forests in Guinea (Figure 1). SSLM project activities are planned for areas of village land and no SSLM activities will be carried out in the National Parks or Classified Forests. PZ1 is characterised by a series of rolling hills in Sierra Leone that rise up to a dry plateau with rocky outcrops and dramatic ridges in Guinea. Village land in PZ1is a forest-savannah mosaic, with patches of gallery forest mainly along waterways. Forests vary in tree species and density depending on the gradient and biophysical characteristics of the landscape. Drier upland sites have a lower density of trees of a smaller stature than those closer to riparian corridors. Forest structure also varies as a result of different levels of disturbance by fire. The forest-savannah mosaic areas of village lands are used for shifting cultivation, collection of timber and non-timber forest products and livestock grazing. Some forest areas are protected to safeguard water sources, for the collection of non-timber forest products, or for cultural purposes. Some village lands have areas of seasonal wetland on flat clay pans that are used for rice cultivation. Causes of degradation in the forest-savannah mosaic areas include:

• Shifting cultivation, which prevents the regeneration of forest within the forest-savannah mosaic and maintains the landscape in a degraded state. When agricultural areas are expanding because of increasing demand for food or cash crops, or scarcity of fertile land, shifting cultivation causes further degradation of the forest-savannah mosaic.

• Fire affects large areas of forest savannah mosaic and causes degradation. Fire frequently escapes from areas being cleared for cultivation. Fires also result from wild honey collection, and are sometimes intentionally started as a part of hunting activities, or by children. Some species (e.g. Parkia Biglobosa) appear to be able to resist these fire events.



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• Timber harvesting, when extraction rates are unsustainable, also leads to degradation of forest patches.

Socio-economic environment The majority of the people living in the PZ1 are Susu, part of the Mandé ethnic group. Susu people are mainly subsistence farmers and traders. Fulani pastoralists also live in or near Susu villages to the north of PZ1. The Fula people are a minority ethnic group in the area. In addition to sedentary Fula, other Fulani herders from further north in Guinea also frequent the area on a seasonal basis. In PZ1 most rural people rely heavily on agriculture (rice, groundnuts, beans, pepper) for food and cash income, and many people live below the income poverty line of (US$1.25/day). In Guinea and Sierra Leone forest governance includes government administration, who are guided by formal law, and local communities, who refer predominantly to customary law and institutions. This form of legal plurality is common in sub-Saharan Africa. In Sierra Leone, the customary governance structure is composed of one paramount chief, and five section chiefs. Each section has a section chief and section council, and each village has a village chief and village committee. In Guinea, villages are organised into Districts. Each District is composed of several villages one of which acts as local representation of the district and interacts directly with local government authorities.

4 Ownership of carbon rights and land-tenure Customary law governs land tenure in village land in PZ1. While customary rights of land tenure are recognised in Sierra Leone throughout the country, we believe that rights to carbon within the SSLM project will be less likely to be disputed if customary land if they were formally registered as community forests. In Guinea, customary land can be recognised by the state, but this requires a lengthy and difficult registration process that is not guaranteed to succeed. However, community forestry law in Guinea is advanced, and as in Sierra Leone, this offers the most obvious legal mechanism to ensure communities retain carbon ownership. In the Tambaka chiefdom of Sierra Leone, forests are located on customary land. Community Forests make up a small proportion of the landscape (there are eight community forests, ranging in coverage from 60 to 407 hectares). According to the 1988 Forestry Act, Community Forests should be managed by the Chiefdom Council or another other responsible entity1, who can receive technical support and assistance from the Forestry Division2. Revenue accruing from timber exploitation from Community Forests is divided between the landowners (40%), the local council or government (20%), the paramount chief (10%), and the chiefdom administration (30%). However, other revenue from the utilization of Community Forests in Sierra Leone may be paid to the Chiefdom Council or to the entity responsible for managing the community forest3. Registered 1 The Forestry Act 1998, section 19.2 lists the entities that can be responsible for managing the forest. “A community forest not on State land shall be managed by the Chiefdom council, or pursuant to an agreement with the Chiefdom council; by a community forest association, co-operative or other association of persons or the Forestry Division.” 2 The Forestry Act 1998, section 19.3 “The Forestry Division shall provide all necessary advice and assistance for the management of community forests, including the preparation for a management plan for any community forest which the Chiefdom Council may request.” 3 The Forestry Act 1998, section 20.4 describes how fees can be managed. “All fees and prices paid in respect of a community forest shall be retained by the Chiefdom Council or other entity responsible for managing the forest, subject to the terms of any applicable agreement under sub-section (1) or (2) or section 19.



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Community Forest entities should therefore be able to legally receive Payments for Ecosystem Services, and manage them on behalf of the community. In Guinea, the 1999 Forestry Code provides for the formation of Community Forests. To form a Community Forest (a communal form of land tenure, on community land) a community entity must make a management plan. This is usually done in conjunction with the Forestry administration that provides technical support and advice. Community Forest management plans will be signed by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests. The legal entity (usually a Forest Management Committee) has the right to manage all funds raised in the forest area, conforming to Guinean law and taxes. The Decentralisation Law defines the legal regime and rights of local entities in Community Forest management. Community forest entities can receive all revenue from the Community Forest and conform to tax regulations. There is no legislation relating directly to carbon payments that we are aware of, so we refer directly to Community Forest legislation. Only a national law on carbon (e.g. a carbon tax) would supersede community forest legislation.

5 Description of the applicant organisation and proposed governance structure

The project coordinator is Bioclimate Research and Development West Africa. Bioclimate West Africa was registered with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development as an Indigenous Non-Governmental Organisation on the 10th of May, 2013 (Sierra Leone registration number NNGO/467/2013-2014). Bioclimate West Africa is supported by Bioclimate Research and Development. Bioclimate Research and Development was registered as a company in 2002 and became a charity in 2013 (Scottish charity number SCO44007).The responsibilities are laid out in Table 1. Table 1. Roles of Bioclimate UK office and Bioclimate West Africa in coordination of the SSLM project

Role Bioclimate UK office

Bioclimate West Africa

Administrative Registration and recording of plan vivos and sale agreements ! Managing the use of project finance and making payments to producers ! Coordinating and recording monitoring ! Negotiating sales of Plan Vivo Certificates ! Reporting to the Plan Vivo Foundation ! Contracting project validation and verification ! Managing project data ! ! Technical Providing technical support and training to producers in planning and implementing project activities

! !

Developing, reviewing and updating forestry and agroforestry systems (technical specifications)

!

Evaluating plan vivos ! Monitoring plan vivos ! Social Conducting preliminary discussions and continued workshops with communities

! !



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Bioclimate supports people to improve their livelihoods with innovative approaches to land management and enterprise development. Current activities include:

• Thari Women's Water, Food and Enterprise Project, Pakistan, 4 year project funded by Scottish Government, South Asia Development Programme

• Women’s Intertidal Resource Management Project, Mozambique, 3 year project funded by UK Department for International Development (DFID) Global Poverty Action Fund and The Waterloo Foundation

• Enhancing Socio-ecological Resilience in Coastal Mozambique Project, 3 year project funded by UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Darwin Initiative

• STEWARD Trans-boundary Community PES, Sierra Leone and Guinea, 3 year project funded by USAID through the US Forest Service (USFS)

• Arlomom Patako, 3 year project as part of the part of a larger European Union funded regional UNDESERT project

• Learning from Community Payments for Ecosystem Services in Cameroon, developing policy briefs with funding from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) Knowfor Rapid Response Mechanism

• Supporting development of Plan Vivo projects in Burkina Faso (Tree AID), Cameroon (WWF) and Indonesia (FFI)

For full project details see http://www.bioclimate.net/en/projects The roles of personnel involved in the project are described in Table 2. Table 2: Staff roles

Name Role Bioclimate, West Africa Momoh Gbessay Team leader Dauda Samai Administration and financial management Isata Sesay Community extension worker, Sierra Leone Elie Mansare Community extension worker, Sierra Leone Lamin Kamara Community extension worker, Guinea Ibrahim Kamara Driver Bioclimate, UK Willie McGhee Project Manager Penda Diallo Project Coordinator Nicholas Berry Technical Advisor Michael Riddell Socio-economic Advisor Wendelin Saigle Administrative Advisor

For staff bios see http://www.bioclimate.net/en/our-team

Gathering socio-economic information for project registration and reporting purposes

! !

Helping groups/individuals to demonstrate land-tenure ! ! Advising on issues such as mobilisation, setting up bank accounts, dispute resolution etc.

! !

Technical Support/Project Development Services Technical aspects of project design and development ! Providing training to project technicians ! ! Developing carbon modelling and technical specifications !



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6 Community-led design plan Project activities will be designed in close participation with the target communities. This will include the following stages: 1) Village selection Candidate villages will be selected based on a predefined list of criteria. Forest Management Committees (FMCs) in candidate villages will then be approached to determine whether they would like be involved in the development of project activities. A full description of potential activities and the (limited) financial support that will be available to support them are described to the communities. 2) Survey and mapping Using a combination of participatory mapping approaches and collection of GPS data we will produce maps of land use and land cover throughout the village land. Assessments of carbon stocks and biodiversity will be conducted and socio-economic surveys will be carried out. 3) Participatory land use planning Survey and mapping information will be used to work with representative groups of community members to develop land use plans that optimise benefits to livelihoods and wellbeing, carbon stocks and biodiversity. Agreement on these land use plans will be sought from the wider village community. Management interventions suggested to the community groups during the land use planning will include introducing controls on agricultural practices and extraction of timber, introduction of fire control and management practices, and the establishment of agroforestry practices that may be facilitated by CARE. 4) Payment for ecosystem service mechanism development Bioclimate will use the land use plans to develop technical specifications for the land use activities that show most potential for delivering climate benefits while also supporting improvements to livelihoods and wellbeing. 5) Project implementation Development of project activities will involve Bioclimate’s extension staff working closely with village groups. Systems for ongoing feedback from the communities and reconciliation of any disputes within the community or between the community and project staff will be established to ensure effective working relationships are maintained.

7 Additionality analysis The SSLM project is not the product of a legislative degree. Project activities aim to improve the use of land for the benefit of local communities, and could not be considered a commercial land-use initiative that would be economically viable in their own right. Barriers to sustainable land management, and details of how the SSLM project will overcome them are described in Table 3. Table 3: Barriers to sustainable land management in potential target villages Barrier Action to overcome barrier Financial Target communities lack financial resources to support new land management practices.

Finance from the USAID funded STEWARD project will be used to support the establishment of project activities. Sale of Plan Vivo certificates provides a potential source of ongoing support for activities that will deliver quantifiable climate benefits.



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Barrier Action to overcome barrier Rural poverty Specific poverty reduction measures are required to maintain project activities over the long-term.

Bioclimate West Africa and partners will facilitate the strengthening of VSLAs. Potential future actions include establishing livelihood activities with communities that have community forest management plans such as beekeeping, NTFP enterprises, and/or oil palm plantations.

Technical Target communities lack knowledge of practices that could improve land management and/or the technical expertise to implement them.

New land management practices will be introduced to communities during participatory land use planning exercises. For example, CARE may introduce agroforestry activities. Community extension workers will receive training in the implementation of these approaches and will work with community groups to establish sustainable land management practices.

Inst itut ional Management organisations in the target communities lack capacity to implement new land management activities and to manage financial resources to support them.

Forest Management Committees (FMCs) are composed of: chairman; vice-chairman; general secretary; financial secretary; public relations officer; treasurer; organiser; auditor; and advisors. The FMCs meet once a month. The capacity of Forest Management Committees (FMCs) will be assessed to identify where support is needed. Additional management entities such as fire control and management groups will be established where necessary, and Village Savings and Loan Associations will be introduced as a means to manage project finances and to provide a structure for long term financial management within the communities.

8 Compliance with regulations and notification of relevant bodies

The SSLM project is part of the STEWARD programme that is covered by a Memorandum of Collaboration between the Government of Sierra Leone Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security (MAFFs), and the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Forests in Guinea. Copies of these agreement documents are provided in Annex A. The SSLM project undertakes to comply with all relevant national and international regulations.

9 Sources of start-up funding identified Start-up funding for the SSLM project will be provided through the STEWARD programme. The STEWARD programme is a forest conservation and sustainable livelihoods program supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States Forest Service / International Programs (USFS/IP). STEWARD’s strategic objective is to implement a coherent regional program that addresses trans-boundary threats to biodiversity, capitalizes on regional opportunities to



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spread best practices, harmonizes policies, and addresses the adverse effects of global climate change in priority zones of the Upper Guinean Forest ecosystem. Work towards ecosystem conservation began in the design phase, October 2007-June 2009. The pilot phase ran July 2009-February 2011, addressing regional threats to biodiversity, supporting peace building, knowledge dissemination, and policy harmonization. Currently, STEWARD is in its implementation phase (phase III), a four-year (March 2011-September 2015), 18 million dollar program, with 6 implementing partners (CARE-Sierra Leone, Bioclimate Research and Development, PCI-Media Impact Inc., Thomson Reuters; United Actors for Rural Development (AUDER); and Fauna and Flora International through funding from USAID/USFS.

Annex A The SSLM project is part of the STEWARD programme that is covered by a Memorandum of Collaboration between the Government of Sierra Leone Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security (MAFFs). A copy of this agreement is provided in this annex.

W@Siorra Loone llinistrf' ofAgriculfuie, Foltsbyand Food S€curity

Memorandum of Collaboration

Between

The Government of Sierra Leone, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestryand Food Security (MAFFS)

And

United States Forest Service, International Programs (USFS/IP)

An agreement of partnership for technical support to facilitateimplementation of the Sustainable & Thriving Environments for

West Africa Regional Development (STEWARD) program work plan(13-December-2ol1 to 31-December-2o15) of the United States

Forest Service funded in large part by the United States Agency forInternational Development, West Africa (USAID/WA)

Sien-a Leone Itinistry ofAgriculture, Foresiryand Food S€curity @@

1. Overview of the Memorandum of CollaborationThis Memorandum of Collaboration represents the mutual consent of theGovernment of Sierra Leone Forestry Division Ministry ofAgriculture Foreslry andFood Security (MAFFS) and the United States Forest Service, InternationalPrograms (USFS/lP), hereby designated as the partners, to cooperate with regard totheir goals and objectives in Sierra Leone. The purpose is to facilitate theimplementation of the Sustainable and Thriving Environments for West AfricanRegional Development (STEWARD) program's Phase tt work plan, which will beimplemented through June 2011 and its Phase lll work plan, which will beimplemented over four years beginning in July 20'l'1. This Memorandum ofCollaboration builds upon Drevious collaborative efforts to achieve conservationobjectives ofthe Upper Guinea Forest Ecosystem (UGFE), which includes theOutamba-Kilimi National Park (OKNP).

This document establishes a foundation ot understanding and partnership betweenthe Govemment of Sierra Leone Ministry ofAgriculture, Forestry, and Food Securily- Forestry Division (MAFFS/FD) and the United States Forest Service, InternationalPrograms (USFS/lP) for the implementation of the USFS/lP-operated STEWARD(USFSIP-STEWARD) program's work plans in Sierra Leone.

The USFS/IP-STEWARD program's Director will operate out of Freetown and will bein regular communication with the MAFFS/FD staff and partners to ensure thatUSFS/IP-STEWARD program is actively benefitting MAFFS/FD through its activitieswhich include but are not limited to: training programs; knowledge-sharing activities;site visits to the priority zones; and conservation, forestry and NRM activities for thecommunities and landscapes in and around the OKNP.

Objective of the Memorandum of CollaborationThe objective of this Memorandum of Collaboration is to ensure that USFS/lP-STEWARD program continues to be recognized in Siena Leone as an officialcollaborating partner ofthe Forestry Division in the Ministry ofAgriculture, Forestryand Food Security, for trans-boundary, priority-zone conservation of the UpperGuinea Forest Ecosystem (UGFE). Speci{ically, this Memorandum of Collaborationdefines the roles and responsibilities of each one ofthe partners (USFS/IP andMAFFS/FD). lt also serves as a general orientation to guide the technicalcooperation and the type of partnership between the USFS/lP and MAFFS/FD.Once the general objectives have been approved, more delailed work plans can beestablished, and more precise fo.ms of mutual support can be planned and realized.

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and Food Security

3. Definition of terms used in this Memorandum of CollaborationThe terms used have the following definition:

MAFFS/FDIVRUNGONRMNTFPOKNPSTEWARD

USAID/!r'vAUSFS/IP

Sierra Leone irinistry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security- Forestry DivisionMano River UnionNon-Governmental OrganizationNatural Resource ManagementNon-Timber Forest ProductOutamba-Kil imi National ParkSustainable & Thriving Environments for West African RegionalDevelopmentUpper Guinea Forest EcosystemUnited States Agency for International Development - WestAfricaUnited States Forest Service - International Programs

4. Overview of the Dartners

4.1 Forestry Division ol Siefta LeoneThe Forestry Division (FD), a division ofthe Government of the Sierra Leone Ministryof Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security (MAFFS), is responsible forthemanagement of the National Forests, National Parks and Forest ReseNes of SierraLeone. Within the MAFFS/FD, there are three units: Conservation and WildlifeManagement; Commercial Forestry; and Community Forestry. The MAFFS/FD isresponsible for the design and implementation of policies and programs for forestryand wildlife management, including a focus on natural resource assessment andbiomonitoring.

Through its Conservation and Wildlife Management unit, the MAFFS/FD managesthe Outamba-Kilimi National Park (OKNP) situated on the northern border of SierraLeone and Guinea in two separate areas, one called Outamba and the other Kilimi.Their activities include nurseries and plantations, patrols, and community livelihooddevelopment (agriculture). The MAFFS/FD also seNes as the Sierra Leonercpresentative on the technical advisory team for the lrano River Union (MRU) whichengages in natural resource management (NRM) in four countriesl Sierra Leone,Guinea, Liberia and lvory Coast.

In the OKNP protected area, the l\,ilAFFS/FD works with the UsFs/lP-operatedSTEWARD program and local communities on protected area management,sustainable livelihood development, and wildlife management. Because the landacross the border from the OKNP in Guinea does not have protected status, theMAFFS/FD aims to provide trans-boundary assjstaoqq in addressing internationalissues such as poaching, fire management, wildliiemanagernert, livestock

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management, and forest management.

4.2 USFS/IPThe United States Forest Service (USFS) was created in 19OS with a mission ofensurang the health, diversity, and the productivity of nationalforests in order toguarantee the needs of present and future generations through a strategy ofresource and landscape planning, an ecosystem approach, and the development ofpartners.

The organization has a long history with extensive experience managing 80 millionhectares of land in the United States. USFS has extensive institutional and practicalexpertise in numerous fields related to management of nationalforests andgrasslands including: climate change, ecosystem services, fire management, foreigndisaster assistance, invasive species, landscape management planning, naturalresource management, sustainable forestry, sustainable tourism, and water resource!ala99T9l! This expertise provides opportunities to help strengthen the capacityofthe MAFFS/FD staff with regard to forestry and natural resourc; management.

As the executing partner for the USAID-funded STEWARD program since 2OOB,USFS/IP has been and will continue to be engaged in activities;imed at improvinglocal capacity related to biodiversity conservation, natural resource manaoement(NRM), climate change, and sustainabte rural livelihoods. Such activitieslnclude butare not limited to: the application of Better Management practices; development ottools to address carbon sequestration and other issues related to climate change,rehabilitation of degraded forest landscapes; linking biodiversity conservation tosustainable livelihoods and improved living standards; and the promotion ofbiodiversity, ecological services and sustainable natural resour;es managementthrough a variety of media.

5. Principal ContactsThe persons responsible for this Memorandum of Collaboration are Val l\rezaints,Director of USFS/lP, based in Washington, DC and Dr. Joseph Sam Sesay, lrinisterofAgriculture, Forestry, and Food Security, based in Freetown.

Project implementation contact information:

Stephanie OtisWest Africa Program SpecialistUSDA Forest ServiceInternational Programs'1099 14th St NW, Suite 5500W,Washington DC 20005, USAlel +1 202 219-0877Email: sotis@fs fed.us

Sheku A. lransarayDirector of the Forestry DivisionMinistry of Agriculture, Forestry andFood SecurityGround Floor, Youyi BuildingFreetown, Sierra LeoneTel +232 76 UO 429Email: [email protected]

6. Responsibilities of the partners6-t Resporsibrrilies of the Foresw Division

The principal responsibilities ofthe Forestry Division under this Memorandum of

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Collaboration include:. Providing all necessary assistance to USFS/lP-STEWARD personnel andco-nsultants engaged with the program in Siena Leone to oOtain itreieLvanrworK permfts and other necessary permissions according to the laws of SierraLeone_. Providing,a necessary €ssistance to USFS/tP_STEWARD personnel andconsulanrs engaged with the program in sierra Leone to facilitate thermponalton ot vehicles and equipment lree of duty and taxes. At the close ot

!E y-gf.:lp 9IEIARD prosram, vehicte(s) wi be handed over toNFVIrD/ru wtrn Jterra Leone government plates.. Hrovrdtng to usFs/lP_STEWARD slaff and partners the support andcolaboration required to achievethe USFSltp_STEWARD ;ior[;;objectives. provided that so dojng does not po"" unJru bura"n'J,-inconvenience to |\,IAAFS/FD..

l-?lf,'p-::!?q-ation amons LJSFS/|P_STEWARD partners (sovernmententles. bcat and regional organizations, individuals, and US G;vernmentagenctes) working in natulal resource conservation in Sierra Leone.. Providing access to and use of the IVIAFFSFO conterence ioom ana otn",facilities and materials under its purview upon request bv USiSjfi_ - -' '

STEWARD provded that so doing does not p"""'r"O"JUriJ* ",anconvenience to MAAFS/FD.

. Working in synergy with USFS/IP_STEWARD staff in organizing and rea zrngfleld missions and integrating them into the suite of MAFis/FD-activities asappropnate provided that so doing does not pose undue burden orInconvenience to MAAFS/FD.. W^orking in partnership to harmonize the ITAFFS/FD work plan with the MRUwork plan as it concerns Sierra Leone.. Working in partnership to harmonize forestry and wildlife policies and lawsacross borders and between countries. Buihing€ndensuring the sustainabitjty of the USFS/|P_STEWARD program,swork in OKNp. Working in partnership to amptement approved USFS/lP_STEWARD programrecommendations.. Helping the USFS/IP-STEWARD staff to develop and organize its weeklvNRM/conservation forum and ensure that tt

"r"'i"i """i" """ii"-uL1iii,"I,AFF-S/FD when need€d-p,rovided that so doing do"" noipo"" ,"A-r!'Orra*or Inconvenience to MMFS/FD. l:j,:fsliigjlg!:rterty meetinss tn co aboration with the Minister, UsFs/tp,11,^'_l:].u1."" ,rnp'.mentrng partners to keep all parties abreast of programtmplementatton.

6.2 Responsibilities of IJSFS/IPThe principat responsibilities of the USFS/lp under this Memorandum ofCollaboration essentially include:. Ensuring the presence of USFS/IP_STEWARD staff and an office inFreetown.. Providing technical assistance for sustainable forest management planning,

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Sier€ Leone Ministry ofAgriculturo, Forestryand Food sscurily m@

silviculture, and trans-boundary policy harmonization so that it furthers theobjectives ofthe Phase ll and Phase lllwork plans.

. Working closely with the MAFFS/FD on USFS/IP-STEWARD activitiesincluding capacity-building, fleld missions, study tours, and other relatedactivities so that the MAFFS/FD benefits from USFS/lP-STEWARD'Soresence in Sierra Leone.

. Working with the MAFFS/FD to develop and organize regional workshopsaimed at promoting biodiversity conservation.

. Providing training and public outreach on biodiversity, sustainablelivelihoods, forest ccmanagement, community forestry and NTFP in the formof workshops, videos and radio-television-newspaper media reports.

. Sponsoring participation by select MAFFS/FD staff in a study tour to thecongo Basin, pending approval by USAID/WA.

. Inviting the selected MAFFS/FD staff to apply to attend seminars andconferences organized by the USFS in the uS related to protected areamanagement, watershed management, and climate change adaptataon.

. Helping the MAFFS/FD to conserve Siena Leone's critically important praorityzones by connecting the MAFFS/FD to the USFS network of professionals'private sector entities, NGOS, and tinancing organizations working inbiodiversity and torest conservation.

. Engaging in transparent information-sharing practices (phone, email, andpersonal communication) aimed at keeping the MAFFS/FD informed ofUSFS/IP-STEWARD's activities and helping the MAFFS/FD to improve itsmanagement effectiveness in Siena Leone.

. Working with the MAFFS/FD to develop new initiatives designed toimplement programs funded by USAID for NRM, food security, and climatechange.

. Convening quarterly meetings in collaboration with the Minister, ForestryDivision, and STEWARD implementing parlners to keep all parties abreast ofprogram implementation

7, Areas of intervention and expected results from the PartneFhipThe specific areas of technical and institutional expertise that the USFS will devoteto the implementation ofthe USFS/IP-STEWARD program at the end of Phase lland throughout Phase lll will be detailed in annual work plans which USFS/iP-STEWARD will develop in concert with implementing partners over the next fouryears.

8. Application of the Memorandum of CollaborationBoth parties are responsible forthe application of this Memorandum ofCollaboration. The application of the Memorandum of Collaboration dependsentirely on acquiring sufficient sources offunding, which will be requested but notguaranteed by the signature of this Memorandum of Collaboration.

L Respect of engagementsThis Memorandum of Collaboration does not represent an exclusive contract.However, the MAFFS/FD will provide the neces$ry suppo{ttothe LrsFsllPin- -

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order to facilitate implementation of the USFS/IP-STEWARD Phase ll and Phase lllwori ptans as it concerns the OKNP and potenlially-other priority zones.and theactiviiiei oescrioea in this Letter. The USFS/IP-STEWARD will ensure that thenlnFFSfD receives reports, publications and other information via electronic andhard copy.

'l o. Misunderstanding between PartnersAny misunderstandings between the partners with regard to this MeToJ:l9um ofcoilaboration will be;sofued in a cordial and professionalfashion ln case ofpersistent misunderstandings where third-party intervention is required' thePrincipal Partners will deliberate.

11. Duration of the Memorandum of CollaborationThis partnership agreement is effective the 13th of December 2011 and will rema'nin iorce untif miOniltt on the night ot the 31st of December 20l5 Opportunities torenew the padners-hip agreement may be examined thereafter' Any modification ofthis aqreement shall be in writing and signed by all partners Each partner reseNesiii" r.io'niio

"nnuftf,i. r,lemorandlm of C;llaboration by sending a written staiement

one rionth in advance of expected annulment.

The USFS/lP-STEWARD program is contingent on USAID funding and therefo'ecannot be held accountable for any responsibilities described herein should theprogram funding become unavailable.

12. Drafting of the Memorandum of collaborationThis Memorandum of Collaboration is co-drafted by the partners'

'13. Engagement of the Memorandum of CollaborationThis Memorandum of Collaboration enters into effect following signatures by all thepartners.

Signed and dated:

on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone

,pJ ,y',.,,,Sam Sesay

Honorable MinisterMinistry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security

On behalf of the United States Forest Service

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Slgna Leono flinigtry ofAg.iculture, Folesbyand Food Socu.ity @@

International Programs

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Supporting Sustainable Land Management · 2020-02-24 · Supporting Sustainable Land Management | Project Idea Note Bioclimate Research & Development is registered in Scotland as