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News Items - November 1, 2006
Grenadines Parks in Peril Program Review Yields Recommendations and Ideas for Developing Marine Protected Area Networks
Scientists and international experts from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), the National Marine Protected Area (MPA) Center, and other organizations recently participated in a conservation audit of the Grenadines Parks in Peril project, reviewing it for consistency with The Nature Conservancy's (TNC's) conservation action planning standards. The process yielded findings and recommendations for a final report on the project, and spurred many ideas NOAA and its partners will consider as they work to develop a national system of U.S. MPAs and establish linkages with other MPA systems. The audit team conducted a “quality assurance review” and provided recommendations for future project improvement, finding that the project adhered to TNC’s standards, is based on scientifically rigorous conservation goals and objectives, and has yielded tangible results. A major result is that the Grenadian Government has committed to protecting 25% of near-shore marine and terrestrial resources by the year 2020, and has challenged other governments in the region, including the Bahamas and Jamaica, to make similar commitments. A final report summarizing the team's findings and recommendations will be produced on the project, which is part of a larger program funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and TNC to develop a network of MPAs in Latin America and the Caribbean. For more information on the review, which took place in Grenada October 2-6, 2006, contact Chris Jeffrey at (301) 713-3028 x134 or chris.jeffrey@noaa.gov, or Jonathan Kelsey at (301) 563-1130 or jonathan.kelsey@noaa.gov). (CCMA)